Swiss teenager Lara Gut rode the first start number to a numbingly large .63 of a second margin to collect her first World Cup win in a snowy super G on the St Moritz Corviglia course Saturday. The 17-year-old held off all challengers, as only 23-year-old teammate Fabienne Suter (2nd) and Italian Nadia Fanchini (3rd) could come within a second of her time.
Anja Pearson, winner of a super combined on the same trail Friday, posted fourth, 1.01 seconds back, with Nicole Hosp making up ground on the World Cup overall leaders in fifth, 1.05 back
Swiss teenager Lara Gut rode the first start number to a numbingly large .63 of a second margin to collect her first World Cup win in a snowy super G on the St Moritz Corviglia course Saturday. The 17-year-old held off all challengers, as only 23-year-old teammate Fabienne Suter (2nd) and Italian Nadia Fanchini (3rd) could come within a second of her time.
“After what happened last year, I could not hope for anything better than winning here,” Gut told Eurosport after the race. As a 16-year-old, Gut took bronze on the St. Moritz downhill course, her best result before this victory. “To win at home in front of my friends and my family is a carbon copy of what I had imagined in my dreams.”
Anja Pearson, winner of a super combined on the same trail Friday, posted fourth, 1.01 seconds back with Nicole Hosp making up ground on the World Cup overall leaders in fifth, 1.05 back.
It was a big day for the Swiss ladies, as two more of Gut’s teammates also made the top 10: Andrea Dettling in sixth (58.44) and Fraenzi Aufdenblaten seventh (58.45).
Canadian Britt Janyk led the North Americans in eighth, with Julia Mancuso 13th.
Defending overall champion Lindsey Vonn joined a did-not-finish list that included Maria Riesch of Germany and 16 others, most of who exited after a roll about 30 seconds into a shortened course.
“I felt like I was skiing pretty well,” said Vonn. “There was a big jump I guess a lot of people were having trouble with and I just launched off of it and couldn’t make the next gate. I’m just bummed out because I thought I had a good run going. I’m so confident in downhill and my training runs were okay. I just look forward to tomorrow.”
With snow falling and a track that was more like a sprint, there was not a lot of strategy to be employed.
U.S. women’s coach Jim Tracy said, “On a quick little sprint course like this, you had to execute your plan and charge the thing, it was the only way you were possibily going to get in. If you were conservative in any spot you were going to be behind.”
Taking advantage of a good start number, and earning her coach’s praise, was Mancuso. Barring a physical setback as she struggles with a bad hip and back, Tracy said he expects Mancuso to keep improving.
“My hope is by mid-January, Cortina time, a 13th won’t be that good a result for her.”
He also pointed out Keely Kelleher’s first scoring result in placing 27th.
“We’re super happy for her, scoring your first Cup points is always a big deal. That was awesome for her,” he said. “This whole month has been more of a mental test than anything. From what I understand, we’re still going to be tested by the weather tomorrow. We could get 20 centimeters of snow tonight.”
World Cup racing at St. Moritz wraps up Sunday with the downhill.
The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Women’s super G, St Moritz, Switzerland, Dec. 20, 2008
1 Gut, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Suter, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic
3 Fanchini, Dynastar/Lange/Look
4 Paerson, Head/Head/Head
5 Hosp, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
6 Dettling, Stoeckli/Lange/Tyrolia
7 Aufdenblatten, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
8 Janyk, Volkl/Lange/Marker
9 Goetschl, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange
Women’s super G, St Moritz, Switzerland, Dec. 20, 2008. … It is the tenth of 36 races on the women’s 2008-09 World Cup schedule. … the second of seven scheduled super G’s. … There is not another women’s SG on tap until Jan. 22 at Cortina. … It is the 31st Cup race hosted. … the eighth SG, all of them women’s races. … It is the second of three races at St Moritz, with a downhill left to contend on Sunday.
It is the first career World Cup win for Lara Gut. … She is 17 from Comano, Switzerland. … It is her second career podium, the other also coming at St Moritz as she was third in the Feb. 2, 2008 DH. … She has seven career Cup scoring results, six of them sixth place for better. … She has scored in four disciplines this season.
