Aspen: Zettel edges Poutiainen; Mancuso 7th

ASPEN, Colorado — Austrian Kathrin Zettel had a scintillating second run to overtake Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen and win a World Cup giant slalom Saturday. It was the first career win and ninth career podium for the 20-year-old.

ASPEN, Colorado — Austrian Kathrin Zettel had a scintillating second run to overtake Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen and win a World Cup giant slalom Saturday. It was the first career win and ninth career podium for the 20-year-old.
    American Julia Mancuso, the Olympic GS gold medalist, placed seventh, and Resi Stiegler, considered more a slalom standout, climbed 10 places in the second run to finish 20th. Jessica Kelley was 22nd but had visions of a top 10 after a strong first run left her in 15th.
     Last December, Zettel took third in a GS and slalom at Aspen. Saturday, she won in 2 minutes, 16.10 seconds, with Poutiainen .28 back.
    "I'm speechless. I've been the eternal runner-up. I was sure I was going to finish second again,'' said Zettel, a three-time runner-up in her career. ''I was so nervous. I knew I was in a good position to win but when I saw how Tanja was racing in this morning's leg I also thought there's no way I can beat her.
    "My biggest goal was to win my first race this year. So it happened. My next goals are Are, to make a medal. After Levi I feel much more confident. The pressure is more off me," Zettel said. Click here to see the post race video interview.
    Poutiainen, the 2006 Olympic GS silver medalist, led the first run but lost time on the upper half of the second run, settling for second place. Austrian Michaela Kirchgasser took third.
    It was Poutiainen’s fourth career podium at Aspen. In November 2004, she sandwiched a third in slalom around a win in GS and slalom on Ruthie’s.
    "I had good skiing last year, but not on the level of first, second or third [place]," she said. "I was always fifth, sixth and seventh. So that’s not bad, but not like the season before [when she won the GS crown]. Last year was not so good on the World Cup, but then I got the medal in Torino."
    Mancuso faced some high expectations entering this race. She emerged with some positives despite not making the podium. “It always takes me a while to get used to it,” Mancuso said. “Last year I was 12th or 13th at this race, and now seventh. In the past I compare my seasons. I always take a little while to get going, I don’t know why. Could be not skiing as much as everyone else, it could be taking a little bit to get warmed up. Either way, I’m happy [with this result].”
    “I’m super-psyched for Resi and Jess,” Mancuso added. “Jess skied awesome that first run. Resi just had a killer second run. It was sweet to see.
    “Today was a really good opportunity, so many girls went out. The margin was huge, so to be able to take advantage of that opportunity is a major step just because it doesn’t come around very often. Especially starting in the back, they did a good job, and the other girls were right in there too.”
     It was just the second World Cup scoring result of Kelley's career, the other a 27th in GS at Zwiesel in February 2004.
    Kelley made a major mistake on her second run, touching her left side to the ground, but fought hard to stay on course. “Across the flat I was trying to draw the line out a little bit and I came into that gate and I think I just didn’t get over my skis enough,” she said. “I went a little too direct at it and the next gate came up on me too fast — and it was a lot more to the right than I thought it was going to be.
    “When I made the gate I thought, ‘Well, at least I’m still in the course.’ I was definitely a little bummed with myself because I’m usually pretty good tactically in that way."
    U.S. Alpine Director Jesse Hunt said, "We’ve struggled in giant slalom here in the past and I think today was a great result for us and for those three girls and for different reasons. Resi skiing out of the back was impressive. Getting into that top 30 first run and being able to move up is good from where she started. Jess had a hell of a race going until she made that mistake. She's showing she's made a step up in terms of her GS."
    And on Olympic champ Mancuso? "That was a solid result for her today," Hunt said. "We all know what she can do. She hasn’t trained a lot of giant slalom so for her to come in here and just have a solid result I think is good. All in all, we're pretty happy about the day."

