Bansko: Fischbacher wins race; Vonn wins DH title
Andrea Fischbacher wasn’t going to lead two days of downhill training without winning a race.
The Austrian who likes to ride motorcycles in the summer and who finished second in Friday’s race at Bansko landed on the top step of the podium on Saturday while Slovenian Tina Maze claimed the second step and Friday’s winner, Fabienne Suter of Switzerland, settled for third.
Though she finished 12th Saturday after a little bobble and recovery at the top of the course, Lindsey Vonn managed to clinch the World Cup downhill title. Picabo Street (1995-96) is the only other American to do so for two straight years.
“This is a huge accomplishment. It’s never easy to win a World Cup title and it’s even harder to defend one,” Vonn said. “It’s so rewarding to join Picabo. “It was pretty cool last season when I passed her downhill win record and now, we’ve both won two titles.”
Andrea Fischbacher wasn’t going to lead two days of downhill training without winning a race.
The Austrian who likes to ride motorcycles in the summer and who finished second in Friday’s race at Bansko landed on the top step of the podium on Saturday while Slovenian Tina Maze claimed the second step and Friday’s winner, Fabienne Suter of Switzerland, settled for third.
Though she finished 12th Saturday after a little bobble and recovery at the top of the course, Lindsey Vonn managed to clinch the World Cup downhill title. Picabo Street (1995-96) is the only other American to do so for two straight years.
“This is a huge accomplishment. It’s never easy to win a World Cup title and it’s even harder to defend one,” Vonn said. “It’s so rewarding to join Picabo. “It was pretty cool last season when I passed her downhill win record and now, we’ve both won two titles.”
Vonn’s 12th put her an untouchable 111 points ahead of her closest contender, Dominique Gisin (ninth on Saturday), in the downhill standings, and thus the DH globe is hers.
“The downhill title is a reflection of the best speed skier throughout the season and Lindsey is definitely the best and she deserves the title,” said U.S. women’s speed coach Alex Hoedlmoser. “Lindsey skis to win every race and she did that today, too. This is just such a tough course, everyone had some close calls. Lindsey had a big one at the top of the hill but pulled it back in and kept her hands forward down the entire thing. She did a great job staying with it.”
When Vonn won last year’s title, she was racing on the 2010 Olympic course in Whistler, B.C.
“I was thinking about that today, because I finished second by one-hundredth and it felt strange to win the title without winning the race, but sometimes that’s how it goes,” Vonn said.
It was Fischbacher’s fastest run yet on the course. She finished in 1 minute, 45.81 seconds (still .18 seconds slower than Suter’s winning run Friday), while Maze was .26 off the pace and Suter .39 back.
Julia Mancuso was the fastest American, taking 10th (1:47.83) while Chelsea Marshall, Stacey Cook and Keely Kelleher finished 26th, 28th and 29th, respectively.
With her top-10 finish – by far her best in downhill this season – Mancuso moved from 29th to 21st in the DH standings and secured a downhill start in the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden.
“I’m really happy for Julia, too,” Hoedlmoser said. “It’s been a frustrating year for her, but this is a great indication of how hard she wants to work to get her skiing back.”
The victory was only the second of 23-year-old Fischbacher’s young World Cup career (the first was a super G in Sestriere last season) and only her seventh podium, though she was this year’s World Championship super G bronze medalist. After her win in St. Moritz last season, this was only the second downhill podium of Maze’s World Cup career.
If Saturday’s result doesn’t paint a picture of Vonn’s decorated World Cup career, nothing does. Though it was good enough to win the DH title, Vonn’s 12th place is her worst finish in any discipline this season and her worst in downhill since January 2006.
Vonn still leads the pack significantly on her quest to win her second straight overall Cup title, though Maria Riesch gained a little on her with an eighth-place finish on Saturday. Vonn leads with 1456 points, followed by Riesch with 1120, while Paerson, who didn’t finish the race for the second day straight in Bansko, trails in third with 960 points.
The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Women’s Downhill, Bansko, Bulgaria, Feb. 28, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Fischbacher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange/Rossignol
3 Suter, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic
4 Gut, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Fanchini, Dynastar/Lange/Look
6 Rolland, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Goergl, Head/Head/Head
8 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
9 Gisin, Dynastar/Lange/Marker
10 Mancuso, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
Women’s Downhill, Bansko, Bulgaria, Feb. 28, 2009. … It is the 27th race of the women’s 36 race 2009 World Cup schedule. … The sixth of eight originally scheduled downhills, with one cancellation. … It is the final downhill before World Cup finals. … It is the second of a three race set at Bansko.
It is the second career World Cup win for Andrea Fischbacher. … The first coming Feb. 10 2008 at Sestriere in SG. … It is her fourth Cup podium of the season, the first a third in the opening race at Soelden back in October. … It is her second podium in two days having placed second in yesterday’s downhill.
It is the 15th career World Cup podium for Tina Maze. … Her second in DH. … The other DH podium is a win at St Moritz Feb. 2, 2008. … It is her third Cup podium of the season in three disciplines having won the Maribor GS Jan. 10 and been third at Tarvisio’s SG Feb. 22.
It is the eighth career World Cup podium for Fabienne Suter who won on the track yesterday. … Her sixth of the season. … It is the second time she has podiumed on consecutive days having been second and third in combined and SG at St Moritz in December. … She has been on the podium in each of her last three races.
It is the third best result of the season for Julia Mancuso. … Her best DH result in nearly a year. … She will qualify for World Cup finals because of the placing.… It is the only completed race for Lindsey Vonn this season that is not a top 10 placing. … It is the eighth scoring result of the season for Britt Janyk. … Her fourth best of four DH results this season. … It is the 10th scoring result of the season for Emily Brydon. … Her third completed DH race. … It is the fifth scoring result of the season for Chelsea Marshall. … Stacey Cook gets her third World Cup score of the season matching her three placings from the World Championships. … Keely Kelleher tallies her second career World Cup scoring result, the previous a 27th in SG at St Moritz in December.
