Mancuso takes first win in four years at Finals downhill; Vonn claims overall lead

It had been a long four years since American Julia Mancuso had topped a World Cup podium. She was back with vengeance today (March 16) as women’s competition at the 2011 World Cup Finals kicked off with the downhill and plenty of excitement in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

Mancuso’s impressive win, the fifth of her career, left no doubters as she screamed down the course 0.81 seconds faster than second-place finisher, Swiss Lara Gut. Downhill world champion, Austrian Elizabeth Goergl finished third, 1.15 seconds back. Mancuso’s last win came in March of 2007 with a downhill victory in Tarvisio, Italy.

“It’s the first time in four years, it’s great to be back winning,” said Mancuso. “I watched Lara [Gut] ski so I knew I had to ski really fast because she nailed it. That’s all it was, all or nothing this time, last downhill of the season so it feels good.”

American Lindsey Vonn claimed her fourth consecutive downhill globe mathematically two weeks ago in Tarvisio but was finally able to lay a big kiss on her trophy today after finishing fourth. Perhaps the biggest news of the day also followed Vonn as she took back the overall lead from German Maria Riesch (17th today) for the first time since late December. Today’s results saw a 50-point swing in the overall standings as Vonn went from 23 points behind to 27 points ahead of her friend Riesch with three races (SG, GS, SL) ahead before the season ends this weekend.

“It was tough conditions out there today with really soft snow and flat light,” said Vonn. “It was really easy to make mistakes and unfortunately I made one on the top of the course in a pretty bad place and lost a lot of speed but I was able to ski the bottom well. Fourth place is still a great result, I’m really happy for Julia for winning, she skied amazingly well.”

The win was enough to move Mancuso into third in the season-long downhill standings with 367 points behind Vonn (650 points, seven podiums including three wins) and Riesch (457 points, four podiums including three wins) in second.

Today’s women’s race was held after the men’s on the same short (2320-meter), technical course.

Mancuso, who had the second fastest time in yesterday’s training run, said the turny course fit her style.

“Leaving the start gate I knew I had to push really hard and be fast and I wanted to win,” said Mancuso, the penultimate racer down the course. “I knew it would be a good opportunity here for me and those don’t come around all the time so I took advantage of it and I’m just really happy.

“I’ve been working through injuries and working hard for the past four years and I’m finally back on the podium, it feels great,” said Mancuso who was also back in the top three of any discipline standings for the first time since 2007. “I switched to Voelkl skis [this season] and everything has been working really well for me so it just gives me a lot of confidence that next year is going to be even better.”

Overnight temperatures stayed above the freezing line and overcast skies remained throughout the day as course workers used chemicals to coax the surface into firming up. Temps stayed around 42 F during the race.

The field of competitors in each race at the World Cup Finals is trimmed down to the top 25 ranked skiers in each discipline along with the reigning world champion and world junior champ. Only 23 started today.

This season’s Junior Worlds downhill champion, Norwegian Lotte Smiseth Sejersted (19) grabbed her career World Cup best result in fifth place 1.59 seconds back. Her previous best result was a 17th-place finish in a downhill at Crans Montana in 2010.

Riesch, winner of three World Cup downhills this year, was slowed by a mid-course mistake that led to her fourth sub-top-15 result in a race she finished this season. Riesch was 216 points ahead of Vonn less than a month ago but a DNF and a 29th-place finish in last weekend’s tech races in Spindleruv coupled with solid result from Vonn saw the momentum shift toward the three-time overall champion heading into the closing week of competition. She scored no points today as only the top 15 get points at the Finals. Riesch has never won a overall title.

“I’m only a couple points ahead so I still feel like I’m the underdog,” said Vonn. “I have to make some points tomorrow and we’ll see how I am going into the last two technical races. Maria is dangerous in all events so I have to be ready and on my game in every race.”  

American Stacey Cook put together a solid run with a great bottom section to finish ninth, 2.25 seconds behind.Teammate Leanne Smith finished 16th.

Racing was delayed for several minutes early on as medical staff attended to Austrian Andrea Fischbacher (bib 9), who, two gates from the finish line, slipped onto her back and spun into the fencing on the left side of the course. She appeared to have escaped with only a sore neck after skiing into the finish area. Three racers later, action was momentarily paused again as Italian Daniela Merighetti fell to her side around a wide left-hand turn, taking a gate to the head and whirling into the safety netting. Merighetti also skied her way to the bottom.

Always active in charity, Mancuso has decided she will donate half of her winnings to disaster relief in Japan.

“I worked really close with a Japanese skier the last four years. She’s helped me go to the Olympics. She emailed a week ago asking to give back and help,” said Mancuso. “I’ve pledged to give half of my winnings today and I hope other people can jump on board. Please check out our website, https://skiershelpingjapan.com/ to see how you can help.”

