ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland – Tina Maze’s season took on yet another new glow on Friday when, after several delays following two days of fog, rain and snowstorms, she notched her first World Cup slalom victory in Lenzerheide.

The 27-year-old Slovenian won in a combined time of 1 minute, 29.33 seconds, becoming the first woman since Maria Riesch in last year’s Olympics to beat Marlies Schild in a slalom race. After leading the first run, Schild ended up second, 0.05 seconds back. Besides two DNFs, Schild had won every slalom race since last year’s World Cup Finals, including world championship gold this season, and had clinched the 2011 slalom globe before Friday’s race. Several racers have said they considered the Austrian unbeatable in the discipline.

“I thought so, too,” said Maze after the race. “Marlies is the best slalom skier but this time I’m better and I’m so happy. This is my best season. It’s my first slalom victory and I’m just … so happy.

Earning her second podium of the season, Slovakia’s Veronika Zuzulova skied to third place in the fog and spring-like snow, 0.64 seconds off the winning time. Riesch, looking much more like herself from the first run, in which she was second behind Schild, barely missed the podium in fourth, 0.66 seconds back. In another exciting twist at this final leg of the World Cup season, Riesch regains the lead in the overall standings with 1728 points, just three more than Lindsey Vonn, who was 13th in Friday’s race.

FISalpine.com
Friday 18 March 2011

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