Kildow skis out
Americans failing to qualify for the second run were Katie Hitchcock (33rd), Caitlin Ciccone (37th), Stacey Cook (42nd), Megan McJames (46th), Lindsey Kildow (DNF) and Libby Ludlow (55th). McJames and Ciccone were making their World Cup debuts.     
    “I was nervous but mostly when I was in the gate I just decided to go for it," McJames said. “It felt kind of rough but the course held up pretty well.
    “It was tough and I skied my best. I just made a mistake so there’s nothing you can do about it.”
    McJames said it felt good to get start No. 1. out of the way. “I’m glad its over," she said. "I was nervous. Now hopefully I will be able to rip it next time.”
    Kildow had a solid run going before skiing off course. “I was charging," Kildow said. "I went a little too straight in a really tricky section. I was a little disappointed, but I’m skiing fast. My interval was really good so I just have to take away the positives from it. I’m really excited for tomorrow."
    Hitchcock was skiing in just her second career World Cup, and the first on home soil. “It was fun, it was a lot smoother than I expected, and I’m happy it’s over, I’m happy the first one is over," Hitchcock said after missing out on a second run by just 11 hundredths. “I remember five years ago being with the development team and being out here forerunning for these girls. I knew it was going to take a long time to get here and a lot of hard work, but it’s pretty cool that I achieved it.”
    Poutiainen finished 14th in the season-opening slalom at Levi, Finland, on Nov. 11. ''I didn't make a lot of mistakes but there were certainly some difficult places,'' said Poutiainen, who gave Finland its first-ever Olympic medal in near-blizzard conditions at Sestriere last winter. ''It was turny and very tight. This is promising for me especially after my disappointment in Levi and a bad patch in the World Cup last season.''
    Croatia's Janica Kostelic, last year's World Cup overall and slalom champion, is sitting out the season because of chronic back and knee pain.
    Anja Paerson, the World Cup giant slalom champion and Olympic slalom gold medalist, also is struggling after surgery on her left knee after last season's World Cup Finals in Sweden. Paerson finished a disappointing 12th in the Levi slalom, and
the Swede went off course about halfway down when her outside ski ashed out on a right turn.
    ''It's high altitude, the snow was aggressive and the course was hard-set,'' said the 2004 and '05 overall World Cup champion, who was runner-up last year behind Kostelic. ''I really thought I was in good shape coming into today. It was really bad to go out the way I did. I need to get more races in my system to get my rhythm back.''

— Ski Racing's Don Cameron contributed to this report

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Aspen women's GS results
ASPEN, Colorado — Leading results Saturday from a women's World Cup giant slalom race on the Lower Ruthie's Run (run times in parentheses):

1. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 2 minutes, 16.10 seconds (1:09.14-1:06.96).
2. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 2:16.38 (1:08.82-1:07.56).
3. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 2:16.68 (1:09.40-1:07.28).
4. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 2:16.88 (1:10.46-1:06.42).
5. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 2:18.15 (1:10.72-1:07.43).
6. Kathrin Hoelzl, Germany, 2:19.20 (1:11.24-1:07.96).
7. Julia Mancuso, United States, 2:19.22 (1:10.70-1:08.52).
8. Anna Ottosson, Sweden, 2:19.24 (1:09.99-1:09.25).
9. Denise Karbon, Italy, 2:19.32 (1:12.59-1:06.73).
10. Manuela Moelgg, Italy, 2:19.45 (1:10.31-1:09.14).
11. Ana Drev, Slovenia, 2:19.63 (1:11.09-1:08.54).
12. Ingrid Jacquemod, France, 2:19.74 (1:11.69-1:08.05).
13. Genevieve Simard, Canada, 2:19.91 (1:10.50-1:09.41).
14. Aurelie Santon, France, 2:20.04 (1:11.60-1:08.44).
15. Renate Goetschl, Austria, 2:20.57 (1:11.18-1:09.39).
16. Nicole Gius, Italy, 2:20.77 (1:11.84-1:08.93).
17. Maria Riesch, Germany, 2:20.89 (1:13.13-1:07.76).
18. Tina Maze, Slovenia, 2:20.97 (1:11.39-1:09.58).
19. Jessica Lindell-Vikarby, Sweden, 2:20.99 (1:11.67-1:09.32).
20. Resi Stiegler, United States, 2:21.04 (1:13.31-1:07.73).
21. Brigitte Acton, Canada, 2:21.09 (1:12.60-1:08.49).
22. Jessica Kelley, United States, 2:21.18 (1:11.64-1:09.54).
23. Sarka Zahrobska, Czech Republic 2:21.20 (1:12.28-1:08.92).
24. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 2:21.25 (1:11.93-1:09.32).
25. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, Switzerland, 2:21.30 (1:11.91-1:09.39).
26. Jessica Puenchera, Switzerland, 2:21.48 (1:13.17-1:08.31).
27. Marion Bertrand, France, 2:21.56 (1:12.83-1:08.73).
28. Ana Jelusic, Croatia, 2:21.75 (1:12.97-1:08.78).
29. Rabea Grand, Switzerland, 2:21.77 (1:13.09-1:08.68).

