Bormio: Spectacular slalom effort brings Vonn title

BORMIO, Italy — Without any help from anybody, Lindsey Vonn won the first American women's World Cup overall title since 1983. And she did it in a slalom.
    Vonn needed to finish 15th or better or have German buddy Maria Riesch not win the final slalom of the season. She got both with the fastest second run for an 11th place finish while Riesch, striving for the win, skied out.
    It was a spectacular showing from the speed race ace as Vonn got her best slalom result since March 2006 and put an end to a battle that has raged for more than a month.
    Austria's Marlies Schild claimed the win with an equally impressive first run and a gutsy, pressure-packed second to claim her second straight slalom title.
    Vonn joins U.S. legend Tamara McKinney as the only American woman to have won ski racing's most difficult challenge, the World Cup overall title.
    "It was an amazing day today," Vonn said. "I was pretty bummed out with my first run. The snow was pretty bad for the late numbers and I knew I had a good opportunity to charge on the second run. I just gave it everything I had. I made some mistakes but I kept charging. And now I've made some points in slalom and won the overall. I could not be happier."

BORMIO, Italy — Without any help from anybody, Lindsey Vonn won the first American women's World Cup overall title since 1983. And she did it in a slalom.
    Vonn needed to finish 15th or better or have German buddy Maria Riesch not win the final slalom of the season. She got both with the fastest second run for an 11th place finish while Riesch, striving for the win, skied out.
    It was a spectacular showing from the speed race ace as Vonn got her best slalom result since March 2006 and put an end to a battle that has raged for more than a month.
    Austria's Marlies Schild claimed the win with an equally impressive first run and a gutsy, pressure choked second to claim her second straight slalom title.
    Vonn joins U.S. legend Tamara McKinney as the only American woman to have won ski racing's most difficult challenge, the World Cup overall title.
    "It was an amazing day today," Vonn said. "I was pretty bummed out with my first run. The snow was pretty bad for the late numbers and I knew I had a good opportunity to charge on the second run. I just gave it everything I had. I made some mistakes but I kept charging. And now I made some points in slalom and won the overall. I could not be happier."
    Vonn was relieved to have the battle over. Although she had a commanding lead for the trophy, she wanted the pressure off and went after the slalom placing with gusto.
    "Slalom, it's not so easy to do, you know. First you have to finish. I finally had a good slalom run. I got in there and made up some time."
    That she did. Mired in 26th after the first heat, and needing a top 15 finish to ice the overall crown, she skied what is likely her best slalom run ever. The chances of Reisch winning both this slalom and tomorrow's GS were small, but Vonn decided to take matters into her own hands and charged hard, moving up to 11th.
    "Maria even said she wasn't going to win both events, but it's never over until it's over," Vonn said, "I'm happy I have it done, and now tomorrow I can try and have a good GS run."
    The race by Schild was no less amazing. She won the opening run, putting pressure on teammate Nicole Hosp, the only woman who could take her slalom crown away. Then she kept the hammer down with a solid second run for the win. Slovak Veronika Zuzulova was second and Czech Sarka Zahrobska was third ahead of Hosp in fourth.
    Vonn said she had learned a great deal over the course of the long World Cup season. "Going into the season never would I have thought I would win an overall title. It's mind boggling to me. I can't even believe it. I've worked really, really hard my whole life to get to this point, and it's every thing I dreamed it would be."
    She said she learned this season to keep an open mind and listen. "Someone always has a good idea," she said, "and you have to listen to everyone and try to make the smartest plan and ski smart. This year I've really learned how to ski smart, and I think that's been the difference."

The SCOOP

By Hank McKee

Equipment
Women's Slalom, Bormio, Italy, March 14, 2008
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Schild, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Zuzulova, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
3 Zahrobska, Head/Head/Tyrolia
4 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
5 Costazza, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6 Borssen, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Bergmann, Head/Nordica/Tyrolia
8 Poutiainen, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
9 Pietilae-Holmner , Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Kirchgasser, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
 <!–[endif]–>
Women's slalom, Bormio, Italy, March 14, 2008<!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–><!–[if !supportEmptyParas]–>. … It is the 34th race of the Women's 2008 World Cup schedule with one race remaining. … The original schedule of 38 was cut by three cancellations. … It is the ninth and final slalom of the season of ten originally scheduled. … It is the first women's slalom since Feb. 15 at Zagreb.
    It is the 20th career World Cup win for Marlies Schild, and her 18th in slalom. … It is her fifth win of the season, all in slalom. … It is her second consecutive World Cup slalom title
    It is the eighth career World Cup podium for Veronika Zuzulova and the third time she has placed second in a slalom since Jan. 6. … She finishes the season third in the slalom standings. … She has yet to claim a victory.
    It is the fifth career World Cup podium for Sarka Zahrobska, all in slalom. … It is her second podium of the season, the previous coming at Panorama Nov. 25.
    Lindsey Vonn matched her sixth best career World Cup slalom result. … It is her best slalom finish of the season of five scores. … Of her five best career slalom results, three have come in March including fourth and sixth places at Levi at the end of the 2006 season, her best slalom finishes. … Vonn wins the overall title with the result.
    Winning margin is .07. … Top six skiers are within the same second. … Top nine within two seconds. … Lindsey Vonn leads the World Cup overall standings 1367-1159 over Nicole Hosp (4th in race) and cannot be overtaken in the one remaining race. She wins the 2008 Overall World Cup title, her first. … Maria Riesch (2nd run DNF) is third at 1146. … Marlies Schild is fourth at 1080. … Schild wins the slalom title 640-515 over Hosp. … Veronika Zuzulova finishes third in the stands with 501pts. … Resi Stiegler, lost for the season to injury Jan. 28, leads all North Americans in the slalom standings in 18th place with 111pts.

Official timekeeper

Did not start 1st run : BRYDON Emily (CAN)
Did not finish 2nd run : SCHILD Bernadette (AUT), MANCUSO Julia (USA), GINI Sandra (SUI), ZETTEL Kathrin (AUT), RIESCH Maria (GER), PAERSON Anja (SWE)