Marchand-Arvier tops first downhill training at World Champs, Vonn rests with head injury

By Published On: February 9th, 2011Comments Off on Marchand-Arvier tops first downhill training at World Champs, Vonn rests with head injury

French skier Marie Marchand-Arvier led the way today (Feb. 9) in the first downhill training ahead of Wold Championship super combined and downhill races this week (Feb. 11 and 13).

Marchand-Arvier, whose best career World Cup downhill finishes came in 2007 with a pair of third-place results in Lenzerheide and Cortina, worked her way down the challenging Kandahar course in one minute, 51.23 seconds. She finished 10th in yesterday’s super G.

Defending Worlds downhill sliver medalist, Swiss Lara Gut was a tenth of a second behind in second place today, followed by France’s Ingrid Jacquemod. Anja Paerson of Sweden (1:52.07) was fourth-fastest down the course that measures nearly kilometers long.

Laurenne Ross led the U.S. in sixth, 1.08 seconds off the leading pace. Her career best finish in a downhill came this year in Lake Louise with a 19th-place result. She was 16th in yesterday’s super G.

Julia Mancuso, who won a super G silver medal yesterday, finished 12th today ahead of teammate Stacey Cook in 18th. Leanne Smith came in 26th.

World champs defending gold medalist, American Lindsey Vonn decided not to train today following a disappointing performance (seventh) in the super G yesterday. She sustained a minor concussion a week ago while training and has since evaluated her status daily. She pulled out of a World Cup slalom last Friday, then raced a giant slalom on Monday.

After yesterday’s race, the reigning downhill Olympic gold medalist said she felt like her body was a gate ahead of her mind. Last night see informed her Facebook following of nearly 250,000 that she would not train today.

“I will continue to skip training runs and events until I feel normal again,” wrote Vonn, who was visibly discouraged after yesterday’s race. “I don’t know how long it will take, head injuries, as I am finding out first hand, are very unpredictable. My condition will be reevaluated every day and then we will make a decision on if and when I can compete or not.” 

Yesterday’s winner, Austrian Elizabeth Goergl also sat today’s training run out with teammate Andrea Fischbacher.

Current overall leader, German Maria Riesch only took two turns in order to qualify for the up coming events, then exited the course right away to rest with a fever and flu symptoms.

A second women’s training run is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Click here to watch result as they happen in Live Timing.

MORE TO COME

OFFICIAL RESULTS – FIRST TRAINING

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time
 1  6  196460 MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie  1985  FRA   1:51.23
 2  5  516138 GUT Lara  1991  SUI   1:51.33
 3  9  195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid  1978  FRA   1:51.56
 4  13  505483 PAERSON Anja  1981  SWE   1:52.07
 5  26  55766 MADER Regina  1985  AUT   1:52.17
 6  2  538573 ROSS Laurenne  1988  USA   1:52.31
 7  20  55947 FENNINGER Anna  1989  AUT   1:52.40
 8  12  515766 SUTER Fabienne  1985  SUI   1:52.43
 9  11  296008 MERIGHETTI Daniela  1981  ITA   1:52.51
 10  4  196573 REVILLET Aurelie  1986  FRA   1:52.79
 11  29  296472 FANCHINI Elena  1985  ITA   1:52.86
 12  10  537545 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:52.88
 13  8  195983 ROLLAND Marion  1982  FRA   1:52.98
 14  34  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca  1990  ITA   1:53.09
 15  7  515747 GISIN Dominique  1985  SUI   1:53.32
 16  30  106022 JANYK Britt  1980  CAN   1:53.45
 17  22  565320 FERK Marusa  1988  SLO   1:53.55
 18  37  297910 CURTONI Elena  1991  ITA   1:53.61
 18  28  537582 COOK Stacey  1984  USA   1:53.61
 20  35  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth  1991  NOR   1:53.76
 21  32  505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica  1984  SWE   1:53.86
 22  15  515806 KAMER Nadja  1986  SUI   1:54.14
 23  33  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela  1985  AUT   1:54.31
 24  36  196968 BAILET Margot  1990  FRA   1:54.32
 25  19  565243 MAZE Tina  1983  SLO   1:54.44
 26  25  538305 SMITH Leanne  1987  USA   1:54.48
 27  41  515997 FEIERABEND Denise  1989  SUI   1:54.58
 28  31  55970 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole  1989  AUT   1:54.62
 29  23  296427 SCHNARF Johanna  1984  ITA   1:54.85
 30  38  495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina  1981  SPA   1:54.89
 31  43  495763 JARDI Andrea  1990  SPA   1:54.95
 32  45  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele  1989  CAN   1:55.39
 33  42  375018 COLETTI Alexandra  1983  MON   1:56.36
 34  17  296431 STUFFER Verena  1984  ITA   1:56.97
 35  44  55690 HOSP Nicole  1983  AUT   1:57.35
 36  39  155563 KRIZOVA Klara  1989  CZE   1:59.15
 37  46  35089 SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena  1984  ARG   1:59.38
 38  48  155415 ZAHROBSKA Sarka  1985  CZE   1:59.49
 39  55  435210 GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka  1987  POL   2:00.03
 40  47  35079 SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen  1982  ARG   2:00.19
 41  50  435245 CHRAPEK Karolina  1990  POL   2:02.14
 42  40  25096 GUTIERREZ Mireia  1988  AND   2:02.73
 43  51  155503 KLICNAROVA Pavla  1988  CZE   2:04.06
 44  52  245051 BERECZ Anna  1988  HUN   2:05.53
 45  53  155431 MARKOVA Daniela  1985  CZE   2:05.63
 46  54  695063 MATSOTSKA Bogdana  1989  UKR   2:10.67
Did not start 1st run
     537544 VONN Lindsey  1984  USA   
     55576 GOERGL Elisabeth  1981  AUT   
     515573 AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi  1981  SUI   
     55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea  1985  AUT   
     405092 HERWERDEN VAN Michelle  1990  NED   
     515782 ABDERHALDEN Marianne  1986  SUI   
     206175 STECHERT Gina  1987  GER   
     538038 MARSHALL Chelsea  1986  USA   
     245066 MIKLOS Edit  1988  HUN   
Did not finish 1st run
     206001 RIESCH Maria  1984  GER   

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About the Author: Eric Williams