Minagawa, Zuzulova post NorAm wins

Japan’s Kentaro Minagawa captured the Super Series NorAm slalom at Keystone, Colorado, Wednesday, in a field studded with World Cup competitors. Frenchman Stephane Tissot took second and Canadian Patrick Biggs third.

Japan’s Kentaro Minagawa captured the Super Series NorAm slalom at Keystone, Colorado, Wednesday, in a field studded with World Cup competitors. Frenchman Stephane Tissot took second and Canadian Patrick Biggs third.
    Leading the Americans was Tom Rothrock in fourth, less than a second off the pace. Cody Marshall had a strong showing with two solid runs for 14th place, coming home as the second-best American and the top skier in the field without World Cup points to his credit. Tim Kelley finished 17th and Jake Zamansky, who finished on the podium in Monday's giant slalom, finished 20th.        
    Minagawa is a formidable foe, having finished 11th in last season’s World Cup slalom standings and placing fourth in the Torino Olympic slalom.

Zuzulova wins NorAm slalom at Winter Park
Veronika Zuzulova of Slovakia posted the fastest time in each of the two runs to win a Super Series NorAm slalom race Wednesday at Winter Park, Colorado.   
    Zuzulova clocked a two-run time of 1 minute, 29.24 seconds, easily beating Sweden’s Therese Borssen in second (1:30.08) and Vanessa Vidal of France (1:30.87).
    Three U.S. Ski Team racers finished in the top 10, led by Resi Stiegler in seventh with a time of 1:31.56. Caitlin Ciccone was eighth (1:32.14) and Katie Hitchcock 10th (1:32.41).
    A Super Series NorAm giant slalom is scheduled for Thursday at Winter Park.
    “It was so cold, and we had some more snow — maybe five or six inches — overnight, so we had to dig to keep things clear, to get down to the hardpack underneath," said U.S. women’s coach Chris Knight. “Resi came out of the 22nd start and was third in the first run, and then skied without a pole for that second run, so we know her speed’s there and she’s just got to keep things organized and she’ll be in there.
    Jenny Lathrop was 12th, Kiley Staples 14th, Laurel Carter 16th and Jessica Kelley 20th.
    “Caitlin had a strong second run, too … and Katie [third Tuesday in the opening slalom] had another good day. Kiley and Megan McJames [21st in the race] were on the juniors podium, so that’s good, too,” Knight said.