SOLDEN, Austria – Italy’s Denise Karbon and Manuela Moelgg stand one-two after the first run of the women’s World Cup GS, the opening race of the 2010 Olympic season. Skiing under brilliant skies Karbon charged down the steep and icy Rettenbach glacier track to lead by .24 of a second.

Finland’s Tania Poutiainen hung in for third place while defending World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn placed eighth after an admittedly “nervous” run.

Julia Mancuso, making her first fully healthy start in nearly a year, earned a second run with a 21st place result. Sarah Schleper will get a second run start as well with a 29th place effort.

The track was icy, “at times there were ice chunks,” said Vonn. For the latter racers the course was breaking up, making ruts and slowing the racers with almost five seconds separating first from 30th.

Austria’s Niki Hosp was helicoptered off the course after a fall just after the break over, sitting back and apparently blowing a knee. The 26-year-old was coming back after an injury at Zagreb last season.

GEPA photo