Schild clenches World Cup slalom title with win in Spindleruv Mlyn, Vonn makes up ground in overall

Austrian Marlies Schild sealed this season’s World Cup slalom title today (March 12) in sunny Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic with her sixth victory of the season.

Schild, who also won the slalom World Championship gold medal last month, had a 0.18-second lead heading into the warm (41 F) afternoon second run then exploded down the course to win by nearly a second (0.93) ahead of teammate, and Worlds silver medalist Kathrin Zettel. Slovenian Tina Maze was 1.16 seconds back in third for her seventh podium of the season across four disciplines.

The win, Schild’s second in Spindleruv Mlyn, marked her 29th career World Cup victory and gave her 600 points in the discipline standings, putting her put of reach with one slalom remaining on this season’s calendar. It is her third career slalom title (2011, 2007, 2008). 

“It feels amazing. I think in 2007 I won seven slaloms and now I won six and the gold medal at the World Championships. It’s great to be on the top of the podium again,” said Schild. “I can do what I want and I’m fast and that is very good feeling.”

American Lindsey Vonn put two solid runs together to finisher 16th in her first completed slalom race since late November. Her mid-season slalom slump included a chain of four consecutive first-run exits. Her effort today, coupled with the second-run DNF of overall leader Maria Riesch of Germany, saw Vonn climb to within 23 points (1678-1655) of her friend Riesch in the overall standings with four races left on this season’s schedule. The  last two remaining competitors for this season’s overall title haven’t been this close since Vonn last held the lead by three points in late December.

“The second run didn’t really go as well as I’d hoped but it was a tough course and I’m really happy that I made it down and got some points and got some confidence,” said Vonn, who earned her first ever giant slalom podium yesterday with a third-place finish. “I honestly never expected this weekend would happen. I was hoping to stay as close to Maria as possible but to make as many points as I did this weekend was definitely above my expectations. I just keep trying to ski aggressively and confidently and. It just goes to show that anything can happen in ski racing. I’m excited about the position I’m in and the challenges that are ahead.”

Riesch stood 15th after the first run with a pair of mid-course saves, but her luck ran out in the second run as she slipped to her left hip and lost a ski at the sixth gate. It was only her third DNF of the season.

Sweden’s Maria Pietae-Holmner finished fourth, 1.56 seconds off the leading time. Slovakia’s Veronika Zuzulova was another hundredth of a second back in fifth.

Finn Tanja Poutiainen (ninth today) stands second in the slalom rankings with 489 points. Riesch holds in third position with 420 points.

Sarah Schleper put down two runs of the aggressive skiing she is known for to lead the U.S. in 11th place after standing ninth in the first run. The result was not quite enough to get her into the top-25 in the slalom rankings – the cut off for next week’s World Cup finals. She stands 30th.

Fellow American Resi Stiegler reached her goal of ending the season healthy after three years of injuries. She finished 15th with the seventh-fastest second-run time  for her best result since 2007 (eighth in Aspen).

“We’ve seen that her skiing is pretty much back, her speed is back,” said U.S. head coach Alex Hoedlmoser of Stiegler. “She is wicked fast and we’re really looking forward to next season. With the full prep period she is going to be right in there again.”

At just 15-years-old, American Mikaela Shiffrin has her first weekend of World Cup racing under her belt. Today she showed the technique and skill than got her to the top of the NorAm slalom standings with a solid first run that was only five-hundredth of a second out of the top-30 flip in 32nd place.

“I think it was a really good experience for her and I’m glad that we brought her over to get those first couple World Cup races out of the way,” said Hoedlmoser. “It’s always exciting and new and she handled it really well and did a fantastic job today. She would have been easily in there but had a mistake seven or eight gates before the finish. We know that she has the speed to qualify already.”

It was a tough day for the Canadian squad. Not one of its five starters made it out of the first run as they collected two DNFs and three DNQs.

The World Cup tour now moves to Lenzerheide, Switzerland March 16-20 for the World Cup Finals.

Images by Gepa

The SCOOP
by Hank McKee
Women’s Slalom, Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, March 12, 2011
Equipment
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Schild, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic
4 Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Zuzulova, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
6 Moelgg, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
7 Curtoni, Fischer/Lange/Fischer
8 Riesch, Head/Lange/Head
9 Poutiainen, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
10 Kirchgasser, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

Women’s Slalom, Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, March 12, 2011… It is the 30th women’s race of the 38 race 2011 World Cup schedule with three cancellations. … There are four races remaining. … It is the ninth of ten scheduled slaloms, the eighth held. … It is the third time the tour has stopped at Spinderluv Mlyn, the first in December 2005 and in January 2008.

It is the 29th career World Cup victory for Marlies Schild. … her 27th in slalom. … She is second all-time among women for slalom wins behind Vreni Schneider’s 33. … It is her second win and fourth podium at Spinderluv Mlyn. … It is her seventh win of the season (all in slalom) including the gold medal at World Championships.

It is the 35th World Cup podium for Kathrin Zettel. … her 16th in slalom. … It is her second podium at Spindleruv Mlyn, the first also a second place in 2005 behind Janica Kostelic. … It is her third podium of the season, the others a silver medal at Worlds in slalom and third in GS at Arber-Zwiesel.

It is the 27th career World Cup podium for Tina Maze. … her fourth in slalom. … It is her first Cup podium at Spinderluc Mlyn, though she was fourth in GS March 11. … It is her ninth podium of the season including a gold medal (GS) and a silver (CMB) at World Championships.

It is the 43rd time Sarah Schleper has scored 11th or better in a World Cup race. … 29th time in slalom. … It is a career best placing (of two) at Spindleruv Mlyn. … It is her second best result of the season after an eighth in slalom at Zagreb Jan. 4. … It is the 29th time Resi Stiegler has been 15th or better in a World Cup race. … the second time at Spindleruv Mlyn, the first a 13th in 2005. … It is her best of three Cup results this season. … She was also 19th in slalom at Worlds. … Lindsey Vonn matches her 23rd career best Cup slalom finish. … It is her fourth slalom score of the season, the other three all eighth place finishes or better.

Maria Riesch (2nd run DNF) leads the World Cup overall standings 1678-1655 (23pts) over Vonn with four races remaining. … Maze is third with 1003 and cannot win the title. … Marie-Michele Gagnon (1st run DNF) is top Canadian in 30th with 207pts. … Schild leads the slalom standings 600-489 (111pts) over Tanja Poutiainen (9th in race) and cannot be overtaken for the slalom crown. … Maria Riesch is third with 420pts. … Vonn is the top American on the slalom list in 20th with
87pts. … Gagnon the top Canadian in 25th with 67pts. … Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup 4468-3352 over Germany. … The U.S. is third with 3237pts. … Canada is tenth with 494pts.