Snowy Austrian run boosts Stiegler's confidence

If this weekend is any forecast of what Resi Stiegler has planned for the winter, fans are in for a ride.
    The always-colorful character just got home to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from Reiteralm, Austria, where she placed fourth in the slalom after being denied her first World Cup podium by .11 seconds. Stiegler now has 14 career World Cup top 10s.
IF THIS WEEKEND is any forecast of what Resi Stiegler has planned for the winter, fans are in for a ride.
    The always-colorful character just got home to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from Reiteralm, Austria, where she placed fourth in the slalom after being denied her first World Cup podium by .11 seconds. Stiegler now has 14 career World Cup top 10s.
    On the snowy, gusty Saturday, she was leading midway down the course in her first run before settling for fifth in that run.
    “I freaked out I was so excited,” she said. “It’s the coolest feeling to come down leading.”
    As she was coming over a knoll on her second run, the wind knocked her off the pace.
    “She got a big snow gust on top at the entrance to a hairpin and it almost took her out of the run,” said U.S. women’s tech coach Chris Knight. “It cost her as much time as [Marlies] Schild’s did, so it would have been close and she can definitely go faster.”
    Austrians Schild and Nicole Hosp, took 1-2, respectively, and Italy’s Chiara
Costazza took third.
    Stiegler said the racers had to stay positive about the low visibility and blizzard conditions because they all had to deal with it, but Stiegler, well, she actually enjoyed it.
    “It was insane how much snow there was,” Stiegler said. “I haven’t had that for a long time, it seems like years since we had that. … It was awesome — it was like being a little kid again.”
    Next up, Stiegler’s birthday party in Jackson Hole. She turns 22 on Wednesday. She plans to take it easy this year, enjoying a five-day break at home with friends and family before heading to Colorado to meet up with the team at training camp.
    There, she will get back to working on drills. Knight said Stiegler also will add longer course runs to the training regime for stamina as the upcoming races at Panorama, Canada, and Aspen, Colorado, are longer and steeper than Reiteralm.
    Stiegler is “really excited” about her progress so far this season, with a 15th in the opening GS at Sölden and the fourth place at Reiteralm, and she wants to get another top five in British Columbia on Nov. 24.
    But she’s not losing her perspective: “I think it’s important to keep up the momentum and keep focused,” she said.