. bg ski news : Mario Matt is back on top, wins Bansko World Cup Slalom - 27 February 2011 - 15:11
WORLD CUP BANSKO. Mario Matt is all the way back. At a World Cup slalom in Bansko, Bulgaria, Sunday (Feb. 27) Austrian Mario Matt registered his first trip to the top step of a World Cup podium since 2009. Not bad for a guy kicked off the team for poor performance.
A couple of injuries gave the 31 year old two-time World slalom champion (2001 and 2007) another shot at Cup action in time to catch the end of the January string of slalom races, picking off top 10 finishes at Adelboden, Wengen and Kitzbuehel. At World Championships he was fourth. In Bulgaria he won his 13th World Cup race.
Matt led after the first run and maintained composure to post the win over teammate Reinfried Herbst by .04 seconds. Freshly crowned World Slalom Champion Jean-Baptiste Grange was third, gaining ground on Cup slalom leader Ivica Kostelic, a first run casualty. With two slaloms remaining, at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia March 6 and at Finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland March 19, Grange trails Kostelic by 36pts.
Matt told Austrian reporters he enjoyed a "huge sigh of relief," and said, "The time was ripe." He said in his most recent outings he had registered good second runs, but had lagged too far back after the first run.
"I knew that if I had a clever first the victory is possible."
He started the season outside of the top 30 seeded skiers. "I really wanted to save my season," he said.
Canadian Michael Janyk was fifth marking the ninth time in his career he has placed fifth or better in a Cup slalom. He is just the third Canadian to score that many top fives in slalom. "I'm really, really happy with my skiing and my approach to the day," said Janyk. "The result is good and bad. It's awesome to be top five and so frustrating to be just off the podium.
"It's so clear in my mind what I need to do. I know I can be on top of the podium."
Like Matt, Nolan Kasper was also enjoying being among the top 30 starters, a new experience for him on World Cup. He responded with a a career best tenth place result.
Kasper said it was just a good day. "It was sunny and the snow was a lot better than I thought it would be. I had a better start than I've had in the past because I was in the top 30 today. It was a pretty easy hill and course so you really had to be gunning from the get go. I just tried to make a little mistakes as possible and go fast."
Ted Ligety finished 17th, his third best slalom finish of the season.-hm
The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Men's World Cup slalom, Bansko, Bulgaria, Feb. 27, 2011.
Equipment
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Matt, Blizzard/Tecnica/Marker
2 Herbst, Blizzard/Tecnica/Marker
3 Grange, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
4 Neureuther, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Janyk, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6 Missillier, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
7 Pranger, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
8 Byggmark, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
9 Deville, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
10 Kasper, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
Men's World Cup slalom, Bansko, Bulgaria, Feb. 27, 2011. ... It is the 30th of 39 races on the men's World Cup schedule. ... the 28th held. ... It is the eighth of ten scheduled slaloms. ... It is the fifth World Cup held at Bansko, the second men's race following yesterday's combined.
It is the 13th career World Cup win for Mario Matt, 12th in slalom. ... It is his first Cup win since March 14, 2009 at Are. ... It is his fifth result of the season and first podium, though he was fourth in slalom at Adelboden and at World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
It is the 16th career World Cup podium for Reinfried Herbst, all in slalom, but just the third time he has finished second. ... It is his second podium of the season having placed third at Adelboden Jan. 9.
It is the 18th career World Cup podium for Jean-Baptiste Grange, all in slalom or combined. ... It is his eighth podium of the season including the gold slalom medal from World Championships.
It is the ninth time Michael Janyk has placed fifth or better in a World Cup slalom. ... the third time this season. ... Among Canadians only he, Thomas Grandi and Betsy Clifford have scored more top fives in World Cup slaloms. ... It is a career best Cup result for Nolan Kasper and just his fourth scoring result. ... three of them this season. ... He is the ninth U.S. skier to post a World Cup top 10 this season. ... It is the third best slalom result of the season for Ted Ligety. ... It is the second scoring result for Patrick Biggs this season, both of them 22nd place finishes.
Ivica Kostelic (1st run DNF) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 1294-725 over Didier Cuche (did not race). ... Aksel Lund Svindal (did not race) is third with 713pts. ... Ligety is the top U.S. skier in ninth with 528pts. ... Janyk leads the Canadian overall in 35th place with 172pts. ... Kostelic leads Grange 478-442 in the slalom standings with two race remaining. ... Andre Myhrer (2nd run DNF) is third at 333pts. ... Janyk is the top Canadian on the slalom standings list in 13th with 172pts. ... Ligety the top US skier in 22nd with 79pts. ... Kasper is 23rd with 68pts. ... Austrian leads the men's Nations Cup 4636-3114 over Switzerland. ... Italy is third with 2491pts. ... The U.S. in seventh with 1283pts and Canada ninth with 942pts.
