Gusting winds strong enough to blow away the finish line banner for the Aspen Winternational women's Giant Slalom did little to keep Czech Sarka Zahrobska from claiming the first run.

Zahrobska was a tenth of a second ahead of Austrian Kathrin Zettel with German Maria Riesch in third and the defending World Cup slalom champion, Nicole Hosp fourth.

American Lindsey Vonn posted the seventh best first run time, a little less than a full second behind.

Vonn said the wind was a factor as it ripped sideways across the course. "I felt like I came to a stop," she told team officials. The wind also picked up some of the four inches of snow that fell overnight creating some brief whiteouts.

Hailey Duke, in 17th, was the next best American as Sarah Schleper elected not to run after aggravating a sore back in the giant slalom and Julia Mancuso got caught up in the final gates and couldn't make the final two gates.

"It is a straightforward course," Mancuso said in her radio report to teammates, "but it picks up pace at the bottom."

by skiracing.com

Place Aspen (USA) Discipline Slalom
Date 30.11.2008 Category FIS World Cup
Race codex 6459 Gender L
Valid for FIS Points YES TD Name Des Rosiers Sylvie (CAN)

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
1 5 155415 ZAHROBSKA Sarka 1985 CZE 48.92 50.40 1:39.32 0.00
2 7 55690 HOSP Nicole 1983 AUT 49.52 50.03 1:39.55 1.39
3 4 185140 POUTIAINEN Tanja 1980 FIN 49.64 50.65 1:40.29 5.86
4 13 537544 VONN Lindsey 1984 USA 49.87 50.86 1:40.73 8.52
5 12 55838 ZETTEL Kathrin 1986 AUT 49.02 51.73 1:40.75 8.64
6 2 206001 RIESCH Maria 1984 GER 49.36 51.68 1:41.04 10.39
7 1 505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE 49.65 51.55 1:41.20 11.36
8 30 515733 BONJOUR Aline 1985 SUI 50.73 50.83 1:41.56 13.53
9 19 296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA 49.69 51.99 1:41.68 14.26
10 15 55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT 50.67 51.52 1:42.19 17.34
11 9 205993 HOELZL Kathrin 1984 GER 51.13 51.52 1:42.65 20.12
12 11 385032 JELUSIC Ana 1986 CRO 50.28 52.39 1:42.67 20.24
13 10 505483 PAERSON Anja 1981 SWE 51.50 51.83 1:43.33 24.22
14 18 515619 GINI Sandra 1982 SUI 51.67 51.78 1:43.45 24.95
15 46 565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO 52.06 51.41 1:43.47 25.07
16 8 425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR 50.94 52.58 1:43.52 25.37
17 52 196179 BERTRAND Marion 1984 FRA 51.04 52.75 1:43.79 27.00
18 24 385027 FLEISS Nika 1984 CRO 51.31 52.61 1:43.92 27.79
19 21 195972 AUBERT Sandrine 1982 FRA 51.64 52.32 1:43.96 28.03
20 43 55947 FENNINGER Anna 1989 AUT 52.48 51.76 1:44.24 29.72
21 32 537792 DUKE Hailey 1985 USA 51.49 52.78 1:44.27 29.90
22 28 206160 RIESCH Susanne 1987 GER 51.88 52.46 1:44.34 30.33
23 25 355040 NIGG Marina 1984 LIE 52.35 52.10 1:44.45 30.99
24 33 106633 GOODMAN Anna 1986 CAN 51.88 53.23 1:45.11 34.98
25 40 435142 KARASINSKA Katarzyna 1982 POL 51.90 53.47 1:45.37 36.55
26 49 425432 MUELLER Anne Marie 1980 NOR 52.44 52.96 1:45.40 36.73
27 57 106527 ACTON Brigitte 1985 CAN 52.05 53.39 1:45.44 36.97
28 56 435210 GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka 1987 POL 52.15 53.98 1:46.13 41.14
29 44 538256 GRANT Sterling 1987 USA 52.64 55.65 1:48.29 54.19

Did not start 1st run :

SCHLEPER Sarah (USA)

Did not finish 1st run :

LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica (SWE), BARTHET Anne-Sophie (FRA), KURFUERSTOVA Eva (CZE), FERNSEBNER Carolin (GER), ROBNIK Mateja (SLO), NOENS Nastasia (FRA), CURTONI Irene (ITA), GRAND Rabea (SUI), DE LEYMARIE Florine (FRA), KARBON Denise (ITA), BERGMANN Monika (GER), ZUZULOVA Veronika (SVK), BORSSEN Therese (SWE)

Disqualified 1st run :

RICHARDSON Kaylin (USA), STAPLES Kiley (USA), GOERGL Elisabeth (AUT), HANSDOTTER Frida (SWE), MANCUSO Julia (USA)

Disqualified 2nd run :

GIUS Nicole (ITA)

Did not qualify 1st run :

KOEHLE Stefanie (AUT), NOVOSELIC Sofija (CRO), LOLOVIC Jelena (SRB), PERNER Nina (GER), RUBENS Shona (CAN), BLIENINGER Anja (GER), SMEDH Veronica (SWE), DUERR Katharina (GER), DAUTHERIVES Claire (FRA), CHMELAR Fanny (GER)