Tarvisio: German Stechert wins downhill

Though she was last year’s national downhill and junior national downhill and super G champion, German Gina Stechert had never landed on a World Cup podium until Saturday.

And that’s when she made it count.

The 21-year-old whose previous best World Cup finish was a fourth place in the Lake Louise downhill this season beat everyone down the Tarvisio downhill course Saturday, including Lindsey Vonn, who is still waiting for one more victory to surpass Tamara McKinney as the most successful American female racer of all time.

No big record for Lindsey Vonn today. Though she led the race by a hair the entire way down, when she crossed the finish line, she was a hundredth of a second behind Stechert. That’s right. One-hundreth of a second.Though she was last year’s national and junior national downhill and super G champion, German Gina Stechert had never landed on a World Cup podium until Saturday.

And that’s when she made it count.

The 21-year-old whose previous best World Cup finish was a fourth place in the Lake Louise downhill this season beat everyone down the Tarvisio downhill course Saturday, including Lindsey Vonn, who is still waiting for one more victory to surpass Tamara McKinney as the most successful American female racer of all time.

No big record for Lindsey Vonn today. Though she led the race by a hair the entire way down, when she crossed the finish line, she was a hundredth of a second behind Stechert. That’s right. One-hundreth of a second.

“Lindsey’s run was really good, maybe not as solid as yesterday’s downhill, but she’s strong and continues to put herself in a better spot as the season winds down. Her only focus now is to win the overall and downhill titles again,” said U.S. women’s speed coach Alex Hoedlmoser. “We’re looking at the big picture for sure, that’s what it’s all about. Obviously Lindsey is looking for that win, but it’s not something you can wish for. She skied really solid and when you look at the times, she and Stechert clearly separated themselves from the rest of the girls. Stechert just skied an absolutely flawless race.”

Stechert, who won in 1 minute, 59.94 seconds, was the fifth racer down the course and kept her tuck smooth and fluid over each of the jumps, putting more than a second on the then-leader and watching as not a one of the 60 girls who started after her could top her run.

At one point, while standing in the podium perch waiting for the race to conclude, Anja Paerson, who took third Saturday (.39 seconds off the pace) and won the World Cup super-combined title on Friday after her fifth-place finish, waved at the camera and, in a congratulatory gesture, grabbed Stechert’s fist to shake in the air.

With the second-place finish, Vonn extended her lead in the overall Cup standings to 1274 points, trailed by Friday’s super-combi winner Maria Riesch with 1061 points and Paerson with 960.

 ”It was a good day for the overall as far as points goes. Maria didn’t have the best day and Anja was behind me,” Vonn said. “It’s a little bit disappointing. To lose by one hundredth is always difficult. This was special for Gina. I’m really happy for her. She skied really well.”

Swiss racer Nadja Kamer, who has been burning up the Europa Cup speed events this season and was 10th in Friday’s super-combined, skied into fourth place, .76 seconds off the winning pace, despite wearing bib No. 33. Canadian Larisa Yurkiw pulled off a similar feat, finishing just after eighth-place teammate Kelly Vanderbeek in ninth place wearing bib No. 34.

Julia Mancuso tied Elisabeth Goergl for 13th while Chelsea Marshall, wearing bib No. 42, skied into 17th place. Stacey Cook, who has been fast on this downhill course all week, got jostled in the air over one of the middle jumps and ended up just out of the points pool in 31st, with teammate Kaylin Richardson right behind her in 32nd. Keely Kelleher, also starting from the back field, ended up 34th. Rarely seen on a downhill course, Megan McJames finished 57th wearing bib No. 60.

“Julia did a much better job today. She’s moving in the right direction and Chelsea totally stepped it up,” Hoedlmoser said. “She crashed in the final training run and didn’t finish yesterday’s downhill in the super combined, so this was a sweet finish for her. Cookie is really bummed about her finish. She was skiing so fast in the training runs and knows she can be up there. I was also pleased with some of the skiing I saw today from Keely and Kaylin, both of them looked really good in the top section.”

The World Cup stop at Tarvisio wraps up Sunday with a super-G.

