Fenninger takes first career World Cup win at home in Lienz GS, Vonn fifth

By Published On: December 28th, 2011Comments Off on Fenninger takes first career World Cup win at home in Lienz GS, Vonn fifth

Fans of Austrian women’s ski racing are having a very happy holiday season.

Austrian Anna Fenninger notched the first World Cup victory of her career today (Dec. 28) with a giant slalom win in Linez, Austria.

Fenninger became the second Austrian woman to win on home snow in as many races. The Austrian streak began not far away in Flachau a week ago, when Marlies Schild won a slalom

“I can’t believe it myself,” Fenninger told the Associated Press. “It’s my first win ever. I always used to be good at speed events and now I win in GS. I hoped to compete for the top five and never thought of winning. To be on the podium in front of a cheering home crowd, that’s the best feeling you can get as an athlete.”

Italian Federica Brignone, who has shown flashes of brilliance this season, finally put two solid runs together to finish second, 0.20 seconds behind Fenninger. French racer Tessa Worley rounded out the podium, 0.39 seconds back in third.

Fenninger, the 2011 super combined world champion, had never finished better than 14th in a World Cup GS prior to this season. She has been setting new personal records at each of this season’s three GS races with a sixth-place result at the opener in Soelden and fourth-place finish in Aspen. Today’s win marks her sixth career World Cup podium.
 
First run leader, German World Cup GS champ Viktoria Rebensburg, took just a hundredth of a second advantage into the second run but had nearly a quarter of a second to work with by the time she was the last woman down the track. Like so many of the competitors ahead of her, she looked tired toward the bottom of the course and struggled to maintain speed through the technical last section of the course set by her coach. She finished fourth.

Lindsey VonnLindsey Vonn, who was the first woman on the course for the first time in her career,  led the U.S. in fifth after standing eighth in the first run. Julia Mancuso was looking strong with the fifth fastest first run but struggled from the start of the second run and finished 17th. 

“I was a bit nervous because it was the first time ever I started No. 1. Especially in GS” said Vonn, who complimented the course crew for working with limited snow in the dry area. “The course is awesome, the snow is perfect, they’ve done a really good job. It’s not easy. You see there is no snow in the area, but they made the race hill perfect.”

Sarah Schleper grabbed her first World Cup finish of the season in 23rd, after standing 19th in the first run. Mikaela Shiffrin, who didn’t qualify for the second run, was the only American starter not to reach the second run.

Vonn currently holds a 231-point lead in the overall standings with 599 points through 10 races. Fenninger stands second with 368.

Italian Sabrina Fanchini had a great day in the No. 42 bib. She stood 23rd after the first run then performed a stunning second run to hold the lead through the next 14 racers, until being bumped by Worley. She finished eighth.

The women will continue racing in Lienz tomorrow with a slalom. — Eric Williams

Images by Gepa

The SCOOP
by Hank McKee

Women’s Giant Slalom, Lienz, Austria, Dec. 28, 2011
Equipment

Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Fenninger, Head/Head/Head
2 Brignone, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
3 Worley, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
4 Rebensburg, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
5 Vonn, Head/Head/Head
6 Koehle, Voelkl/Tecnica/Marker
7 Goergl, Head/Head/Head
8 Fanchini, Dynastar//
9 Lindell-Vikarby, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Hoefl-Riesch, Head/Head/Head

Women’s Giant Slalom, Lienz, Austria, Dec. 28, 2011. … It is the tenth race of the women’s 40 race 2011-12 World Cup schedule. … The fourth of nine scheduled giant slaloms, the third to be held. … It is the 20th Cup race hosted by Lienz. … The ninth GS.

It is the first career World Cup win for Anna Fenninger. … She has five other podium results but all in downhill or super G. … Her best previous in GS is fourth at Aspen earlier this season.

It is the third career Cup podium result for Federica Brignone, all in GS. … She is without a Cup win. … It is her second scoring result of the season after a 28th in Flachau Dec. 20.

It is the sixth career Cup podium result for Tessa Worley, and it is the first podium placing that is not a win. … All coming in GS.

It is the fourth best career Cup GS result for Lindsey Vonn. … Two of those four results have come this season, the win at Soelden and here. … Julia Mancuso matches her 35th best GS result. … It is her sixth best of seven finishes this season. … It is the 44th career GS score for Sarah Schleper. … It is her first score of the season.

Vonn maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 599-368 over Fenninger. … Marlies Schild (15th in race) is third with 340pts. … Mancuso is eighth with 215. … Marie-Michele Gagnon (did not qualify) is top Canadian overall in 33rd with 64pts. … Viktoria Rebensburg (fourth in race) leads the GS standings 230-190 over Fenninger. … Elisabeth Goergl (seventh in race) is third at 176pts. … Vonn leads the U.S. in fourth with 167 and Mancuso is sixth with 100pts. … Marie-Pier Prefontaine (did not qualify) is top Canadian in 36th with 7pts. … Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup standings  1814-984 over the US. … Germany is third at 846. … Canada is 11th with 152pts.

