Moltzan and Lapanja just off the podium at Junior World Championships

By Published On: February 28th, 2014Comments Off on Moltzan and Lapanja just off the podium at Junior World Championships
Lila Lapanja in Jasna, Slovakia (GEPA/Martin Hoermandinger)

Lila Lapanja in Jasna, Slovakia (GEPA/Martin Hoermandinger)

The U.S. Ski Team’s Paula Moltzan, a product of Buck Hill Ski and SSCV, finished just shy of the podium Friday at the FIS Alpine Junior World Championships slalom in Jasna, Slovakia, just a half-second behind the day’s local winner, Petra Vlhova.

“It was a close one,” said Moltzan. “It’s hard to be fourth but I’m still really happy with it.”

Joining Moltzan in the top 10 was teammate Lila Lapanja, originally of Sugar Bowl Academy/Diamond Peak, in sixth place. Foreste Peterson, who grew up as a member of the Squaw Valley Ski Team, also put in a solid performance to finish 19th. Moltzan was sixth just a day earlier in the giant slalom.

“Basically (the conditions were) the same as yesterday — super foggy, raining/snowing,” Moltzan said. “I don’t really know what you’d call it today, but it was the same, you’ve got to fight through everything.”

Local favorite Vlhova clinched gold in the event with Slovakia’s only World Cup victor — Veronika Velez-Zuzulova — looking on. Sweden’s Charlotta Saefvenberg and Germany’s Marina Wallner took silver and bronze, crossing the finish line 0.17 and 0.59 seconds slower, respectively. It was not the first time Vlohva has flexed her slalom skills; she claimed the bronze medal at World Juniors in 2012 at Roccaraso, Italy.

Despite the tough weather, Moltzan said the courses held up well for the competitors.

“The course conditions were so good. The course crew has been really amazing here, so many slippers and volunteers. The first course set was a little tight, and quick and turny all the way down to the finish line. I don’t think too many people had too many problems, but the fast girls were really fast on it,” she said. “Second run was way more distance and quick and fast down the fall line, and the Slovakian just had it together. It was awesome.”

These championships could not have started out better for the Slovakian host nation. Vlhova’s friends and family, spectators, the race organizers and volunteers alike all celebrated her home victory on the hill and in the finish area. Born and residing in Liptovsky Mikulas, the town at the bottom of the Jasna slopes, and racing for the local ski club, Vlhova was swarmed by the press after her race.

“What a feeling,” the 18-year-old said. “Becoming Junior World Champion is already very special but taking the honor in my home country and my home town makes it even more precious.”

For the American ladies, representing their country and competing together as a team was a great privilege.

“There’s a great team vibe,” said Lapanja. “We are basically siblings now. We’ve been traveling, training and living with each other, with Paula especially, for almost three years, so we have a healthy relationship off snow and on snow we’re very competitive and we push each other to keep doing our best.

“Last year it was a huge goal of mine to even get top 15 at World Juniors and I did accomplish that in the slalom and knew I had so much left,” added Lapanja. “I got another year of training under my belt and to finish in the top 10 knowing that I have so much more left is really exciting. I’m so excited of my potential when I put it all down for two solid runs.”

For the U.S., Alice Merryweather (Stratton Mountain School) and Libby Gibson (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail) also started, but did not finish the first run. Jocelyn McCarthy, a member of Alberta Alpine, was the top Canadian in 16th followed by development team skier Candace Crawford in 18th.

The Junior World Ski Championships continue Saturday with a men’s downhill training run followed by the medal race. Friday’s downhill training was canceled due to fog, and Thursday’s training run was completed on a shortened course. The next individual event for women is super G and super combined on March 3.

