World Cup Rewind: Tech tales of triumph

It’s probably safe to say, results-wise, the most successful racer in Semmering last Sunday and Monday was Austria’s own Kathrin Zettel, much to the glee of the throng of 10,000-plus fans at each the giant slalom and slalom races, most waving Austrian flags. That said, she was certainly not the only woman to add a couple new feathers to her cap at the venue.

It’s probably safe to say, results-wise, the most successful racer in Semmering last Sunday and Monday was Austria’s own Kathrin Zettel, much to the glee of the throng of 10,000-plus fans at each the giant slalom and slalom races, most waving Austrian flags. That said, she was certainly not the only woman to add a couple new feathers to her cap at the venue.

Zettel did manage to win Sunday’s giant slalom, for the second time straight on the course, then barely missed the podium in Monday’s slalom. Despite a comment after her victory in GS about how slalom was not her best discipline, Zettel finished fourth Monday, just .93 seconds off the winning pace and .21 seconds away from a podium spot.

That slalom podium, however, was filled with some other good stories. On the top was German racer Maria Riesch, who also won the previous slalom race on the circuit two weeks ago in La Molina, Spain. Riesch blazed down the first run to take the lead, then, despite a major bobble that slowed her down considerably going into the steeps in the second run, recovered and crossed the finish line with a combined time of 1 minute, 55.97 seconds, .21 ahead of second place finisher Tanja Poutiainen of Finland and .72 ahead of Lindsey Vonn, from whom she took the slalom leader’s bib.

Vonn finished eighth in the Semmering GS – a fine result for her in her weakest (by comparison) discipline. She now trails Riesch in the slalom standings, 290 to Riesch’s 300 points, but still leads the World Cup overall standings with 530 points. Riesch, who, like Vonn is an all-event skier, is in hot pursuit with 507 points.

Poutiainen, primarily a technical skier, was pleased with her second place in slalom after finishing a disappointing 14th in GS, though she still leads the GS standings with 278 points (trailed by Zettel with 245).

“Semmering is a good place for me,” Poutiainen told the AP after Monday’s slalom. “I have been here so many times before and have always done well. Next time I will try to do even one better.”
Italian veteran Manuela Moelgg earned the sixth World Cup podium of her career, taking second in the GS, followed by Swiss teenager Lara Gut, who proved her super-G victory in St. Moritz the previous weekend was in no way a fluke.

Also, Vonn wasn’t the only American to shine in Semmering. Olympic gold medalist Julia Mancuso, who spent the holidays doing extra training and continues to recover from last year’s back surgery, notched her best result of the season with a sixth in GS, then followed it up with a 16th in slalom.

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

The new kid on the map from the Semmering races is 23-year-old American Hailey Duke, who had the race of her life Monday, finishing eighth in slalom, blowing away her previous personal best – a 21st a few weeks ago in Aspen. Duke promises to “keep charging” and she made a happy man out of U.S. coach Trevor Wagner.

“For Hailey, it’s an incredible day,” Wagner said after the race. “All the stuff that she’s been working on is finally clicking. In the last 10 days or so it has clicked and the last two slaloms have been great.”

Wagner also noted that Vonn, who stood on a World Cup podium for the 35th time Monday, is destined to maintain the pace.

“She is really an all around skier,” he said. “She’s capable of being on the podium in every event.”

The women’s World Cup resumes Sunday, Jan. 4, with another slalom in Zagreb, Croatia.