It is the fifth career World Cup podium for Fabienne Suter. … fourth in SG. … and third this season, two in SG and one in combined. … She won two SG’s last season, Feb. 10 at Sestriere and March 13 at Bormio.
It is the sixth career World Cup podium for Nadia Fanchini. … and her third of the season. … She won the Lake Louise SG Dec. 7 and was second in the Lake Louise DH Dec. 5.
It is the 22nd career World Cup top 10 for Britt Janyk. … Her eighth in SG. … It is her best result of the season eclipsing a 12th in SG at Lake Louise. … It is the 22nd time Julia Mancuso has been 13th or better in a World Cup SG. … It is her second best result of the season after a seventh scored in GS at Aspen Nov. 29. … It is the first career scoring result for Keely Kelleher in her 10th career Cup start. … Stacey Cook just missed points in 31st place.
Lindsey Vonn (DNF) maintains the lead of the overall standings 438-400 over Tanja Poutiainen (did not race). … Maria Riesch (DNF) is third at 378. …Nicole Hosp (5th in race) makes up ground and moves to fourth in the rankings at 368. … Suter moves into a tie with Nadia Fanchini for the super G lead with 160pts each. … Gut and Paerson rank third tied with 100pts each. … Janyk leads North Americans on the list in tenth with 54pts.
Women’s Super G, St Moritz, Switzerland, Dec. 20, 2008
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 1 | 516138 | GUT Lara | 1991 | SUI | 57.38 | 0.00 |
| 2 | 22 | 515766 | SUTER Fabienne | 1985 | SUI | 58.01 | 11.64 |
| 3 | 27 | 296729 | FANCHINI Nadia | 1986 | ITA | 58.25 | 16.07 |
| 4 | 16 | 505483 | PAERSON Anja | 1981 | SWE | 58.39 | 18.66 |
| 5 | 15 | 55690 | HOSP Nicole | 1983 | AUT | 58.43 | 19.40 |
| 6 | 25 | 515849 | DETTLING Andrea | 1987 | SUI | 58.44 | 19.58 |
| 7 | 6 | 515573 | AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi | 1981 | SUI | 58.45 | 19.77 |
| 8 | 9 | 106022 | JANYK Britt | 1980 | CAN | 58.47 | 20.14 |
| 9 | 10 | 55069 | GOETSCHL Renate | 1975 | AUT | 58.57 | 21.98 |
| 10 | 28 | 565243 | MAZE Tina | 1983 | SLO | 58.59 | 22.35 |
| 11 | 38 | 206175 | STECHERT Gina | 1987 | GER | 58.66 | 23.65 |
| 12 | 2 | 195671 | JACQUEMOD Ingrid | 1978 | FRA | 58.72 | 24.75 |
| 13 | 8 | 537545 | MANCUSO Julia | 1984 | USA | 58.73 | 24.94 |
| 14 | 48 | 195983 | ROLLAND Marion | 1982 | FRA | 58.79 | 26.05 |
| 15 | 5 | 515429 | DUMERMUTH Monika | 1977 | SUI | 58.81 | 26.42 |
| 16 | 26 | 196460 | MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie | 1985 | FRA | 58.83 | 26.79 |
| 17 | 37 | 515806 | KAMER Nadja | 1986 | SUI | 58.85 | 27.16 |
| 18 | 31 | 55947 | FENNINGER Anna | 1989 | AUT | 58.95 | 29.00 |
| 19 | 40 | 515747 | GISIN Dominique | 1985 | SUI | 58.99 | 29.74 |
