Fenninger sets the pace in Lake Louise, Vonn readies for race day

Anna Fenninger smokes the final training run in Lake Louise Thursday. GEPA

LAKE LOUISE, Canada — Training Day 3: It doesn’t get any closer to race day than this. Reigning overall champ Anna Fenninger laid down the fastest run with a time of 1 minute, 50.29 seconds, just ahead of Austria’s Mirjam Puchner and the U.S. Ski Team’s Stacey Cook, who recorded her best result of these training runs.

“I was a little nervous in the start today,” said Cook. “I think this close to the race, I wanted to have that feeling. I was talking myself out of charging the run, and then I was like, ‘No, I’ve got to go into this run like it’s tomorrow.’ So I charged the sections that have been harder for me. That was a big focus. Build up those nerves so tomorrow isn’t such a big shock.”

In their video sessions, Cook’s been paying close attention to Lotte Smiseth Sejersted, who finished the first two training runs first and second, and Tina Maze, who blew everyone away on Wednesday.

“They’ve been skiing at what looks like the race pace, so I’ve been getting a really good visual of what it looks like to be fast, especially (Sejersted). I really like her skiing right now. There haven’t been a whole lot of changes (to the track) but as the course gets beat up a little more, it definitely starts to favor a different type of skier, a ballsier skier.”

Cook, who’s improved her standing in training each day, says she’s a long way from popping the cork in Lake Louise. The Mammoth local has had a history of really strong training runs, but at times has had difficulty translating that into results on race day.

“I want to know what to expect,” said Cook. “Some racers will back it off in training, so it doesn’t mean anything — and I’ve learned that over my many years.”

One of those racers who has backed it off in her training runs is Lindsey Vonn, whostood up a moment before she crossed the finish line and wound up in 13th — she was eighth a day earlier. From Day 1, Vonn said she wasn’t going to really hammer it until race day, and that seemed to be the case again today.

“I played with some things on the line today. I need to analyze the video and see if it was faster,” said Vonn. “There’s definitely a lot of different lines going on. The whole course, it’s definitely different than in past years.”

Vonn has yet to bring out the “fast skis.” Those are being saved for tomorrow, her first race in nearly a year.

“I’m sure I’m going to be a little bit nervous,” said the 14-time Lake Louise winner. “I tend to get a little bit more fired up when I nervous. It feels like I’m learning to ride the bike again. I’ve been away from the circuit so long, but I think every day has gotten better.”

Vonn said her goal for Friday is to finish in the top five, but is careful to not set her expectations too high for the first race.

It was an encouraging day for the rest of the U.S. women’s speed team with Julia Mancuso and Laurenne Ross finishing just behind Cook in fourth and fifth, respectively. Jackie Wiles came in 23rd, Julia Ford was 35th, Katie Ryan was 44th, and Abby Ghent was 53rd.

Meanwhile, despite not finishing outside the top 10 in Lake Louise since 2012 and training fastest on Thursday, the Austrian Fenninger said it can be a tough hill for her.

“It is not easy here for me,” Fenninger said. “I had problems in the last two days. The snow is getting harder and that makes it a little bit easier for me. It is very important to handle the technical sections the best you can. It worked out quite well for me today. I hope I can take it into the upcoming races.”

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