Lindsey Vonn’s lead overall is tightened to 1456-1120 over Maria Riesch (eighth in race) with seven races remaining. … Anja Paerson (DNF in race) is third at 960. … Vonn cinches the DH title. … She leads 402-291 over Dominique Gisin (ninth in race) with one race remaining and cannot be caught. … It is her second consecutive DH title, matching the U.S. record established by Picabo Street in 1995 and ’96. … they are the only two Americans to win a World Cup downhill crown.
Saturday’s downhill results:
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
1 | 19 | 55750 | FISCHBACHER Andrea | 1985 | AUT | 1:45.81 | 0.00 |
2 | 14 | 565243 | MAZE Tina | 1983 | SLO | 1:46.07 | 3.24 |
3 | 3 | 515766 | SUTER Fabienne | 1985 | SUI | 1:46.20 | 4.87 |
4 | 8 | 516138 | GUT Lara | 1991 | SUI | 1:46.43 | 7.73 |
5 | 16 | 296729 | FANCHINI Nadia | 1986 | ITA | 1:46.61 | 9.98 |
6 | 4 | 195983 | ROLLAND Marion | 1982 | FRA | 1:47.07 | 15.72 |
7 | 10 | 55576 | GOERGL Elisabeth | 1981 | AUT | 1:47.29 | 18.46 |
8 | 18 | 206001 | RIESCH Maria | 1984 | GER | 1:47.52 | 21.33 |
9 | 17 | 515747 | GISIN Dominique | 1985 | SUI | 1:47.73 | 23.95 |
10 | 7 | 537545 | MANCUSO Julia | 1984 | USA | 1:47.83 | 25.20 |
11 | 12 | 196460 | MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie | 1985 | FRA | 1:47.96 | 26.82 |
12 | 22 | 537544 | VONN Lindsey | 1984 | USA | 1:48.00 | 27.32 |
12 | 6 | 515573 | AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi | 1981 | SUI | 1:48.00 | 27.32 |
12 | 5 | 515560 | SCHILD Martina | 1981 | SUI | 1:48.00 | 27.32 |
15 | 21 | 55069 | GOETSCHL Renate | 1975 | AUT | 1:48.56 | 34.31 |
16 | 35 | 295136 | CECCARELLI Daniela | 1975 | ITA | 1:48.88 | 38.30 |
17 | 24 | 196573 | REVILLET Aurelie | 1986 | FRA | 1:48.91 | 38.67 |
18 | 26 | 296008 | MERIGHETTI Daniela | 1981 | ITA | 1:49.24 | 42.79 |
19 | 30 | 515849 | DETTLING Andrea | 1987 | SUI | 1:49.28 | 43.29 |
20 | 2 | 515170 | STYGER Nadia | 1978 | SUI | 1:49.45 | 45.41 |
21 | 15 | 106022 | JANYK Britt | 1980 | CAN | 1:49.54 | 46.53 |
22 | 9 | 105997 | BRYDON Emily | 1980 | CAN | 1:49.58 | 47.03 |
23 | 33 | 55970 | SCHMIDHOFER Nicole | 1989 | AUT | 1:49.70 | 48.53 |
24 | 27 | 495318 | RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina | 1981 | SPA | 1:50.00 | 52.27 |
25 | 43 | 225206 | ALCOTT Chemmy | 1982 | GBR | 1:50.18 | 54.52 |
26 | 36 | 538038 | MARSHALL Chelsea | 1986 | USA | 1:50.34 | 56.51 |
27 | 23 | 296473 | SIORPAES Wendy | 1985 | ITA | 1:50.39 | 57.14 |
28 | 37 | 537582 | COOK Stacey | 1984 | USA | 1:50.43 | 57.64 |
29 | 40 | 537565 | KELLEHER Keely | 1984 | USA | 1:50.60 | 59.76 |
30 | 31 | 106849 | YURKIW Larisa | 1988 | CAN | 1:50.74 | 61.50 |
31 | 38 | 55818 | KOEHLE Stefanie | 1986 | AUT | 1:51.02 | 65.00 |
32 | 28 | 55588 | RUMPFHUBER Ingrid | 1981 | AUT | 1:51.16 | 66.74 |
33 | 41 | 296427 | SCHNARF Johanna | 1984 | ITA | 1:51.27 | 68.11 |
34 | 42 | 297153 | CIPRIANI Enrica | 1988 | ITA | 1:51.76 | 74.23 |
35 | 25 | 296431 | STUFFER Verena | 1984 | ITA | 1:52.37 | 81.84 |
36 | 34 | 505449 | BENT Nike | 1981 | SWE | 1:52.50 | 83.46 |
37 | 32 | 537626 | RICHARDSON Kaylin | 1984 | USA | 1:52.52 | 83.71 |
38 | 45 | 95050 | KIRKOVA Maria | 1986 | BUL | 1:56.98 | 139.35 |
Did not start 1st run | |||||||
29 | 195671 | JACQUEMOD Ingrid | 1978 | FRA | |||
1 | 515806 | KAMER Nadja | 1986 | SUI | |||
Did not finish 1st run | |||||||
44 | 505886 | KLING Kajsa | 1988 | SWE | |||
39 | 55766 | MADER Regina | 1985 | AUT | |||
20 | 505483 | PAERSON Anja | 1981 | SWE | |||
13 | 106402 | VANDERBEEK Kelly | 1983 | CAN | |||
11 | 206175 | STECHERT Gina | 1987 | GER |