SkiRacing.com
February 27, 2011
Place Bansko (BUL) Discipline Slalom
Date 27.02.2011 Category FIS World Cup
Race codex 0228 Gender M
Valid for FIS Points YES TD Name Petit Dominique (FRA)
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
1 12 50707 MATT Mario 1979 AUT 54.21 56.14 1:50.35 0.00
2 2 50605 HERBST Reinfried 1978 AUT 54.33 56.06 1:50.39 0.22
3 1 192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste 1984 FRA 54.89 55.94 1:50.83 2.65
4 14 201702 NEUREUTHER Felix 1984 GER 55.10 56.08 1:51.18 4.59
5 9 102435 JANYK Michael 1982 CAN 54.64 56.71 1:51.35 5.53
6 8 192506 MISSILLIER Steve 1984 FRA 55.80 55.62 1:51.42 5.91
7 13 50624 PRANGER Manfred 1978 AUT 55.00 56.50 1:51.50 6.36
8 11 501101 BYGGMARK Jens 1985 SWE 55.23 56.35 1:51.58 6.80
9 4 291145 DEVILLE Cristian 1981 ITA 54.84 56.78 1:51.62 7.02
10 26 532138 KASPER Nolan 1989 USA 55.42 56.31 1:51.73 7.63
11 49 511174 VOGEL Markus 1984 SUI 54.95 57.04 1:51.99 9.07
12 42 293797 GROSS Stefano 1986 ITA 54.77 57.26 1:52.03 9.29
13 7 292491 MOELGG Manfred 1982 ITA 55.97 56.10 1:52.07 9.51
14 19 511127 GINI Marc 1984 SUI 55.92 56.17 1:52.09 9.62
15 15 293098 RAZZOLI Giuliano 1984 ITA 55.24 56.87 1:52.11 9.73
16 53 202462 DOPFER Fritz 1987 GER 55.39 56.94 1:52.33 10.95
17 16 534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA 55.90 56.47 1:52.37 11.17
18 3 501111 HARGIN Mattias 1985 SWE 55.48 57.11 1:52.59 12.38
19 39 561148 SKUBE Matic 1988 SLO 56.11 56.49 1:52.60 12.44
20 57 192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA 56.24 56.39 1:52.63 12.60
20 50 193347 TISSOT Maxime 1986 FRA 56.00 56.63 1:52.63 12.60
22 51 102456 BIGGS Patrick 1982 CAN 56.31 56.42 1:52.73 13.16
23 54 51395 DIGRUBER Marc 1988 AUT 56.43 56.65 1:53.08 15.09
24 20 301709 YUASA Naoki 1983 JPN 55.96 1:07.50 2:03.46 72.47
Disqualified 1st run
59 421669 HAUGEN Leif Kristian 1987 NOR
Did not start 1st run
32 293006 INNERHOFER Christof 1984 ITA
Did not qualify 1st run
73 90134 YANAKIEV Zahari 1987 BUL
72 700868 FALAT Matej 1993 SVK
71 90109 TODOROV Dean 1983 BUL
69 90047 GEORGIEV Stefan 1977 BUL
68 92534 CHONGAROV Nikola 1989 BUL
66 561117 KUERNER Miha 1987 SLO
64 501458 LINDH Calle 1990 SWE
63 534959 JITLOFF Tim 1985 USA
62 380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko 1986 CRO
61 480736 KHOROSHILOV Alexander 1984 RUS
60 191750 FANARA Thomas 1981 FRA
58 930105 GRANSTROM Colby 1990 USA
55 150644 KRYZL Krystof 1986 CZE
52 50931 BECHTER Patrick 1982 AUT
47 301312 SASAKI Akira 1981 JPN
45 50981 HOERL Wolfgang 1983 AUT
43 180251 PALANDER Kalle 1977 FIN
34 50547 SCHOENFELDER Rainer 1977 AUT
29 150594 TREJBAL Filip 1985 CZE
28 501116 LAHDENPERAE Anton 1985 SWE
27 102922 WHITE Trevor 1984 CAN
24 150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE
23 102912 SPENCE Brad 1984 CAN
22 910000 IMBODEN Urs 1975 MDA
21 500656 LARSSON Markus 1979 SWE
18 560355 VALENCIC Mitja 1978 SLO
Did not finish 2nd run
33 534508 CHODOUNSKY David 1984 USA
30 511896 MURISIER Justin 1992 SUI
25 421400 MYHRE Lars Elton 1984 NOR
17 501223 BAECK Axel 1987 SWE
10 102239 COUSINEAU Julien 1981 CAN
6 501017 MYHRER Andre 1983 SWE
Did not finish 1st run
70 294904 PANGRAZZI Paolo 1988 ITA
67 90131 GEORGIEV Georgi 1987 BUL
65 53922 WIESER Manuel 1990 AUT
56 250127 BJORGVINSSON Bjorgvin 1980 ISL
48 194495 FAIVRE Mathieu 1992 FRA
46 102727 STUTZ Paul 1983 CAN
44 194364 PINTURAULT Alexis 1991 FRA
41 510997 BERTHOD Marc 1983 SUI
40 290732 THALER Patrick 1978 ITA
38 530165 BRANDENBURG Will 1987 USA
37 511908 SCHMIDIGER Reto 1992 SUI
36 92591 ALBRECHT Kilian 1973 BUL
35 50824 DREIER Christoph 1981 AUT
31 421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR
5 380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO