International Roundup: Ghedina website, World Cup training, Reisch out, Torino 2006

International Roundup: Ghedina website, World Cup training, Reisch out, Torino 2006Kristian Ghedina, who recently affirmed that he will continue racing at least until the upcoming Olympics in his home country, is aiming for a top ten finish in Lake Louise. ‘I also want to be under the top ten in Beaver Creek, said the 35-year old. ‘And I aim to be back up with the leaders again by Gröden at the latest.’ The Fischer skier is launching a new website www.Ghedina.com, to coincide with the downhill opener in Lake Louise this weekend. His fans will be greeted online tomorrow with Ghedina’s now legendary spread-eagle jump on the Streif course in Kitzbühel.

Michael Walchhofer wins two training runs; women watching for snow

Michael Walchhofer of Austria, known for his gliding abilities, has won two training runs at Lake Louise, Alberta, where the men’s World Cup speed season kicks off this weekend. On Wednesday, Walchhofer beat Hermann Maier of Austria and Antoine Deneriaz of France. On Thursday, Walchhofer won again, but was less than a tenth of a second ahead of Hermann Maier and Bode Miller. Click here to see pdf forms of the training run results and analysis.

Meanwhile down in Aspen, the women are ready to race. Some teams and media groups were delayed in their arrival because of a landslide in nearby Glenwood Canyon, which has cut off the interstate between Denver and the western slope of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Traffic is being re-routed as far north as Craig, Colorado. On Thanksgiving Day, the day before the women’s giant slalom, the race participants were allowed to ski on the race arena, and reported that thin snow cover has accentuated the terrain at Aspen Mountain. At the team captains’ meeting the night before the race, FIS race director Kurt Hoch warned coaches that as much as six inches of snow were expected overnight.

German alpine star out with shoulder injury

Maria Riesch, Germany’s rising Alpine skiing star, will miss World Cup events in Lake Louise, Alberta, and the U.S. because of a shoulder injury, her team said Tuesday. Riesch fell hard in practice and suffered bone splinters. While doctors think she might have to stay away from the slopes for about six weeks, Riesch said she was hoping to come back in mid-December. The Associated Press

Torino executive staffing turmoil starting to settle

Salt Lake was marred by bribery scandals in the bidding phase, and Athens had trouble getting its venues built on time. Up to this point, most of the bad press for Torino 2006 has been about the status battles among the executives running the organizing committee. The battles over turf seem to be settling down now, according to a recent AP story.