—With reporting from the USSA and FIS press offices

RESULTS

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  4  705423 VLHOVA Petra 1995 SVK  48.15  47.94  1:36.09  6.00
 2  3  506583 SAEFVENBERG Charlotta 1994 SWE  48.07  48.19  1:36.26  +0.17  7.10
 3  17  206536 WALLNER Marina 1994 GER  48.67  48.01  1:36.68  +0.59  9.81
 4  7  539909 MOLTZAN Paula 1994 USA  48.68  48.49  1:37.17  +1.08  12.97
 5  21  56199 KAPPAURER Elisabeth 1994 AUT  50.20  47.32  1:37.52  +1.43  15.23
 6  8  539927 LAPANJA Lila 1994 USA  49.47  48.37  1:37.84  +1.75  17.29
 7  15  516344 KOPP Rahel 1994 SUI  49.75  48.78  1:38.53  +2.44  21.74
 8  14  56206 KOECK Hannah 1994 AUT  49.59  48.97  1:38.56  +2.47  21.94
 9  24  565417 PLUT Eli 1994 SLO  50.25  48.46  1:38.71  +2.62  22.90
 9  9  56241 SCHNEEBERGER Rosina 1994 AUT  50.06  48.65  1:38.71  +2.62  22.90
 11  12  56174 HAASER Ricarda 1993 AUT  49.66  49.31  1:38.97  +2.88  24.58
 12  22  56217 BRUNNER Stephanie 1994 AUT  50.26  48.82  1:39.08  +2.99  25.29
 13  31  405138 JELINKOVA Adriana 1995 NED  50.51  48.73  1:39.24  +3.15  26.32
 14  18  425981 SKJOELD Maren 1993 NOR  50.33  49.13  1:39.46  +3.37  27.74
 15  25  516394 SUTER Jasmina 1995 SUI  51.01  48.67  1:39.68  +3.59  29.16
 16  43  107556 MCCARTHY Jocelyn 1996 CAN  51.08  48.73  1:39.81  +3.72  30.00
 17  29  225518 GUEST Charlotte 1993 GBR  51.24  48.66  1:39.90  +3.81  30.58
 18  33  107387 CRAWFORD Candace 1994 CAN  50.66  49.63  1:40.29  +4.20  33.10
 19  37  539678 PETERSON Foreste 1993 USA  50.91  49.80  1:40.71  +4.62  35.81
 20  5  516284 GISIN Michelle 1993 SUI  51.97  48.90  1:40.87  +4.78  36.84
 21  32  565428 BREZOVNIK Sasa 1995 SLO  51.58  49.48  1:41.06  +4.97  38.07
 22  35  385092 KOMSIC Andrea 1996 CRO  51.85  49.44  1:41.29  +5.20  39.55
 23  39  107613 GRENIER Valerie 1996 CAN  52.18  49.61  1:41.79  +5.70  42.78
 24  54  197812 GERACI Romane 1997 FRA  52.23  50.34  1:42.57  +6.48  47.81
 25  72  565453 KOPSE Desiree 1996 SLO  52.97  51.05  1:44.02  +7.93  57.17
 26  26  155727 CAPOVA Gabriela 1993 CZE  52.24  51.81  1:44.05  +7.96  57.36
 27  61  185383 AHONEN Saana 1994 FIN  52.68  51.43  1:44.11  +8.02  57.75
 28  45  385069 MISAK Iva 1993 CRO  52.75  51.67  1:44.42  +8.33  59.75
 29  70  185427 ANDERSSON Camilla 1997 FIN  52.94  51.51  1:44.45  +8.36  59.94
 30  36  35156 BANCORA Salome 1993 ARG  52.50  52.21  1:44.71  +8.62  61.62
 31  20  307493 ANDO Asa 1996 JPN  52.96  52.15  1:45.11  +9.02  64.20
 32  42  385071 SOLA Matilda 1994 CRO  53.72  51.92  1:45.64  +9.55  67.62
 33  76  485926 KRYUKOVA Kristina 1997 RUS  53.78  52.64  1:46.42  +10.33  72.65
 33  53  155698 RUDOLFOVA Veronika 1993 CZE  53.48  52.94  1:46.42  +10.33  72.65
 35  88  715167 MERDANOVIC Sejla 1997 BIH  54.22  52.48  1:46.70  +10.61  74.46
 36  65  435371 WASEK Katarzyna 1996 POL  54.66  52.16  1:46.82  +10.73  75.23
 37  64  485905 ROMANOVA Anna 1996 RUS  54.74  52.21  1:46.95  +10.86  76.07
 38  56  485799 ALEXEEVA Nadezda 1995 RUS  54.52  53.05  1:47.57  +11.48  80.07
 39  71  255367 VILHJALMSDOTTIR Helga Maria 1995 ISL  54.49  53.32  1:47.81  +11.72  81.62
 40  66  155740 STRAKOVA Bara 1994 CZE  54.13  53.88  1:48.01  +11.92  82.91
