Janica Kostelic wins San Sicario combined; USA has three in top 10
Janica Kostelic wins San Sicario combined; USA has three in top 10
Janica Kostelic of Croatia won the San Sicario combined Sunday, stopping her rival Anja Paerson from sweeping the three-race series on where the women’s speed events will be held during next year’s Olympic games.
“Basically I have to finish top three in all four disciplines,” said Kostelic, when asked how she plans to approach the upcoming World Cup Finals. “But if I finish second I will be very happy. The same happy if I was first because at the beginning of the season, nobody expected anything of me. I had a really good world championships, so I would have nothing to be unhappy about.”
Kostelic trails Paerson by 63 points in the overall World Cup standings. The Croat won in 2 minutes, 19:35 seconds, which was 0.43 faster than Paerson.
The surprise third-place finisher was Emily Brydon of Canada. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work and a lot of time, and I hope that now my success will continue and build,” said Brydon. “I have great resources, and a great support staff, and I have no reason to not succeed.”
Brydon said she will go to Florence, Italy, for a few days of rest and relaxation. Kostelic is going to the Caribbean islands. Paerson will train.
“This weekend was so much fun,” said Paerson, who made history on Saturday by winning in her fourth discipline this season.
It was the first time the World Cup women ran the new combined format — one run of downhill and one run of slalom. The new format is tentatively called the “Super Combi.” Earlier this year, the World Cup men ran a Super Combi at Wengen.
“I think it’s more fair,” said Julia Mancuso, who finished sixth in the race. “A perfect example is Emily. She’s a decent slalom skier, and a descent downhill skier. If they’d run another run of slalom, who knows, Niki Hosp might have won. And she’s a slalom skier.”
Mancuso, a double bronze medalist at world championships earlier this season (including in the combined), was one of three young Americans in the top 10. Lindsey Kildow was fifth, and Resi Stiegler was eighth.
“I have really bad shin-bang after doing six days in a row,” said Stiegler, who had been bouncing back and forth between world junior championships and the World Cup. “It’s been sweet. I did pretty good on keeping up on my sleep and recovering well. My legs aren’t that tired, but mentally it’s hard to do that many days of racing.”
Stiegler managed to get a silver medal in the three-event combined at World Juniors on Saturday, and still finish eighth in the World Cup combined on Sunday.
World Cup
Women’s Combined
San Sicario, Italy
Feb. 27, 2005
1. Janica Kostelic, CRO 2:19.35
2. Anja Paerson, SWE 2:19.78
3. Emily Brydon, CAN 2:20.67
4. Nicole Hosp, AUT 2:21.01
5. Lindsey Kildow, USA 2:21.21
6. Julia Mancuso, USA 2:21.32
7. Renate Goetschl, AUT 2:21.34
8. Resi Stiegler, USA 2:22.06
9. Marlies Schild, AUT 2:22.33
10. Brigitte Acton, CAN 2:22.47
11. Elisabeth Goergl, AUT 2:22.84
12. Monika Bergamann-Schmuderer, GER 2:22.90
13. Janette Hargin, SWE 2:22.91
14. Caroline Lalive, USA 2:23.13
15. Michaela Dorfmeister, AUT 2:23.43
16. Kaylin Richardson, USA 2:23.82
17. Sarka Zahrobska, CZE 2:23.92
18. Marlies Oester, SUI 2:24.48
19. Britt Janyk, CAN 2:25.02
20. Macarena Simari Birkner, ARG 2:25.08
21. Brigitte Obermoser, AUT 2:22.45
22. Jelena Lolovic, JUG 2:26.04
23. Hilde Gerg, GER 2:27.03
24. Daniela Ceccarelli, ITA 2:27.31
25. Isolde Kostner, ITA 2:27.40
26. Sherry Lawrence, CAN 2:27.75
27. Verena Stuffer, ITA 2:28.35
28. Maria Belen Simari Birkner, ARG 2:29.67
other North Americans:
DNS DH: Kelly Vanderbeek, CAN.
THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee
equipment
Women’s Combined. San Sicario, Italy, Feb. 27, 2005
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Kostelic, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
2 Paerson, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
3 Brydon, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
4 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
5 Kildow, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6 Mancuso, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Goetschl, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
8 Stiegler, Dynastar/Lange/Look
9 Schild, Atomic/Lange/Atomic
10 Acton, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
It is the 29th event of the women’s 33 event World Cup schedule. … It is the first… and final… combined. … winning margin is .43 of a second.
It is the 21st career Cup win for Janica Kostelic. … It is her second Cup win of the season (she also won three gold medals at World Championships). … In six completed World Cup combineds since ’99, Kostelic has won four and been second once. … She won the DH and was 6th in slalom.
It is the 54th career podium for Anja Paerson. … Her 10th of the season. … (she also won two gold medals and a silver at World Championships). … It is her first combined score in World Cup. … She was 4th in DH, 3rd in slalom.
It is a career best finish and second podium for Emily Brydon, matching her placing from the 12/16/2000 DH at St Moritz. … Among Canadians only “Jungle” Jim Hunter and Karen Percy have placed better in a World Cup combined. … She was 3rd in DH, 10th in slalom. … Fifth matches the top 10 career best for Lindsey Kildow. … It is her first combined score. … It is her 12th top five result of the season including World Championships. … She was 6th in DH, 12th slalom. … Sixth matches the seventh best career Cup result for Julia Mancuso. … She was fifth in combined at Lenzerheide in 2002. … Including World Championships it is her eighth top six of the season. …She was 8th in DH, 7th in slalom. … Eighth matches a career best Cup result for Resi Stiegler. … She was 6th in slalom at World Championships. … She was 23rd in DH, 2nd in slalom. … It is a career best result for Brigitte Acton in six career scoring results. … five of them this season. … She was 15th in DH, 13th slalom. … It is the eighth best result of the season for Caroline Lalive. … She has two Cup podiums from combined. … She was 13th DH, 18th sl. … Kaylin Richardson scores her first career World Cup points. … She was 24th DH, 8th sl. … It is the third scoring result of the season for Britt Janyk. … She was 27th DH, 14th sl. … Sherry Lawrence scores her first career World Cup points.
With four races remaining, Anja Paerson maintains the lead in the overall standings 1241-1178 for Janica Kostelic. … Michaela Dorfmeister (finished 15th) is third at 982. … Lindsey Kildow is the top American in sixth at 828. …Julia Mancuso is 10th at 548.
About the Author: Pete Rugh
