ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP, SOELDEN, Austria – Viktoria Rebensburg is officially a giant slalom star, proving that the talent leading to her Olympic gold medal was no fleeting phenomenon and appears to be here to stay.

Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg speeds down the course on her way to win an alpine ski women's World Cup giant slalom race, in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Armando Trovati)

The German who just celebrated her 21st birthday won the season-opening World Cup race in Soelden on Saturday, finishing with a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 26.39 seconds, edging first-run leader and teammate Kathrin Hoelzl by 0.42 seconds as Italian Manuela Moelgg rounded out the podium, 0.86 seconds back.

Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg, center, winner of an alpine ski women's World Cup giant slalom race, celebrates on the podium with second placed Germany's Kathrin Hoelzl, left, and third placed Manuela Moelgg, of Italy, in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Though Rebensburg has been racing on the World Cup circuit since the 2006-07 season and is a three-time Junior World Ski Champion, last year marked her breakout season. She began with an eighth place in Soelden and followed up with several top 10s, one of which was her first podium, a second place in the Cortina d’Ampezzo GS. She then landed her Olympic gold and came close to the podium in the World Cup final GS race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with a fourth place finish.

Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski women's World Cup giant slalom race, in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Unlike so many Olympic champions who are never again able to find the winning formula after their shining day on the big stage, Rebensburg’s glory carries on.

“I’m so happy that I proved to everyone that it was not an accident or something,” Rebensburg said of her Olympic medal. “I’m so pleased with what I did today. I [never] dreamed to start this season with a win. It’s pretty cool that I did it.”

With Hoelzl finishing second and Maria Riesch in close contention in fifth (she was tied with Rebensburg in second place after the first run), the season opens with a tunnel of glowing hope for the German team, which hosts the 2011 world championships in February.

“It means so much for us,” Rebensburg said of her team’s success Saturday. “Now it seems like everything is perfect. But February, it’s such a long time now. You have to stay focused and keep pushing. But it’s good to start like that.”

The Germans capitalized on coach Christian Schwaiger’s first-run course set, but other racers said the snow was bumpy and that early season jitters added to the chatter.

“I always come close,” Tina Maze said of Soelden, where she finished sixth on Saturday. “I tried to win today but it was impossible. I guess I put too much pressure on myself. I tried to really attack, but it just didn’t work. You know when you are blocked, it’s not working. But second run I relaxed. I just felt better because you break the start. You break the nerves at the start of the season. So that was quite hard today in the first run but now it’s good. I’m happy that we just started and we broke the starting race.”

Austria's Kathrin Zettel clears a gate during the second run of the women's giant slalom World Cup race on the Rettenbach glacier in the Tyrolean ski resort of Soelden October 23, 2010. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner (AUSTRIA)

The light and snow conditions changed throughout the day, making it difficult for some racers, particularly those that started farther back in the first run, to find a smooth rhythm.

“I felt very bad on the slope. I [had] no speed and no good feelings,” said Italian Nicole Gius, who finished 26th, nearly five seconds off the winning time, and said that the four-second or more margin she and other racers had going into the second run was just too large a gap to fill. “I think it’s normal to take a lot of seconds. Four seconds are a lot, but this race is very special, the conditions are changing – the sun, the slope – so you can go faster and also go slower. For me it was slower.”

There were a couple of icy gates that led to three racers sliding out and crashing in the second run. Victims included Denise Karbon, Andrea Fischbacher and Taina Barioz. All were able to stand up and ski to the finish area.

Italy's Denise Karbon passes a gate during the first run of an alpine ski, Women's World Cup giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

The United States had a rough day with only Julia Mancuso breaking into the top 15 with a 12th place finish. Lindsey Vonn, who later admitted that she did not throw herself down the hill in her first run, was 18th.  Sarah Schleper tied for 19th.

Julia Mancuso of the United States passes a gate during the first run of an alpine ski, Women's World Cup giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. (AP Photo/Armando Trovati)

“For sure I definitely skied more conservative in the first run, I went for it more (in the second run), and didn’t ski tactically smart, I made a few mistakes, but I think it’s just a matter of combining them both and being ready to race,” Mancuso said for SkiRacing.com.

“Today wasn’t my day, for sure, I was just expecting a lot more, I’ve been training really well and for sure I think I had first run jitters and I didn’t feel so nervous but I just didn’t ski myself, I skied pretty conservatively and it was definitely challenging with the snow conditions, the course has been getting pretty chopped up but it’s no excuse,” Vonn said, adding that she felt “confident for the season.”

Lindsay Vonn from the U.S. reacts after a women's giant slalom World Cup race on the Rettenbach glacier in the Tyrolean ski resort of Soelden October 23, 2010. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger (AUSTRIA)

Tania Poutiainen led the veterans with a fourth-place finish, giving notice that she should not be counted out for the season.

As for racers returning from injury after an entire season off the race course, Swiss teenager Lara Gut had a fair race, finishing 25th, though four and a half seconds slower than the winning time, while Nicole Hosp, starting with bib No. 36, finished 32nd in the first run, failing to make the cut for the second run.

The opening World Cup weekend continues with the fabled fan parade this evening, the men’s bib draw and the men’s GS here tomorrow, Oct. 24, on the Rettenbach Glacier.