World Cup overall standings (after 2 of 35 races)

1. Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 160 points.
2. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 130.
3. Marlies Schild, Austria, 100.
4. Tanja Poutiainen, Finland, 98.
5. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 96.
6. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 74.
7. Ana Jelusic, Croatia, 53.
8. Kathrin Hoelzl, Germany, 46.
9. Anna Ottosson, Sweden, 45.
9. Susanne Riesch, Germany, 45.
11. Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer, Germany, 40.
12. Resi Stiegler, United States, 37.
13. Julia Mancuso, United States, 36.
14. Manuela Moelgg, Italy, 33.
15. Therese Borssen, Sweden, 32.

THE SCOOP

<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–>

<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–>By Hank McKee <!–[endif]–>

Women’s Giant Slalom, Aspen, Colo., Nov. 25, 2006
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Poutiainen, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
3 Kirchgasser, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
5 Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6 Hoelzl, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
7 Mancuso, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
8 Ottosson, Dynastar/Lange/Tyrolia
9 Karbon, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
10 Moelgg, Fischer/Lange/Fischer

Women’s Giant Slalom, Aspen, Colo., Nov. 25, 2006. … It is the second race of the women’s 37 event World Cup season, the second of eight scheduled Giant Slalom (GS) ‘s and the first held. … It is the 16^th<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–> World Cup GS at Aspen, the ninth for women.
            It is the first career win for 20 year old Kathrin Zettel, yet it is her third podium at Aspen having placed third in both the slalom and GS a season ago. … She owns nine World Cup podium results four in GS and five in slalom. … She takes the lead on the World Cup overall standings with 160pts., having been third in the opening slalom at Levi. … She is the first Austrian to ever win a GS at Aspen.
    It is the 19^th career Cup podium for 25 year old Tanja Poutiainen her eighth in GS. … It is her third consecutive GS podium having been third at the final two last season, at Hafjell-Kvitfjell March 5 and at Are March 18. … She is now fourth in the World Cup overall standings, the first non-Austrian in the rankings.
    It is the first career podium for 21 year old Michaela Kirchgasser. … It is her 14^th top 10 result and 32^nd scoring finish. … She placed ninth in her previous GS at Aspen last season and was 13^th in the slalom as well. … She is now fifth in the World Cup standings with 96pts.
    Julia Mancuso led the North Americans in seventh, matching her 17^th best World Cup result. … It is her seventh best in GS. … It is her best result at Aspen in five completed races. … 13^th matches Genevieve Simard’s 24^th best Cup result. … 15^th best in GS. … It is her best career GS result at Aspen though she did finish sixth in SG at the site a season ago. … 20th is the best career GS finish for Resi Stiegler with the bulk of her success coming in slalom. … It is the 16^th career scoring result (21^st) for Brigitte Acton. … She has never placed better than 18^th in any discipline save combined. … It is just the second career scoring result for Jessica Kelley (22^nd) and it represents a career best. … Her other was 27^th in GS in Region Arber, Austria Feb. 7, 2004.
    Some major contenders failed to finish the first run as Anja Paerson, Marlies Schild, Elisabeth Goergl, Nadia Styger and Lindsey Kildow all failed to negotiate the first course. … Nicole Hosp – fourth on the day – is second in the World Cup overall standings and Schild is third having won the opening slalom two weeks ago.