Fog slows first training at Val Gardena; Olsson one, Bode two
Hans Olsson clocked the fastest time down Val Gardena’s Saslong downhill track Wednesday (Dec. 14) in a fog forced stutter start-stop-start training run.
Bode Miller sits in second place in a tie with Austrian Romed Baumann.
While fresh snow was a major factor, it was fog that caused the delays. The run was halted the first time after just a handful of skiers had tested the track when a thick fog bank settled on the top of the course. There was a lengthy pause after Wiley Maple ran in 45th, and was picked up later and run through Canada’s Louis-Pierre Helie in 58, halted and restarted again. There are 79 skiers on the start list. The race had been stopped again with four skiers remaining to run at this report.
With the top 10 clocking in a shade over a second apart the race on Saturday looks to be a close affair. Beyond Miller the U.S. finishers included Erik Fisher in 15th, Marco Sullivan in 27th and Travis Ganong in 31st. Jan Hudec led Canada in 24th.
“I feel good, the run went well,” said Olsson. “I wanted to jump high, but because it wasn’t that fast due to the new snow, I hardly made the jump over the Camel Humps. I had a good feeling in the finish area, but feelings, as we know, can often be deceiving. The snow was really good. The piste is softer because of the snowfall. The visibility was actually quite good, although it was a bit foggy.”
Baumann agreed the soft snow played a role. “The run was really good,” he said. “I was able to adapt well to the conditions. It was very soft. What I planned to do, worked out. I was able to look at all the jumps, there are quite a few passages where you fly through the air on this course. I’m happy with the training.
“My aim on Saturday in the downhill is to win. Last year I missed it by 0.06 seconds, so this year my aim can only be a win, but some others also want to stand at the top.”
With nine major jumps and 17 bumps the Saslong course is a unique challenge many World Cup racers look forward to season after season.
Gepa photo of Hans Olsson
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UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – FIRST TRAINING (PARTIAL) |
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time |
1 | 28 | 501076 | OLSSON Hans | 1984 | SWE | 2:02.42 |
2 | 21 | 532431 | MILLER Bode | 1977 | USA | 2:02.77 |
2 | 16 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 2:02.77 |
4 | 32 | 201811 | STECHERT Tobias | 1985 | GER | 2:02.81 |
5 | 20 | 510030 | CUCHE Didier | 1974 | SUI | 2:02.94 |
6 | 4 | 51327 | PUCHNER Joachim | 1987 | AUT | 2:03.13 |
7 | 22 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 2:03.14 |
8 | 31 | 421483 | JANSRUD Kjetil | 1985 | NOR | 2:03.45 |
9 | 41 | 53817 | FRANZ Max | 1989 | AUT | 2:03.52 |
10 | 5 | 50858 | STREITBERGER Georg | 1981 | AUT | 2:03.54 |
11 | 25 | 50742 | REICHELT Hannes | 1980 | AUT | 2:03.63 |
12 | 30 | 510767 | HOFFMANN Ambrosi | 1977 | SUI | 2:03.66 |
12 | 27 | 192932 | FAYED Guillermo | 1985 | FRA | 2:03.66 |
14 | 6 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 2:03.77 |
15 | 33 | 534939 | FISHER Erik | 1985 | USA | 2:04.03 |
16 | 18 | 51005 | SCHEIBER Mario | 1983 | AUT | 2:04.13 |
17 | 3 | 511529 | GISIN Marc | 1988 | SUI | 2:04.26 |
