Aamodt, Koz win Legends GS at Vail ski classic

By Published On: March 22nd, 2007Comments Off on Aamodt, Koz win Legends GS at Vail ski classic

The first time was the charm Wednesday evening for Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt and America’s Kristina Koznick as the pair of rookie Legends competitors officially kicked off the 25th anniversary celebration of the Countrywide American Ski Classic with impressive wins in the Countrywide Legends Giant Slalom at Vail Mountain’s Golden Peak.
VAIL, Colorado — The first time was the charm Wednesday evening for Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt and America’s Kristina Koznick as the pair of rookie Legends competitors officially kicked off the 25th anniversary celebration of the Countrywide American Ski Classic with impressive wins in the Countrywide Legends Giant Slalom at Vail Mountain’s Golden Peak.
    Fresh off his retirement from the World Cup circuit in January, Aamodt posted the fastest qualifying times in the afternoon session, knocking off Austrians Franz Klammer, Patrick Ortlieb and Franz Weber to reach the gold-medal round against three-time overall World Cup champion Phil Mahre of the United States.
    Mahre, who retired at the 1984 American Ski Classic, came out of retirement this winter in an attempt to qualify for the 2008 U.S. National Championships. Under the handicapping system, which allows skiers from five different decades to compete equally with one another, Mahre had a slight advantage in the final run but was unable to hold off Aamodt, despite a mistake by the Norwegian four gates from the finish.
    In the men’s bronze medal matchup, former speed skier Weber outdistanced fellow countryman Hannes Trinkl for the win.
    On the women’s side of the ledger, Koznick dispatched of Germany’s Michaela Gerg-Leitner and Australian slalom specialist Zali Steggall to earn a spot in the finals against 1998 World Cup slalom champion Ylva Nowen of Sweden.
    Nowen, who declined to take her six-tenths of a second handicap advantage at the start, battled Koznick through the first half of the course before jetting off course, giving Koznick the gold medal.
    Steggall rebounded to take the bronze medal in the consolation round over Norway’s Toril Forland.
    The 2007 Countrywide American Ski Classic will continue on Thursday with the Volvo Legends Downhill, while Friday and Saturday feature the Countrywide Ford Cup celebrity team competition.
     The 25th anniversary Countrywide American Ski Classic is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation. For additional information on the Ski Classic or the Foundation, go to www.vvf.org.

Share This Article

About the Author: Pete Rugh