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  16  55947 FENNINGER Anna  1989  AUT   1:06.85  1:09.23  2:16.08  0.00
 2  3  297601 BRIGNONE Federica  1990  ITA   1:06.78  1:09.50  2:16.28  1.28
 3  5  196928 WORLEY Tessa  1989  FRA   1:07.26  1:09.21  2:16.47  2.49
 4  2  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria  1989  GER   1:06.62  1:09.95  2:16.57  3.13
 5  1  537544 VONN Lindsey  1984  USA   1:07.24  1:09.64  2:16.88  5.11
 6  24  55818 KOEHLE Stefanie  1986  AUT   1:06.63  1:10.43  2:17.06  6.27
 7  6  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth  1981  AUT   1:06.73  1:10.34  2:17.07  6.33
 8  42  297171 FANCHINI Sabrina  1988  ITA   1:08.09  1:09.12  2:17.21  7.22
 9  21  505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica  1984  SWE   1:07.88  1:09.38  2:17.26  7.54
 10  8  206001 HOEFL-RIESCH Maria  1984  GER   1:07.43  1:09.84  2:17.27  7.61
 11  26  296509 CURTONI Irene  1985  ITA   1:08.61  1:08.72  2:17.33  7.99
 12  17  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea  1985  AUT   1:07.66  1:09.69  2:17.35  8.12
 13  15  295445 KARBON Denise  1980  ITA   1:07.44  1:10.15  2:17.59  9.65
 14  4  565243 MAZE Tina  1983  SLO   1:07.84  1:09.78  2:17.62  9.85
 15  18  55590 SCHILD Marlies  1981  AUT   1:07.76  1:09.95  2:17.71  10.42
 15  10  196725 BARIOZ Taina  1988  FRA   1:07.10  1:10.61  2:17.71  10.42
 17  7  537545 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:06.79  1:11.03  2:17.82  11.12
 18  19  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria  1986  SWE   1:07.78  1:10.07  2:17.85  11.32
 19  13  185140 POUTIAINEN Tanja  1980  FIN   1:07.49  1:10.44  2:17.93  11.83
 20  31  515747 GISIN Dominique  1985  SUI   1:08.09  1:09.87  2:17.96  12.02
 21  9  196793 MARMOTTAN Anemone  1988  FRA   1:07.81  1:10.29  2:18.10  12.91
 22  12  55838 ZETTEL Kathrin  1986  AUT   1:07.71  1:10.41  2:18.12  13.04
 23  29  536481 SCHLEPER Sarah  1979  USA   1:07.85  1:10.34  2:18.19  13.49
 24  34  298084 AGERER Lisa Magdalena  1991  ITA   1:08.62  1:09.58  2:18.20  13.55
 25  11  296259 MOELGG Manuela  1983  ITA   1:08.44  1:09.88  2:18.32  14.32
 26  44  355050 WEIRATHER Tina  1989  LIE   1:08.37  1:10.04  2:18.41  14.90
 27  28  515766 SUTER Fabienne  1985  SUI   1:08.08  1:10.36  2:18.44  15.09
 28  38  565268 DREV Ana  1985  SLO   1:08.29  1:11.19  2:19.48  21.74
 29  22  206355 DUERR Lena  1991  GER   1:08.33  1:11.53  2:19.86  24.17
Did not qualify 1st run
   66  405091 DIRKZWAGER Mandy  1990  NED         
   65  155728 DUBOVSKA Martina  1992  CZE         
   64  435334 GASIENICA DANIEL Maryna  1994  POL         
   62  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida  1985  SWE         
   61  306493 KANEKO Misato  1988  JPN         
   60  306096 HOSHI Mizue  1985  JPN         
   59  107044 IRWIN Madison  1991  CAN         
   58  295435 GIUS Nicole  1980  ITA         
   57  495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina  1981  SPA         
   56  6535237 SHIFFRIN Mikaela  1995  USA         
   53  298323 GOGGIA Sofia  1992  ITA         
   52  516280 HOLDENER Wendy  1993  SUI         
   51  205239 WIRTH Barbara  1989  GER         
   50  197319 BAUD Adeline  1992  FRA         
   49  196812 PELLISSIER Marion  1988  FRA         
   48  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth  1991  NOR         
   47  565360 STUHEC Ilka  1990  SLO         
   46  55690 HOSP Nicole  1983  AUT         
   45  505908 SMEDH Veronica  1988  SWE         
   43  297910 CURTONI Elena  1991  ITA         
   41  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie  1988  FRA         
   40  206174 STABER Veronika  1987  GER         
   35  56059 DEPAULI Jessica  1991  AUT         
   33  55898 BREM Eva-Maria  1988  AUT         
   32  506399 HECTOR Sara  1992  SWE         
   30  106825 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier  1988  CAN         
   27  296379 GIANESINI Giulia  1984  ITA         
   25  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele  1989  CAN         
   23  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela  1985  AUT         
Did not finish 2nd run
   14  205993 HOELZL Kathrin  1984  GER         
Did not finish 1st run
   63  155699 PAULATHOVA Katerina  1993  CZE         
   55  516319 SUTER Corinne  1994  SUI         
   54  506146 SWENN-LARSSON Anna  1991  SWE         
   39  196179 BERTRAND Marion  1984  FRA         
   37  206444 HOESL Simona  1992  GER         
   36  206367 HRONEK Veronique  1991  GER         
   20  516138 GUT Lara  1991  SUI         

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About the Author: Eric Williams