18 | 26 | 380260 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 2:04.27 |
19 | 19 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 2:04.30 |
20 | 43 | 500150 | JAERBYN Patrik | 1969 | SWE | 2:04.34 |
21 | 23 | 510890 | ZURBRIGGEN Silvan | 1981 | SUI | 2:04.40 |
22 | 15 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 2:04.42 |
23 | 7 | 191591 | BERTRAND Yannick | 1980 | FRA | 2:04.51 |
24 | 29 | 102271 | HUDEC Jan | 1981 | CAN | 2:04.92 |
25 | 1 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 2:04.94 |
26 | 10 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 2:04.99 |
27 | 42 | 53981 | KROELL Johannes | 1991 | AUT | 2:05.03 |
27 | 35 | 533131 | SULLIVAN Marco | 1980 | USA | 2:05.03 |
29 | 65 | 193034 | BOUILLOT Alexandre | 1985 | FRA | 2:05.12 |
30 | 52 | 191964 | POISSON David | 1982 | FRA | 2:05.15 |
31 | 2 | 201606 | KEPPLER Stephan | 1983 | GER | 2:05.17 |
32 | 36 | 530874 | GANONG Travis | 1988 | USA | 2:05.19 |
33 | 9 | 560447 | SPORN Andrej | 1981 | SLO | 2:05.32 |
34 | 13 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 2:05.44 |
35 | 24 | 511139 | KUENG Patrick | 1984 | SUI | 2:05.61 |
36 | 14 | 511383 | FEUZ Beat | 1987 | SUI | 2:05.63 |
37 | 39 | 200379 | SANDER Andreas | 1989 | GER | 2:05.72 |
38 | 17 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | 2:05.76 |
39 | 48 | 561087 | MARKIC Gasper | 1986 | SLO | 2:06.10 |
40 | 8 | 102961 | DIXON Robbie | 1985 | CAN | 2:06.18 |
41 | 53 | 561067 | PERKO Rok | 1985 | SLO | 2:06.20 |
42 | 37 | 53837 | KRAMER Manuel | 1989 | AUT | 2:06.23 |
43 | 64 | 194190 | ROGER Brice | 1990 | FRA | 2:06.24 |
44 | 40 | 511142 | LUEOEND Vitus | 1984 | SUI | 2:06.30 |
45 | 57 | 294277 | KLOTZ Siegmar | 1987 | ITA | 2:06.33 |
46 | 45 | 930024 | MAPLE Wiley | 1990 | USA | 2:06.37 |
47 | 55 | 54005 | STRIEDINGER Otmar | 1991 | AUT | 2:06.50 |
48 | 56 | 561216 | KLINE Bostjan | 1991 | SLO | 2:06.51 |
49 | 66 | 202290 | ACKERMANN Marvin | 1991 | GER | 2:06.52 |
49 | 61 | 510747 | GRUENENFELDER Tobias | 1977 | SUI | 2:06.52 |
51 | 62 | 53902 | MAYER Matthias | 1990 | AUT | 2:06.62 |
52 | 49 | 380292 | ZRNCIC-DIM Natko | 1986 | CRO | 2:06.70 |
53 | 44 | 53936 | DUERAGER Markus | 1990 | AUT | 2:06.74 |
54 | 51 | 294911 | PATSCHEIDER Hagen | 1988 | ITA | 2:06.79 |
55 | 67 | 561085 | KRIZAJ Andrej | 1986 | SLO | 2:06.86 |
56 | 63 | 51401 | GRAF Bernhard | 1988 | AUT | 2:07.01 |
57 | 46 | 990081 | CASSE Mattia | 1990 | ITA | 2:07.10 |
58 | 50 | 202059 | FERSTL Josef | 1988 | GER | 2:07.33 |
59 | 70 | 220695 | CRAWFORD Douglas | 1987 | GBR | 2:07.34 |
60 | 34 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | 2:07.66 |
61 | 38 | 293550 | MARSAGLIA Matteo | 1985 | ITA | 2:07.70 |
62 | 72 | 220656 | DRAKE Ed | 1986 | GBR | 2:08.49 |
63 | 47 | 180570 | ROMAR Andreas | 1989 | FIN | 2:08.52 |
64 | 60 | 294904 | PANGRAZZI Paolo | 1988 | ITA | 2:09.04 |
65 | 54 | 103271 | THOMSEN Benjamin | 1987 | CAN | 2:09.26 |
66 | 59 | 193560 | PASQUIER Alexandre | 1987 | FRA | 2:09.34 |
67 | 71 | 20267 | ESTEVE Kevin | 1989 | AND | 2:09.69 |
68 | 58 | 103090 | HELIE Louis-Pierre | 1986 | CAN | 2:10.27 |
69 | 74 | 561217 | KOSI Klemen | 1991 | SLO | 2:12.13 |
70 | 75 | 531156 | TARBERRY Ace | 1988 | USA | 2:12.14 |
71 | 73 | 220874 | BALDWIN TJ | 1990 | GBR | 2:13.72 |
72 | 12 | 50753 | KROELL Klaus | 1980 | AUT | 3:48.37 |