San Sicario: Kildow conquers Olympic course

Lindsey Kildow won a World Cup super G Sunday on the course where she crashed out at last year's Olympics. The American led most of the way en route to winning the last race before the World Championships.
    ''This is the ultimate revenge," Kildow said. ''It's just bittersweet because I know I could have done it last year. But it just didn't really work out in my favor. But life happens and you've just got to roll with the punches.'' Click here to hear Kildow talk about her experience on the same course during last year's Olympics.

SAN SICARIO, Italy — Lindsey Kildow won a World Cup super G Sunday on the course where she crashed out at last year's Olympics.
    The American led most of the way en route to winning the last race before the World Championships.
    ''This is the ultimate revenge," Kildow said. ''It's just bittersweet because I know I could have done it last year. But it just didn't really work out in my favor. But life happens and you've just got to roll with the punches.''
    Renate Goetschl missed scoring the hat trick by a scant .17 of a second, having previously won another super G and downhill on the track in the two previous says. The placing still moved her over a significant benchmark, providing her 100th career World Cup podium. Her Austrian teammate Christine Sponring was third, 0.29 back.
    Kildow's teammate, Julia Mancuso finished eighth in perfect sunny conditions with temperatures at freezing level.
    It was the third victory this season for Kildow after also winning downhills in Lake Louise, Alberta, and Val d'Isere, France, in December. It was also the 11th win of the season for the U.S. team, a record through January.
    Kildow had a horrific crash in downhill training here during the Torino Games and was hospitalized. She came back and competed in all four events — downhill, combined, super G and slalom — but pain limited her performance and her best result was seventh in super G.
    ''The most I could do was try to ski fast this weekend," Kildow said. ''For me, it's finished in my mind. I knew I could do it, I've done it, and I'm over it.''
    Kildow who also finished second in another super G here Friday, is looking ahead to next weekend's worlds in Are, Sweden.
    ''Two podiums in one weekend gives me a lot of confidence,'' she said. ''World Championships look really bright for me — I'm really psyched.''
    While Kildow said she felt she and Goetschl had to be considered favorites for the World Championships speed races, Goetschl said, "I have been in the favorite role for 10 years and can deal with this well." She has six World Championships medals and a seventh from a team event.
    "I'm satisfied with second," she said. "280 points is good for one weekend. I can go home happy."
    U.S. coach Patrick Riml was pleased with his squad's work. "It was very impressive," he said. "Obviously what Lindsey did again was awesome. … She had a little mistake coming into the flat, but then she kept it clean. She was ahead at the top, but a little behind Goetschl at the second split — seven-hundredths back, but Lindsey took off on the bottom and Goetschl couldn't catch her. Lindsey had more speed."
    Julia did another great job, too," Riml said, "but this course isn't good for her — it's so flat — but she's skiing so well, like Lindsey."
    Riml called Kirsten Clark's effort "a small comeback," and was pleased the veteran attacked her way to 15th. He said Kaylin Richardson did well considering a minor back injury and added that Libby Ludlow and Stacey Cook skied well at the top of the course.
    "One on the top, two in the top 10, four in the top 20. … They all stuck with the plan and they know they're skiing well as we go to worlds."

On to Are
    Last year, Kildow shared her first career super G victory with double Olympic champion Michaela Dorfmeister and Switzerland’s Nadia Styger at Hafjell, near Lillehammer. “I knew that I can ski well in this specialty and I reached my potential today,” Kildow said.
    “I gain a lot of confidence from the last couple of day. I just forgot about the past weeks and I wanted to have fun today. My form improved so much since the last downhill, I’m so happy about that! I’m just really excited because this is exactly what I needed before the World Championships. I can’t wait to be in Are.
    “To be on the podium just before Are means a lot. I know that I’m skiing well and that I’m well-balanced, I’m back on track right on time. It was exactly the good timing for me. It’s the first time that I’m having such a good weekend before a big event. Last few years, I always start really good and then, I was going down.
    "The pressure is not that big, I already had a successful season. I know that going to the World Championships with such a positive energy is a bonus. I go there with two podiums in three days. I have such a good feeling and I’m not really nervous. I need to have fun and to stay relaxed. Victory will come by itself.” 
    Goetschl said, “I attacked as hard as in the previous days but I had a problem at the middle of the course when I straddled a gate with my left arm. It twisted me a little and I needed some time before finding back my rhythm. When you fight for hundredths of seconds, such a problem can decide winning or losing. I was surely aiming for another strong race today and this second place is fine for me because there are so many good skiers at the start that each podium is already a success. I know it's my 100th World Cup podium, which is of course very special for me.
     “This result is also important for my chances to clinch the super G World Cup trophy this year. There are still two races left so I have to be patient, but it looks very good.
    "It's the same about the overall — it's much too early to think about it now, let's wait for the races in March, but it's already exciting to be fighting again for the big cup seven years after my first win. I'm having such a great season!"

