Svindal makes it 100 for Norway with victory in Val Gardena
A designer would be hard-pressed to create a better super G skier than Aksel Lund Svindal. The iconic Norwegian became the first of the season to win two super Gs as he claimed Val Gardena’s opening race Friday. It was his 24th career World Cup win and the 100th for Norwegian men. It was his third win of the season and the second in super G as he ardently defends the title from last year. It was also his third SG win at Val Gardena, a site record.
The numbers will say it really wasn’t a contest. Canadian Jan Hudec, with a picture perfect run, was 0.58 seconds back in second place. Third went to Frenchman Adrien Theaux, 0.91 out. Kjetil Jansrud, in fourth, was more than a second off the winning pace. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. This was a competitive race throughout the day, with the difficulty of the Saslong — lacking in snow to accentuate the abundance of terrain, bumps and ruggedness of the historic track — causing all kinds of problems for the best ski racers in the world.
“It’s confirmation that I’ve been doing the right things and just going with it and being patient. I knew my time in the sport wasn’t up and I wouldn’t have carried on skiing if I didn’t believe I could do this,” said Hudec. “I feel pretty blessed that I got to be the first guy on the podium this year but it’s just a matter of time before Erik and Manny (Osborne-Paradis) are there, too. We have a great history here and there’s no reason we can’t do something special in the downhill tomorrow.”
Bode Miller, the second starter on the day as fog socked in the top reaches (eight to 10 gates) of the track, pinched off some turns and took the early lead. Romed Baumann pushed him back first before Hudec and Theaux. He finished in eighth to lead the U.S. group. Ted Ligety never got untracked, exiting the course while still in the fog. Travis Ganong, starting 41, was the second finishing American in 16th place, easily his personal best in the discipline.
The runner-up placing for Hudec was also a personal best, matching his best finish in super G from Crans Montana, Switzerland, in 2012. Hudec held the lead for most of his run, hammering some smooth, compact turns and never appearing any less than in complete control. But right at the bottom of the course, a direction change and compression made making the final gate a challenge Hudec just pulled off.
“I’m stoked I was able to ski the way I wanted to ski,” said Hudec. “I finally have no pain and that gives me great confidence to push hard and ski to my full potential.”
And, he said, “I avoided mistakes.”
Miller said he had been lucky enough to get away with the same thing that caused some others to ski off course: “Everyone is just pushing too hard. You’re seeing guys going too straight and blowing out of the course because they’re looking for speed where there isn’t any. That was a bit of what I did. I just got away with it.”
“It was a challenge in the sense that it was actually a really easy set,” said Men’s Head Coach Sasha Rearick, “so in order to do well you had to go as hard as possible, and because you were going as hard as possible and there were a lot of blind rolls creating a high potential for DNFs.”
With Bode running two on that course, and because you have to go as hard as possible and they only had four forerunners, we had to adjust course report as bib one was going down. And of course for the very last little bit Bode was in the gate so we couldn’t give him that last part. But Bode is building. He’s skiing well. I was really stoked to see him skiing those conditions with bad visibility and at the same time put it down the hill with confidence.
“Travis did a good job with the start number he had today,” Rearick said. “He went from having not scored any World Cup points in super G last season to coming down with a 16th place with good skiing from top to bottom.”
Peter Fill had worked his way into the lead, carving his way out of trouble several times before he, too, got caught by the final gate. Unlike Hudec, Fill crashed through the gate for a disqualification. More importantly, he sprawled to the ground in the finish area and clutched at his back, an indicator he may have sustained some injury.
The Saslong claimed other big names as well. Matteo Marsaglia, Klaus Kroell, Ted Ligety, Patrick Kueng, Hannes Reichelt, and Manuel Osborne-Paradis, were among potential winners who either failed to finish or were disqualified. None appeared to sustain serious injury.
“Unbeatable is not the way I see me,” said Svindal. “I want to be in the World Cup through to the end. The races then are much more exciting. I have to be strong, but you also must be clever, make a good plan and have the courage to implement this plan.”
Andrew Weibrecht skied to 21st, and Erik Fisher got 28th. Erik Guay was sixth, and Swede Hans Olsson, returning from injury, moved from bib 55 into 15th.
The Scoop
By Hank McKee
Men’s World Cup super G, Val Gardena/Groeden, Italy, Dec. 20,2013
Equipment
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
2 Hudec, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
3 Theaux, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
5 Baumann, Blizzard/Tecnica/Marker
6 Guay, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Streitberger, Head/Head/Head
9 Innerhofer, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Puchner, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
Men’s World Cup super G, Val Gardena/Groeden, Italy, Dec. 20,2013.
It is the tenth of 34 races on the men’ 2013-14 World Cup schedule. … The third of six scheduled super G’s. … It is the 74th World Cup event held at least in part at Val Gardena, the 12th super G. … Defending SG champion Aksel Lund Svindal is the only man to have won two super G’s at the site, (Dec. 2009 and Dec. 2012.) Organizers report it is the 46th Saslong Classic.
It is the 24th career World Cup win for Aksel Lund Svindal. … His 12th in super G (second all time among men behind Hermann Maier’s 24). … It is his third win of the season and second in super G. He is the first man to win three Val Gardena super G’s. No one else has won two.
It is the fifth career World Cup podium placing for Jan Hudec, second in super G. … The result matches his career best in SG first scored at Crans Montana, Switzerland Feb. 24, 2012. … His previous best at Val Gardena had been ninth in SG Dec. 14, 2007.