The World Cup Finals continue tomorrow with men’s and women’s super G races. The women’s slalom is scheduled for Friday, March 18 and the giant slalom is slated for Saturday, March 19. The season will close with a team event Sunday, March 20.

The SCOOP
by Hank McKee
Women’s World Cup Downhill, Lenzerheide, Switzerland, March 16, 2011.
Equipment
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Mancuso, Voelkl/Lange/Marker
2 Gut, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Goergl, Head/Head/Head
4 Vonn, Head/Head/Head
5 Sejersted, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6 Fenninger, Head/Head/Head
7 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic
8 Paerson, Head/Head/Head
9 Cook, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Suter, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic

Women’s World Cup Downhill, Lenzerheide, Switzerland, March 16, 2011. … It is the 35th of 38 races on the women’s World Cup schedule with three remaining. … There have been three cancellations this season. … It is the ninth and final downhill. … It is the second of eight (nine with team event) races set for Lenzerheide Finals, the first of four women’s races.

It is the fifth career World Cup win for Julia Mancuso. … her third in DH and first in any discipline since March of 2007. … It is the 223rd U.S. World Cup win. … 68th in DH. … It is her first win, but sixth podium of the season including a silver medal in SG at World Championships. … It is the 13th U.S. win of the season (including Ted Ligety’s gold in GS at World Championships) the others all coming from Lindsey Vonn and Ligety.

It is the seventh career World Cup podium for Lara Gut. … Her third in DH. … It is her fourth podium of the season and second in DH. … She finished fourth in two World Championship races (SG and DH).

It is the 29th career World Cup podium for Elisabeth Goergl. … Her sixth in DH. … It is her eighth podium of the season including two gold medal
s at World Championships (SG and DH).

It is the 95th time Lindsey Vonn has finished fourth or better in a World Cup race. … the 15th time she has finished fourth. … It ties her best career finish at Lenzerheide from super G March 11, 2005. … It is her only fourth place finish of the season and marks her 18th best result of the season including a silver medal at World Championships in DH. … It is her sixth best DH result of the season. … Stacey Cook matches her fifth best career Cup result. … It is the seventh time she has placed in the top 10. … It is her second best result of the season after a fifth at Are in DH Feb. 26. … It is the fourth time this season Britt Janyk has placed 15th in a race, two of those from World Championships. … It is the eighth best career Cup result for Leanne Smith. … she will receive no points for the finish (top 15 score at Finals).

Lindsey Vonn leads the final World Cup downhill standings 650-457 over Maria Riesch (17th in race). … Mancuso climbs to third with 367pts. … Vonn moves into the lead of the overall standings 1705-1678 (27pts) with three races remaining. … Tina Maze (7th in race) is third overall with 1039pts. … Mancuso climbs to fifth overall with 976pts. … Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup 4568-3416 over the US. … Germany is third at 3352. … Canada in tenth with 510pts.

Rank	Bib	FIS Code	Name	Year	Nation	Total Time	FIS Points
1	22	537545	MANCUSO Julia	1984	USA	1:27.50	0.00
2	10	516138	GUT Lara	1991	SUI	1:28.31	12.31
3	19	55576	GOERGL Elisabeth	1981	AUT	1:28.65	17.48
4	21	537544	VONN Lindsey	1984	USA	1:28.88	20.98
5	5	425880	SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth	1991	NOR	1:29.09	24.17
6	17	55947	FENNINGER Anna	1989	AUT	1:29.20	25.84
7	20	565243	MAZE Tina	1983	SLO	1:29.53	30.86
8	16	505483	PAERSON Anja	1981	SWE	1:29.64	32.53
9	7	537582	COOK Stacey	1984	USA	1:29.75	34.20
10	14	515766	SUTER Fabienne	1985	SUI	1:29.90	36.48
11	1	296427	SCHNARF Johanna	1984	ITA	1:30.10	39.52
12	6	196460	MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie	1985	FRA	1:30.11	39.67
13	4	515782	ABDERHALDEN Marianne	1986	SUI	1:30.22	41.34
14	15	296472	FANCHINI Elena	1985	ITA	1:30.25	41.80
15	3	106022	JANYK Britt	1980	CAN	1:30.40	44.08
16	23	538305	SMITH Leanne	1987	USA	1:30.62	47.42
17	18	206001	RIESCH Maria	1984	GER	1:30.69	48.49
18	11	195671	JACQUEMOD Ingrid	1978	FRA	1:31.49	60.65
19	8	515747	GISIN Dominique	1985	SUI	1:31.72	64.14
20	2	196573	REVILLET Aurelie	1986	FRA	1:31.98	68.10
Did not start 1st run
	13	195983	ROLLAND Marion	1982	FRA
Did not finish 1st run
	12	296008	MERIGHETTI Daniela	1981	ITA
	9	55750	FISCHBACHER Andrea	1985	AUT