Shauna Farnell
FISalpine.com
Saturday 23 October 2010

Place   Soelden (AUT)   Discipline   Giant Slalom
Date   23.10.2010   Category   FIS World Cup
Race codex   5098   Gender   L
Valid for FIS Points   YES   TD Name   Klammer Herbert (ITA)

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  1  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria  1989  GER   1:12.19  1:14.20  2:26.39  0.00
 2  2  205993 HOELZL Kathrin  1984  GER   1:11.74  1:15.07  2:26.81  2.50
 3  4  296259 MOELGG Manuela  1983  ITA   1:12.63  1:14.62  2:27.25  5.11
 4  3  185140 POUTIAINEN Tanja  1980  FIN   1:12.39  1:14.93  2:27.32  5.53
 5  6  206001 RIESCH Maria  1984  GER   1:12.19  1:15.30  2:27.49  6.54
 6  5  565243 MAZE Tina  1983  SLO   1:12.72  1:14.80  2:27.52  6.72
 7  7  55838 ZETTEL Kathrin  1986  AUT   1:13.03  1:14.64  2:27.67  7.61
 8  15  196928 WORLEY Tessa  1989  FRA   1:13.37  1:14.44  2:27.81  8.44
 9  24  196793 MARMOTTAN Anemone  1988  FRA   1:13.61  1:14.30  2:27.91  9.03
 10  10  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth  1981  AUT   1:13.34  1:14.64  2:27.98  9.45
 11  11  297601 BRIGNONE Federica  1990  ITA   1:13.91  1:14.52  2:28.43  12.12
 12  18  537545 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:14.42  1:14.83  2:29.25  17.00
 13  37  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele  1989  CAN   1:15.36  1:13.91  2:29.27  17.12
 14  34  206355 DUERR Lena  1991  GER   1:15.71  1:13.57  2:29.28  17.18
 15  14  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela  1985  AUT   1:14.13  1:15.28  2:29.41  17.95
 16  12  505483 PAERSON Anja  1981  SWE   1:14.09  1:15.41  2:29.50  18.48
 17  20  296379 GIANESINI Giulia  1984  ITA   1:14.95  1:14.59  2:29.54  18.72
 18  19  537544 VONN Lindsey  1984  USA   1:15.56  1:14.11  2:29.67  19.49
 19  25  55818 KOEHLE Stefanie  1986  AUT   1:16.05  1:13.97  2:30.02  21.57
 19  22  536481 SCHLEPER Sarah  1979  USA   1:15.92  1:14.10  2:30.02  21.57
 21  8  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria  1986  SWE   1:14.86  1:15.44  2:30.30  23.24
 22  40  505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica  1984  SWE   1:15.53  1:15.03  2:30.56  24.78
 23  17  515766 SUTER Fabienne  1985  SUI   1:14.70  1:15.97  2:30.67  25.44
 24  45  506399 HECTOR Sara  1992  SWE   1:15.97  1:14.89  2:30.86  26.57
 25  21  516138 GUT Lara  1991  SUI   1:15.24  1:15.65  2:30.89  26.74
 26  23  295435 GIUS Nicole  1980  ITA   1:16.10  1:15.27  2:31.37  29.60
 27  29  225206 ALCOTT Chemmy  1982  GBR   1:15.62  1:16.11  2:31.73  31.74

Did not qualify 1st run
   66  106988 STEVENS Victoria  1990  CAN         
   65  516280 HOLDENER Wendy  1993  SUI         
   64  425803 GROSVOLD Thea  1990  NOR         
   63  305944 KIYOSAWA Emiko  1983  JPN         
   62  565320 FERK Marusa  1988  SLO         
   60  155415 ZAHROBSKA Sarka  1985  CZE         
   59  297910 CURTONI Elena  1991  ITA         
   58  425916 FAUSA Chloe Margrethe  1992  NOR         
   57  435210 GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka  1987  POL         
   55  55947 FENNINGER Anna  1989  AUT         
   54  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca  1990  ITA         
   52  206160 RIESCH Susanne  1987  GER         
   51  306249 HASEGAWA Emi  1986  JPN         
   49  515849 DETTLING Andrea  1987  SUI         
   48  538284 MCJAMES Megan  1987  USA         
   47  515937 FUHRER Kathrin  1988  SUI         
   46  206078 FERNSEBNER Carolin  1986  GER         
   44  505886 KLING Kajsa  1988  SWE         
   43  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie  1988  FRA         
   42  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth  1991  NOR         
   41  495065 RIENDA Maria Jose  1975  SPA         
   39  565268 DREV Ana  1985  SLO         
   36  55690 HOSP Nicole  1983  AUT         
   35  705287 ZUZULOVA Veronika  1984  SVK         
   33  425629 LOESETH Lene  1986  NOR         
   30  56087 SIEBENHOFER Ramona  1991  AUT         
   28  296509 CURTONI Irene  1985  ITA         
   27  196179 BERTRAND Marion  1984  FRA         
Did not finish 2nd run
   16  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea  1985  AUT         
   13  295445 KARBON Denise  1980  ITA         
   9  196725 BARIOZ Taina  1988  FRA         
Did not finish 1st run
   69  196806 NOENS Nastasia  1988  FRA         
   68  435142 KARASINSKA Katarzyna  1982  POL         
   67  155699 PAULATHOVA Katerina  1993  CZE         
   61  185271 LEINONEN Sanni  1989  FIN         
   56  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida  1985  SWE         
   53  197319 BAUD Adeline  1992  FRA         
   50  55806 ALTACHER Margret  1986  AUT         
   38  56032 SCHILD Bernadette  1990  AUT         
   32  106825 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier  1988  CAN         
   31  195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid  1978  FRA         
   26  296476 ALFIERI Camilla  1985  ITA