Semmering: Zettel does it again

By Published On: December 28th, 2008Comments Off on Semmering: Zettel does it again

Kathrin Zettel knows how to get people waving her country’s flag. The Austrian crossed the finish line to a deafening roar from her home crowd to win the giant slalom race in Semmering for the second time straight. She won in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 10.90 seconds, while Italian Manuela Moelgg, who led the first run, took second (2:11.27) and rising Swiss star Lara Gut rounded out the podium (2:11.45).

“It’s unbelievable,” said Zettel. “I can’t believe it’s happened the second time. It’s so good.”

Julia Mancuso notched her best result of the season in sixth (2:12.17) and World Cup overall leader Lindsey Vonn finished eighth (2:12.54). Anja Paerson alluded the podium in fourth (2:11.89) and Italian Denise Karbon took fifth (2:12.03).

Gut watched from the leader’s box as none of the top racers from run no. 1 could catch her. Even World Cup giant slalom leader Tanja Poutiainen snagged a gate in the second run and ended up 14th. Then Zettel and Moelgg blew down the course and nudged her down the podium.

Zettel now tails closely behind 270-point GS leader Poutiainen in the standings with 245 points.

Kathrin Zettel knows how to get people waving her country’s flag. The Austrian crossed the finish line to a deafening roar from her home crowd to win the giant slalom race in Semmering for the second time straight. She won in a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 10.90 seconds, while Italian Manuela Moelgg, who led the first run, took second (2:11.27) and rising Swiss star Lara Gut rounded out the podium (2:11.45).

“It’s unbelievable,” said Zettel. “I can’t believe it’s happened the second time. It’s so good.”

Julia Mancuso notched her best result of the season in sixth (2:12.17) and World Cup overall leader Lindsey Vonn finished eighth (2:12.54). Anja Paerson alluded the podium in fourth (2:11.89) and Italian Denise Karbon took fifth (2:12.03).

Gut watched from the leader’s box as none of the top racers from run no. 1 could catch her. Even World Cup giant slalom leader Tanja Poutiainen snagged a gate in the second run and ended up 14th. Then Zettel and Moelgg blew down the course and nudged her down the podium.

Zettel now tails closely behind 270-point GS leader Poutiainen in the standings with 245 points.

Mancuso, who has been recovering from back surgery since last year, spent the holiday week on the hill training, which clearly paid off.

“My body feels good,” she said. “It’s definitely getting better. I’m excited and gaining confidence now.”

Shadows fell over the course at Semmering, which required a bit of skating out of the gate and was, according to Mancuso, slower than usual.

“You have to charge pretty much the whole way,” she said. “The hill is never really all that steep. Normally Semmering is really icy, but today the hill was soft. It was a little broken up, but it was still possible to lay down a good run.”

Vonn continues to up her technical prowess. Her fourth place in Aspen holds as her top World Cup GS result to date and her eighth place in Semmering is her sixth World Cup top 10 in the discipline. In addition to her 470-point overall lead on the World Cup circuit, Vonn also leads slalom with 230 points and will be looking for more on Monday.

German racer Maria Riesch finished ninth behind Vonn at Semmering Sunday (2:12.63) and trails her in the slalom standings with 200 points, followed by the Czech Republic’s Sarka Zahrobska with 179 points. All three will be racing for the top spot in Monday’s slalom at Semmering, which will be aired live on Universal Sports. The first run begins at 9:30 a.m. EST Monday and the second at 12:30 p.m.


The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Women’s GS, Semmering, Austria, Dec. 28, 2008

Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Moelgg, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
3 Gut, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4 Paerson, Head/Head/Head
5 Karbon, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
6 Mancuso, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
7 Goergl, Head/Head/Head
8 Vonn, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
9 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
10 Kirchgasser, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

Women’s Giant Slalom, Semmering, Austria, Dec. 28, 2008. … It is the 11th race of the women’s 36 race 2008-09 World Cup schedule. … It is the fourth of eight scheduled giant slaloms. … It is the 15th World Cup race, all women’s, held at Semmering, which first joined the Cup circuit in 1996. … It is the sixth GS at the site with the remaining nine having been slaloms, the last five night slaloms.

It is the fourth career World Cup win for Kathrin Zettel and her second at Semmering having won exactly two seasons ago. … It is her second win of the season – both in GS – after taking the Soelden opener Oct. 25.

It is the sixth career World Cup podium – without a win – for Manuela Moelgg and the fifth time she has been second in a Cup race. … It is her second runner-up finish in GS this season having been second at LaMolina Dec. 13 to Tanja Poutiainen.

It is the third career Cup podium for Lara Gut. … She has been fifth or better in seven of her eight career scored races. … It is the third discipline in which she has tallied a podim result.

It is the 40th career top six placing for Julia Mancuso and her best finish of the season. … She had been seventh in GS at Aspen Nov. 29. … It is the eighth top 10 finish of the season for Lindsey Vonn in 10 scored races. … It is her fourth best career GS result and her only score at Semmering. … It was the first score of the season for Genevieve Simard. … She registered the second fastest second run.

Lindsey Vonn maintains the lead of the overall standings 470-418 over Tanja Poutiainen (14th in race). … Maria Riesch (ninth in race) is third at 407 and Anja Paerson (fourth in race) tightens the gap and is in fourth with 398pts. … Poutiainen maintains the GS standings lead 278-245 for Zettel. … Moelgg is third at 160. … Vonn is the top American in the GS standings tied for eighth at 111 with Mancuso 10th at 103.

Semmering giant slalom: See full results.

Share This Article

About the Author: Pete Rugh