Sweden’s Sara Hector notched her second career World Junior Championship medal Tuesday (Feb. 2), this time capturing the women’s giant slalom gold. A fabulous first run put Hector – a bronze medalist in slalom last year – in control and she was able to hold off a solid second run from Italian Lisa Magdalena Agerer for the gold. Picking up bronze, to go along with yesterday’s downhill silver was Swiss Wendy Holdner, a second off second place.

The U.S. got spanked with two failing to finish, one disqualifying, one failing to start and a 29th recorded by Abby Ghent.

“We’ve had better days that’s for danged sure,” said team leader Walt Evans from the hill. Mikaela Shiffrin, the current Nor-Am leader was unable to compete after being sick all night and left in bed in hopes she might recover enough to take to the slalom course tomorrow.

“It’s a 24 hour flu, I think,” said Evans. “We’ve had it going around the camp, not from the athletes but with some of the parents. I think she’ll be alright. We’re crossing our fingers.”

Rose Caston was a DQ and Abigail Fucigna and Anna Marno joined a lengthy list of first run DNF’s.

Canada had a better day with Madison Irwin securing a top placing, Madison McLeisch in 15th and Julia Roth 17th. Brittany Phelan was a second run DNF.

“I was looking forward to this race,” said Erwin. “The first run was a struggle and going through those couple of gates right before the pitch wasn’t easy, but I was expecting it to be harder so it all turned out well.”

She said the second run was much better. “I definitely cleaned it up compared to this morning. I’m really happy.”

Roth had not be looking forward to the GS with any anticipation. “I trained giant slalom four times this year so for me to finish with a good result like this is pretty awesome.”

Top results were well spread about the nations with only the homestand Swiss, Germany and France managing two skiers in the top 10. The Swiss had Holdner and Andrea Thuerler in seventh, Germany with Veronique Hronek in fourth and Lena Duerr sixth. France had Adeline Baud fifth and Coralie Frasse-Sombet eighth.

A tough first run accounted for more half the field making the DNF list.

“In all of my coaching career,” said Canadian head women’s coach Jean-Sebastian Labrie, “I have never asked an athlete to slow down in a course before a gate, and I had to tell our girls to do that today, That was a crazy course.”

Hector photo from January Europa Cup action by Gepa.