 41  83  705436 KAMENICKA Daniela 1996 SVK  54.87  54.27  1:49.14  +13.05  90.20
 42  85  65108 NELLES Mathilde 1997 BEL  54.98  54.28  1:49.26  +13.17  90.98
 43  34  307255 ISHIKAWA Haruna 1994 JPN  54.91  54.85  1:49.76  +13.67  94.20
 44  81  255352 ASGEIRSDOTTIR Erla 1994 ISL  54.95  55.09  1:50.04  +13.95  96.01
 45  91  705402 TRAJCIKOVA Eva 1993 SVK  57.15  54.89  1:52.04  +15.95  108.91
 46  93  705407 SAXOVA Andrea 1993 SVK  58.03  57.56  1:55.59  +19.50  131.82
 47  95  255364 SOLVADOTTIR Audur-Brynja 1995 ISL  59.96  57.38  1:57.34  +21.25  143.11
 48  101  235292 SAMARINOU Maria 1996 GRE  1:01.30  1:00.20  2:01.50  +25.41  169.95
 49  106  345098 KEIROUZ Celine 1995 LIB  1:08.67  1:06.75  2:15.42  +39.33  259.77
 50  110  625024 DEVI Varsha 1995 IND  1:19.26  1:16.05  2:35.31  +59.22  388.10
Disqualified 2nd run
 109  135010 ONG CHENG Jung 1997 TPE
 62  435313 MAJERCZYK Sabina 1993 POL
Did not start 2nd run
 74  565393 KOSI Mihaela 1993 SLO
Did not start 1st run
 105  695119 NAVROTSKA Anastasiia 1997 UKR
 100  465099 CAILL Andra Corinne 1997 ROU
Did not finish 2nd run
 92  695108 KNYSH Olha 1995 UKR
 87  415205 HUDSON Piera 1996 NZL
 86  435347 KLUSAK Magdalena 1995 POL
 84  255357 EINARSDOTTIR Freydis Halla 1994 ISL
 79  299383 MELESI Roberta 1996 ITA
 77  35177 SIMARI BIRKNER Angelica 1994 ARG
 73  435334 GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna 1994 POL
 68  298694 PICHLER Karoline 1994 ITA
 60  197407 WILLMANN Alison 1993 FRA
 48  426100 HOLTMANN Mina Fuerst 1995 NOR
 47  385093 TRSINSKI Sasa 1996 CRO
 44  298868 NOGLER KOSTNER Tatiana 1994 ITA
 41  426092 CHRISTENSEN Nora Grieg 1995 NOR
 38  506762 KARLSSON Hildur 1996 SWE
 30  197497 MIRADOLI Romane 1994 FRA
 19  155699 PAULATHOVA Katerina 1993 CZE
 16  565401 BUCIK Ana 1993 SLO
 6  506557 GRASSL Paulina 1994 SWE
 2  506664 FJAELLSTROEM Magdalena 1995 SWE
 1  206487 WIESLER Maren 1993 GER
Did not finish 1st run
 108  245070 CSIMA Laura 1997 HUN
 107  345095 NASSAR Lea 1995 LIB
 104  695110 BELOBORODOVA Rada-oleksandra 1996 UKR
 103  115143 VYHMEISTER Stefanie 1993 CHI
 102  115173 MONTESINOS Macarena 1995 CHI
 99  605004 GASPAR Veronica 1995 ISV
 98  695101 TIKUN Tetyana 1994 UKR
 96  465092 CIOCANEL Raluca Georgiana 1996 ROU
 94  555037 GASUNA Evelina 1997 LAT
 90  185354 HIRVONEN Roosa 1993 FIN
 89  95126 POPOVA Aleksandra 1996 BUL
 82  35202 RONCALLO Manuela 1996 ARG
 80  705424 MIKLOSOVA Katarina 1995 SVK
 78  6535600 MERRYWEATHER Alice 1996 USA
 75  355056 FRICK Joana 1993 LIE
 69  6535086 GIBSON Libby 1994 USA
 67  299466 DELAGO Nicole 1996 ITA
 59  155790 CAMKOVA Veronika 1996 CZE
 58  185357 VIRKKULA Sohvi 1993 FIN
 55  298767 SOSIO Federica 1994 ITA
 52  206520 DORSCH Patrizia 1994 GER
 51  485807 OVCHINIKOVA Daria 1995 RUS
 50  197616 ALPHAND Estelle 1995 FRA
 49  107532 TOMMY Mikaela 1995 CAN
 46  426153 NORBYE Tuva 1996 NOR
 40  298583 MEDETTI Alessia 1993 ITA
 28  307120 ARAI Makiko 1993 JPN
 27  506421 WESTMAN Hanna 1993 SWE
 23  107583 REMME Roni 1996 CAN
 13  506555 BLOMQVIST Lisa 1994 SWE
 11  56258 AGER Christina 1995 AUT
 10  206532 SCHMOTZ Marlene 1994 GER

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.