European Report: Goetschl admits she's in corner; Camplin fears stalker

European Report: Goetschl admits she’s in corner; Camplin fears stalker{mosimage}Renate Goetschl knows her chances to win the overall World Cup took a blow last weekend when she finished a disappointing 16th in the super G at Haus im Ennstal, Austria.

With only one downhill remaining on the World Cup schedule but four slaloms, Goetschl said archrival Anja Paerson is all but sure to move back into the overall lead perhaps for good.

“The advantage is clearly in Anja’s favor,” Goetschl told the Austrian daily Der Standard. “Normally I am in the top 10 in a super G. I was obviously not skiing my best that day.”

Goetschl limped out of Haus with a slim 28-point overall lead and faces three slaloms, two giant slaloms and one super G before the World Cup finals in March. Goetschl vowed to race both the slalom and giant slalom this weekend in Arber, Germany, even though she’s only scored seven points in slalom this season.

“I’ll do what I can in the slalom and will make extra training this week,” she said.

Goetschl, however, said she’s very pleased with how the season has unfolded following surgery in the spring. She’s leading the downhill standings and she’s won four races and finished on the podium seven other times.

“My season goal was to win a globe in one of the speed disciplines, so that’s looking good,” she said referring to her 63-point lead over Hilde Gerg in the downhill. “Everything else has been a pleasant surprise. After the operation, I practically began everything from zero.”

>> Eberharter nears mission accomplished

Stefan Eberharter is closing in on his season goal winning the downhill title.

Despite sitting third overall just 51 points behind leader Hermann Maier, the 35-year-old Eberharter said trying to win a third overall title isn’t on his radar screen.

“I’ve said all season, I’m not concerned about winning the overall title,” Eberharter told Austrian radio ORF. “I’ve won it enough times. Now it’s time for someone like Benni Raich or Bode Miller to win.”

Eberharter shook off a sluggish start to the 2003-04 season to dominate January, winning three downhills (Chamonix, Kitzbuehel and Garmisch) and taking two more podiums to have a firm grip on the downhill standings.

With three more downhills on tap, Daron Rahlves remains within striking distance, 138 points behind. Eberharter knows it’s his globe to lose.

“My goal this year has always been the same, to win the downhill title,” Eberharter said. “That hasn’t changed.”

>> Hannawald to skip next jumping event

German world champion ski jumper Sven Hannawald will skip this weekend’s K185 jumping event in Oberstdorf, Germany, as he struggles to rediscover his winning formula.

Hannawald, 29, won a world title and an Olympic silver medal in 2002, but has since performed poorly. His best result this season was fourth in Trondheim in December and he skipped this year’s Four Hills Tourney to work on his technique.

According to reports on the German wire service DPA, the former winner of the Four Hills Tourney might not return to jumping this season, perhaps spelling the end of his career. He’s currently 15th overall.

>> Aerials champion fears stalker

Alisa Camplin, World Cup freestyle champion and Olympic gold medalist, has revealed she is being stalked by a man who has visited her home and has amassed more than 600 photographs of her.

According to a report in the Australian daily The Herald Sun, Camplin said the man confronted her following a training session at Deer Valley, Utah, last month.

The paper reported that Camplin outlined the encounter in an e-mail to friends back home in Australia. She said the man, who spoke with an American accent, told her he had driven more than eight hours to see her and had a collection of photographs of her.

Camplin told a television reporter the obsession started after the 2002 Winter Olympics when the man started sending her “inappropriate gifts and letters.”

“That’s what probably frightened me the most. There was a lot of letters and correspondence after the Olympics, it wasn’t really normal,” she said.

Extra security was ordered following the incident last month, with someone from ski patrol or the tour organizers accompanying Camplin at all times.

Camplin, a gold medalist at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games, is currently leading the World Cup standings.

>> Italy’s Peter Fill happy with progress

Up-and-coming Italian downhiller Peter Fill told La Gazzetto dello Sport he’s pleased with his progress this season. His best result was fourth at the Beaver Creek super G, but he has struggled back on European snow.

The 21-year-old finished 15th in Sunday’s super G at Garmisch, good enough to secure him a spot in the World Cup finals in Sestriere in March.

“I scored a good result after a period of negative racing for me,” said Fill, who won the junior super G title in 2002. “I could have finished higher but in recent races I’ve fallen and it took me some time to get back my confidence.”

Fill, who also works as a police officer in his hometown of Castelrotto, said he’s hoping for more in the closing events of the season.

“I am hopeful because there are still some tracks that are suited to my characteristics, to begin with Adelboden this weekend, but also Kvitfjell appeals to me,” he said.