“I’m excited about tomorrow. Super-G has been going well for me, lately,” Vonn said. “I’m just going to go out there and try my best and hopefully I can not lose by one hundredth. Hopefully the conditions will stay the same.”

Watch the race live at 5:30 a.m. EST on universalsports.com.

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The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment

Women’s downhill, Tarvisio, Italy, Feb. 21, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Stechert, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
2 Vonn, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
3 Paerson, Head/Head/Head
4 Kamer, Voelkl/Tecnica/Marker
5 Revillet, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
6 Goetschl, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Gisin, Dynastar/Lange/Marker
8 VanderBeek, Volkl/Lange/Marker
9 Yurkiw, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia

Women’s Downhill, Tarvisio, Italy, Feb. 21, 2009. … It is the 24th of 36 races on the women’s 2009 World Cup schedule. … It is the fourth of eight scheduled downhills with one cancellation confirmed. … It was the sixth downhill scheduled but the St Moritz DH from December was reset to next week (Feb. 27) at Bansko, Bulgaria. … It second of a three race stop at Tarvisio which has only hosted the World Cup once before in 2007. … It is the second DH at the site, the previous won by Julia Mancuso.

It is the first career World Cup win, and first career podium for Gina Stechert. … Her previous best was fourth in DH at Lake Louise Dec. 5, 2008. … It is just her fourth top 10 placing. … It is the first German win in DH since Maria Riesch won at Lake Louise Dec. 1, 2006

It is the 42nd career World Cup podium for Lindsey Vonn. … Her 22nd in downhill. … It is her 13th podium of the season including two gold medals from World Championships. … She has been first or second in four of the five DH’s held (including Worlds) this season and was third in the other behind a tie for first. . … It is her second consecutive runner-up finish in two days.

It is the 85th career World Cup podium for Anja Paerson. … Her tenth in DH. … It is her sixth podium of the season and third in DH.

It is the 20th career World Cup top 10 for Kelly VanderBeek and her second best result at Tarvisio having placed fifth in DH March 3, 2007. … It is her second best result of the season after a seventh in SG at Lake Louise Dec. 7. … It is a career best result for Larisa Yurkiw. … and her first top 10. … Her previous best was a 25th in combined at St Moritz earlier this season. … All three of her career scoring results have come this season. … It is the 84th time Julia Mancuso has placed 13th or better in a World Cup race. … The result matches her third best of the season. … It is her best of the season in DH. … It is the sixth best World Cup result of the season for Emily Brydon. … It is the second best career result for Chelsea Marshall bested only by an eighth place in DH at Sestriere Feb. 9, 2008. … Stacey Cook in 31st, Kaylin Richardson in 32nd and Keely Kelleher 34th all came within four tenths of scoring.

Lindsey Vonn increases her lead of the World Cup overall standings to 1274-1061 over Maria Riesch (10th in race). … Anja Paerson maintains touch in third at 960. … Vonn leads the downhill standings 320-262 over Dominique Gisin (seventh in race). … Paerson is third with 220pts.

Tarvisio Downhill results:

1	5	206175	STECHERT Gina	1987	GER	1:59.94	0.00
2	17	537544	VONN Lindsey	1984	USA	1:59.95	0.11
3	22	505483	PAERSON Anja	1981	SWE	2:00.33	4.29
4	33	515806	KAMER Nadja	1986	SUI	2:00.70	8.36
5	2	196573	REVILLET Aurelie	1986	FRA	2:01.09	12.66
6	19	55069	GOETSCHL Renate	1975	AUT	2:01.15	13.32
7	18	515747	GISIN Dominique	1985	SUI	2:01.22	14.09
8	8	106402	VANDERBEEK Kelly	1983	CAN	2:01.28	14.75
9	34	106849	YURKIW Larisa	1988	CAN	2:01.33	15.30
10	21	206001	RIESCH Maria	1984	GER	2:01.37	15.74
11	6	515560	SCHILD Martina	1981	SUI	2:01.51	17.28
12	14	196460	MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie	1985	FRA	2:01.52	17.39
13	12	537545	MANCUSO Julia	1984	USA	2:01.58	18.05
13	10	55576	GOERGL Elisabeth	1981	AUT	2:01.58	18.05
15	13	105997	BRYDON Emily	1980	CAN	2:01.61	18.38
16	7	565243	MAZE Tina	1983	SLO	2:01.68	19.15
17	42	538038	MARSHALL Chelsea	1986	USA	2:01.75	19.92
18	9	515170	STYGER Nadia	1978	SUI	2:01.78	20.25
19	1	296008	MERIGHETTI Daniela	1981	ITA	2:01.92	21.79
20	16	296729	FANCHINI Nadia	1986	ITA	2:01.96	22.23
20	11	195671	JACQUEMOD Ingrid	1978	FRA	2:01.96	22.23
22	24	195983	ROLLAND Marion	1982	FRA	2:02.01	22.78
23	4	296431	STUFFER Verena	1984	ITA	2:02.06	23.33
24	28	515429	DUMERMUTH Monika	1977	SUI	2:02.07	23.44
25	32	295533	RECCHIA Lucia	1980	ITA	2:02.09	23.66
26	31	515766	SUTER Fabienne	1985	SUI	2:02.10	23.77
27	38	515849	DETTLING Andrea	1987	SUI	2:02.11	23.88
28	3	296473	SIORPAES Wendy	1985	ITA	2:02.14	24.21
29	30	516138	GUT Lara	1991	SUI	2:02.26	25.53
29	15	55750	FISCHBACHER Andrea	1985	AUT	2:02.26	25.53
31	44	537582	COOK Stacey	1984	USA	2:02.31	26.08
32	41	537626	RICHARDSON Kaylin	1984	USA	2:02.36	26.63
33	45	515244	CASANOVA Carmen	1980	SUI	2:02.40	27.07
34	49	537565	KELLEHER Keely	1984	USA	2:02.63	29.60
35	27	515573	AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi	1981	SUI	2:02.65	29.82
36	29	55947	FENNINGER Anna	1989	AUT	2:02.75	30.93
37	59	505886	KLING Kajsa	1988	SWE	2:02.84	31.92
38	20	106022	JANYK Britt	1980	CAN	2:02.85	32.03
39	47	55766	MADER Regina	1985	AUT	2:02.91	32.69
40	51	296427	SCHNARF Johanna	1984	ITA	2:03.10	34.78
41	43	196412	WEYRICH Clothilde	1985	FRA	2:03.13	35.11
42	26	495318	RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina	1981	SPA	2:03.25	36.43
43	56	225206	ALCOTT Chemmy	1982	GBR	2:03.27	36.65
44	25	55588	RUMPFHUBER Ingrid	1981	AUT	2:03.40	38.08
45	39	55913	MOSER Stefanie	1988	AUT	2:03.46	38.74
46	23	295136	CECCARELLI Daniela	1975	ITA	2:03.50	39.18
47	46	516052	KOEHN Anne-Sophie	1990	SUI	2:03.51	39.29
48	57	106410	DESFORGES Emilie	1983	CAN	2:03.52	39.40
49	53	297153	CIPRIANI Enrica	1988	ITA	2:03.78	42.26
50	58	297134	BORSOTTI Camilla	1988	ITA	2:03.90	43.58
50	40	505449	BENT Nike	1981	SWE	2:03.90	43.58
52	35	55539	BERGER Silvia	1980	AUT	2:03.94	44.02
53	37	55970	SCHMIDHOFER Nicole	1989	AUT	2:03.99	44.57
54	36	465059	MIKLOS Edith	1988	ROU	2:04.29	47.87
55	55	206323	STIEPEL Isabelle	1990	GER	2:04.47	49.85
56	48	197006	GAUTHIER Marine	1990	FRA	2:04.52	50.41
57	60	538284	MCJAMES Megan	1987	USA	2:04.69	52.28
58	54	565261	ROBNIK Petra	1984	SLO	2:05.14	57.23
59	50	485563	PROSTEVA Elena	1990	RUS	2:05.27	58.66
60	52	155563	KRIZOVA Klara	1989	CZE	2:05.78	64.27
61	61	495615	MORLANS Leyre	1987	SPA	2:06.41	71.21