| 20 | 12 | 505632 | LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica | 1984 | SWE | 59.02 | 30.30 |
| 20 | 4 | 55539 | BERGER Silvia | 1980 | AUT | 59.02 | 30.30 |
| 22 | 32 | 295533 | RECCHIA Lucia | 1980 | ITA | 59.05 | 30.85 |
| 22 | 17 | 55576 | GOERGL Elisabeth | 1981 | AUT | 59.05 | 30.85 |
| 24 | 56 | 196573 | REVILLET Aurelie | 1986 | FRA | 59.15 | 32.70 |
| 25 | 19 | 55750 | FISCHBACHER Andrea | 1985 | AUT | 59.19 | 33.44 |
| 26 | 13 | 515560 | SCHILD Martina | 1981 | SUI | 59.21 | 33.81 |
| 27 | 41 | 537565 | KELLEHER Keely | 1984 | USA | 59.22 | 33.99 |
| 28 | 57 | 565333 | BRODNIK Vanja | 1989 | SLO | 59.32 | 35.84 |
| 29 | 60 | 505886 | KLING Kajsa | 1988 | SWE | 59.33 | 36.02 |
| 30 | 45 | 465059 | MIKLOS Edith | 1988 | ROU | 59.36 | 36.58 |
| 31 | 23 | 537582 | COOK Stacey | 1984 | USA | 59.41 | 37.50 |
| 32 | 34 | 55766 | MADER Regina | 1985 | AUT | 59.42 | 37.69 |
| 33 | 62 | 565315 | ROBNIK Mateja | 1987 | SLO | 59.50 | 39.16 |
| 34 | 44 | 296473 | SIORPAES Wendy | 1985 | ITA | 59.57 | 40.46 |
| 35 | 55 | 296623 | MAZZOTTI Lucia | 1985 | ITA | 59.63 | 41.57 |
| 36 | 51 | 537626 | RICHARDSON Kaylin | 1984 | USA | 59.64 | 41.75 |
| 37 | 43 | 106410 | DESFORGES Emilie | 1983 | CAN | 59.68 | 42.49 |
| 38 | 42 | 55970 | SCHMIDHOFER Nicole | 1989 | AUT | 59.69 | 42.67 |
| 39 | 58 | 515587 | PUENCHERA Jessica | 1982 | SUI | 59.86 | 45.81 |
| 40 | 53 | 538038 | MARSHALL Chelsea | 1986 | USA | 59.87 | 46.00 |
| 41 | 29 | 155415 | ZAHROBSKA Sarka | 1985 | CZE | 59.97 | 47.85 |
| 42 | 49 | 296427 | SCHNARF Johanna | 1984 | ITA | 59.98 | 48.03 |
| 43 | 61 | 106465 | LAWRENCE Sherry | 1984 | CAN | 1:00.01 | 48.58 |
| 44 | 52 | 296379 | GIANESINI Giulia | 1984 | ITA | 1:00.04 | 49.14 |
| 45 | 66 | 185271 | LEINONEN Sanni | 1989 | FIN | 1:00.13 | 50.80 |
| 46 | 47 | 505449 | BENT Nike | 1981 | SWE | 1:00.25 | 53.02 |
| 47 | 54 | 155563 | KRIZOVA Klara | 1989 | CZE | 1:00.33 | 54.50 |
| 48 | 39 | 538305 | SMITH Leanne | 1987 | USA | 1:00.82 | 63.55 |
| 49 | 68 | 35079 | SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen | 1982 | ARG | 1:01.53 | 76.66 |
| 50 | 64 | 495615 | MORLANS Leyre | 1987 | SPA | 1:01.73 | 80.36 |
Did not finish 1st run: HANSDOTTER Frida (SWE), FUHRER Kathrin (SUI), COLETTI Alexandra (MON), YURKIW Larisa (CAN), SCHMID Nicola (GER), STUFFER Verena (ITA), MERIGHETTI Daniela (ITA), LALIVE Caroline (USA), REBENSBURG Viktoria (GER), HOLAUS Maria (AUT), CECCARELLI Daniela (ITA), VONN Lindsey (USA), RIESCH Maria (GER), BRYDON Emily (CAN), VANDERBEEK Kelly (CAN), STYGER Nadia (SUI), ZETTEL Kathrin (AUT), RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina (SPA)
About the Author: Pete Rugh
