Kirsten Clark third in Lienz GS; Austria's Nicole Hosp gets second GS victory

Kirsten Clark third in Lienz GS; Austria’s Nicole Hosp gets second GS victoryNicole Hosp of Austria won the women’s World Cup giant slalom race Saturday at Lienz, Austria, with a time of 2:06.24 seconds. Teammate Renate Goetschl was second in 2:06.89 with American Kirsten Clark a stunning third in 2:07.17.

Sarah Schleper also made the top 10 for the U.S., finishing eighth on the strength of the fastest second run. The third American to qualify for the second run, Kristina Koznick, wound up in 18th.

The race was a breakthrough for speed specialist Clark, who landed on her first GS podium and easily bettered her previous best finish in giant slalom, a ninth at Copper Mountain, Colorado, in November 2001. She had just two other top-15’s in her 17 career finishes.

“In the first run, I was just relaxed. Fischer’s just come out with new GS skis and I definitely think a lot of it was that — they’re softer torsionally and that really helped in initiating the turns,” Clark said. “I liked how I felt on ’em. I only skied on ’em two days, and I figured I had nothing to lose.”

Clark’s won in downhill and been top-three in super G, so this podium gives her a huge confidence boost, she said. Now in her eighth season with the USST, she says she originally made the team as a GS skier and worked hard during the summer to reclaim some of those technical skills. “It shows me, for sure, I can be in there with the best of them in GS, too, and I think it shows the rest of the world I’m not only a downhiller,” she said. “I’m also a technical skier. That’s where I started.”

She was sick after the pre-Christmas downhill in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and spent several days in bed, trying to regain her health. Her husband, former U.S. Coach Andreas Rickenbach — they were married Sept. 6 in Maine — arrived a short time after the race and Clark said she planned to take a few days to relax before a super G Jan. 4 in Megeve, France.

“I wasn’t feeling good but I worked hard to get healthy and when I came out here, I was relaxed and just sort of went into the race,” she said. “Two years ago in Lienz [in another GS], I had a decent race — I was 17th, and I had splits of third and fourth, so I knew I could perform well here. That helped me stay calm, too.”

Hosp hung on for her second GS victory after favorite Anja Paerson of Sweden missed the final gate in her first run and was disqualified.

“It was very icy and difficult, and I didn’t put enough pressure on the skis,” Paerson said after being eliminated. “Now it’s full attack for tomorrow.” The women ski a slalom at Lienz on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Hosp, Austria’s leading light in a new generation of racers, is proving to be Paerson’s most fierce rival on the slopes. With reigning overall World Cup champion Janica Kostelic sidelined by health problems this season, Paerson has become the racer to beat in the technical disciplines, especially in her domain of slalom.

But Hosp won the first slalom of her career in Madonna di Campiglio last week, robbing Paerson of her third victory in a row, and with the Lienz GS win, Hosp has now narrowed Paerson’s gap in the overall standings to 90 points, and overtaken the Swede in the GS standings.

Another American athlete, Caroline Lalive, crashed in the first run and slammed into the B Nets, coming away with a bad cut inside her mouth, on the gums above her front teeth. She was taken to the hospital for stitches.

Alpine World Cup

Women’s Giant Slalom

Lienz, Austria

December 27, 2003

1. Nicole Hosp, AUT 2:06.24

2. Renate Goetschl, AUT 2:06.89

3. Kirsten Clark, USA 12:07.17

4. Martina Ertl, GER 2:07.46

5. Tanja Poutiainen, FIN 2:07.48

6. Maria Jose Rienda Contreras, SPA 2:07.61

7. Andrine Flemmen, NOR 2:07.69

8. Sarah Schleper, USA 2:07.72

9. Tina Maze, SLO 2:07.74

10. Alexandra Meissnitzer, AUT 2:07.76

11. Michaela Dorfmeister, AUT 2:07.84

12. Nicole Gius, ITA 2:08.03

13. Carole Montillet, FRA 2:08.16

14. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, SUI 2:08.43

15. Anna Ottosson, SWE 2:08.47

16. Lilian Kummer, SUI 2:08.68

17. Silvia Berger, AUT 2:08.72

18. Kristina Koznick, USA 2:08.83

19. Silke Bachmann, ITA 2:08.84

20. Sonja Nef, SUI 2:08.88

21. Nadia Styger, SUI 2:09.03

22. Manuela Moelgg, ITA 2:09.19

23. Genevieve Simard, CAN 2:09.44

24. Maddalena Planatscher, ITA 2:09.47

25. Allison Forsyth, CAN 2:09.62

26. Julie Duvillard, FRA 2:09.90

27. Marlies Oester, SUI 2:09.92

28. Marlies Schild, AUT 2:09.96

29. Sarka Zahrobska, CZE 2:10.66

DNF 2nd: Laurence Lazier (France)

Other North Americans:

DNF 1st: Caroline Lalive (U.S.)

DNQ 2nd: Britt Janyk, Gail Kelly, Emily Brydon (Canada); Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Kildow, Libby Ludlow (U.S.)

THE SCOOP

> by Hank McKee

Equipment, Women’s Giant Slalom

Lienz, Austria, December 27, 2003

Skier, skis/boots/bindings

1 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker

2 Goetschl, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

3 Clark, Fischer/Salomon/Marker

4 Ertl, Rossignol/Nordica/Rossignol

5 Poutiainen, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

6 Rienda Contreras, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

7 Flemmen, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

8 Schleper, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

9 Maze, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

10 Meissnitzer, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker

It’s the 11th race of the women’s 36-race schedule, and the fourth of eight GS’s.

The third win of Nicole Hosp’s career, and second of the season. … In five races this season she has not failed to make the podium, winning SL at Madonna 12/17 and today; second Park City and Alta Badia GS and third Madonna SL.

It’s the 70th career podium and fourth of the season for Renate Goetschl, who is eight years older than Hosp. … It’s her career best GS finish with previous best third coming at Sestriere 12/2000 and Maribor 1/01.

It’s the eighth career podium, second of the season and first-ever in GS for Kirsten Clark. … She had finished in the 20’s in each of the first three giant slaloms this season. … Her previous career best in GS was ninth at Copper Mountain 11/21/01.

The third top 10 in GS this season for Sarah Schleper. … It is the second GS result of the season for Koznick. … She was initially DQ’d then had the placing reinstated. … Allison Forsyth got her third scoring finish of the season for Canada, while Genevieve Simard collected her sixth scoring finish. … Americans Lindsey Kildow and Julia Mancuso, with identical first run times, missed qualifying for a second run (top 30) by 0.04 of a second.

Hosp makes up ground on Anja Paerson for the World Cup overall lead, but is still in second 510-420. … Hosp does take over the GS lead from Paerson 260-230. … Paerson was a first run DSQ at gate 39. … Clark is top U.S. racer overall in 10th with 217. … Schleper is top U.S. skier in GS standings in ninth at 110.

Austria solidifies the Nations Cup standings 5721-1755 over Italy and 1554 for Switzerland. … USA is fourth at 1522. … Austria lead’s women’s standings 2130-944 over Germany. … U.S. women sixth at 712.