— Manuèle Lang, The Associated Press and USSA contributed to this report

THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Women's super G, San Sicario, Italy, Jan. 28, 2007
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Kildow, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
2 Goetschl, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Sponring, Head/Tecnica/Tyrolia
4 Janyk, Volkl/Lange/Marker
5 Maze, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6 Styger, Volkl/Lange/Marker
7 Recchia, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
8 Mancuso, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
9 Holaus, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
10 Stechert, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
10 VanderBeek, Volkl/Lange/Marker

W
omen's super G, San Sicario, Italy, Jan. 28, 2007. …  It is the 24th race of the women's 37-event World Cup schedule. … It is the fifth of seven scheduled super G's. … And the final of three at San Sicario.
    It is the seventh career win for Lindsey Kildow. … The second in SG, with the other five coming in downhill. … It is her third win of the season. … It is the 172nd World Cup win for the U.S. … Kildow moves to seventh on the all-time win list, breaking a tie with Cindy Nelson and Kristina Koznick. … It is the 11th U.S. win of the season. … It is her first win in Italy. … Kildow earns 230 points for the three-race weekend, having also been second (SG Jan. 26) and fourth (DH Jan. 27).
    It is the 100th career podium for Renate Goetschl. … Her 10th of the season in 14 races completed. … Goetschl places first, first and second for the weekend. … For 280 points.
    It is the third career podium for Christine Sponring and the second in three days, having also been third in the Jan. 26 SG. … Her previous podium is in slalom at Copper Nov. 11, 2001. … A torn left ACL sustained just prior to 2006 season caused her to miss last season. … She had surgery on the right ACL and MCL in 2004 season. … Britt Janyk matches her career-best fourth from the Jan. 26 super G. … These are easily her best results of the season with next-best finish an 11th in SG from Lake Louise. … Julia Mancuso also matches her result from the Jan. 26 race in eighth. … For January she has been eighth three times, fifth once, third once, second twice and first twice. … It is the ninth top-10 career World Cup result for Kelly VanderBeek. … The sixth this season. … Second in three days. … Kirsten Clark matches her second-best result of the season. … She was also 15th at Lake Louise (DH Dec. 1) and Cortina (SG Jan. 20) and was 13th at Val d'Isere (DH Dec. 20). … It is the 10th scoring result of Kaylin Richardson's career, seventh of the season and her third in SG, both career and season … It is the sixth score of the season for Libby Ludlow. … Second of the weekend. … It is the ninth score of the season for Genevieve Simard and her third 29th-place finish this season.
    Goetschl breaks the thousand-point barrier and leads the overall standings 1001-916 over Marlies Schild (31st in race). … Mancuso holds third at 903. … Nicole Hosp (24th in race) is fourth at 859, losing ground to Kildow in fifth at 808. … With two March super G's remaining on the schedule, Goetschl leads Kildow 440-310 with Hosp at 277 and Mancuso fourth at 177. … Kelly VanderBeek is fifth at 149. … Winning margin is .17. … Top seven are within a second. … Top 24 within two seconds.

San Sicario women's World Cup super G results

Did not start 1st run:
WILHELM Kathrin (AUT)

Did not finish 1st run:
WEYRICH Clothilde (FRA), ROBNIK Petra (SLO)