It is the tenth career World Cup podium result for Adrien Theaux. … His fifth in SG. … His previous best at Val Gardena had been fifth in SG, Dec. 14, 2012.
It is the fourth-best SG result at Val Gardena for Erik Guay. … It is the 11th time Bode Miller has claimed a top-10 finish in a race at Val Gardena. … It is the sixth best World Cup result for Travis Ganong and his best in super G, topping a 20th from Lake Louise Nov. 28, 2010. … It is the fourth best of six scoring results at Val Gardena for Andrew Weibrecht. … If is the fifth scoring result at Val Gardena for Erik Fisher.
Aksel Lund Svindal bumps his lead in the World Cup overall standings to 460-335 over Marcel Hirscher (did not race). … Ted Ligety (DNF in race) is third overall with 269pts. … Hudec is top Canadian overall.
Svindal regains the lead of the super G standings 236-145 over Patrick Kueng (DNF in race). … Hudec is third with 126pts. … Bode Miller leads the U.S. in 14th with 58pts.
Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup 1698-1069 over France. … Italy is third with 1023pts. … The U.S. is sixth with 604pts and Canada seventh with 397pts.
Results
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:35.82 | 0.00 |
2 | 12 | 102271 | HUDEC Jan | 1981 | CAN | 1:36.40 | 6.36 |
3 | 14 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 1:36.73 | 9.97 |
4 | 15 | 421483 | JANSRUD Kjetil | 1985 | NOR | 1:36.84 | 11.18 |
5 | 5 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 1:37.08 | 13.81 |
6 | 25 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 1:37.19 | 15.01 |
7 | 21 | 50858 | STREITBERGER Georg | 1981 | AUT | 1:37.34 | 16.66 |
8 | 2 | 532431 | MILLER Bode | 1977 | USA | 1:37.37 | 16.98 |
9 | 13 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 1:37.38 | 17.09 |
10 | 11 | 51327 | PUCHNER Joachim | 1987 | AUT | 1:37.41 | 17.42 |
11 | 16 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 1:37.45 | 17.86 |
12 | 24 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 1:37.60 | 19.51 |
13 | 9 | 511383 | FEUZ Beat | 1987 | SUI | 1:37.64 | 19.94 |
14 | 7 | 53817 | FRANZ Max | 1989 | AUT | 1:37.72 | 20.82 |
15 | 55 | 501076 | OLSSON Hans | 1984 | SWE | 1:37.85 | 22.24 |
16 | 41 | 530874 | GANONG Travis | 1988 | USA | 1:38.07 | 24.66 |
16 | 1 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | 1:38.07 | 24.66 |
18 | 4 | 380260 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 1:38.10 | 24.98 |
19 | 31 | 422139 | KILDE Aleksander Aamodt | 1992 | NOR | 1:38.19 | 25.97 |
20 | 3 | 192504 | MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas | 1984 | FRA | 1:38.26 | 26.74 |
21 | 23 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | 1:38.33 | 27.50 |
22 | 26 | 191740 | CLAREY Johan | 1981 | FRA | 1:38.35 | 27.72 |
23 | 39 | 511352 | VILETTA Sandro | 1986 | SUI | 1:38.37 | 27.94 |
24 | 37 | 293141 | VARETTONI Silvano | 1984 | ITA | 1:38.39 | 28.16 |
25 | 49 | 561067 | PERKO Rok | 1985 | SLO | 1:38.69 | 31.45 |
26 | 51 | 194542 | GIRAUD MOINE Valentin | 1992 | FRA | 1:38.79 | 32.55 |
27 | 46 | 51332 | SCHEIBER Florian | 1987 | AUT | 1:38.83 | 32.98 |
28 | 58 | 534939 | FISHER Erik | 1985 | USA | 1:38.91 | 33.86 |
28 | 43 | 53980 | KRIECHMAYR Vincent | 1991 | AUT | 1:38.91 | 33.86 |
30 | 60 | 510890 | ZURBRIGGEN Silvan | 1981 | SUI | 1:38.93 | 34.08 |
30 | 59 | 201811 | STECHERT Tobias | 1985 | GER | 1:38.93 | 34.08 |
32 | 35 | 202059 | FERSTL Josef | 1988 | GER | 1:39.00 | 34.85 |
33 | 45 | 103512 | FRISCH Jeffrey | 1984 | CAN | 1:39.04 | 35.28 |
34 | 42 | 194190 | ROGER Brice | 1990 | FRA | 1:39.12 | 36.16 |
35 | 54 | 102961 | DIXON Robbie | 1985 | CAN | 1:39.33 | 38.46 |
36 | 40 | 191964 | POISSON David | 1982 | FRA | 1:39.41 | 39.34 |
37 | 48 | 380292 | ZRNCIC-DIM Natko | 1986 | CRO | 1:39.46 | 39.89 |
38 | 30 | 294277 | KLOTZ Siegmar | 1987 | ITA | 1:39.48 | 40.11 |
39 | 52 | 191591 | BERTRAND Yannick | 1980 | FRA | 1:39.49 | 40.22 |
39 | 27 | 191746 | DE TESSIERES Gauthier | 1981 | FRA | 1:39.49 | 40.22 |
41 | 61 | 533866 | NYMAN Steven | 1982 | USA | 1:39.61 | 41.53 |
42 | 38 | 202196 | BRANDNER Klaus | 1990 | GER | 1:39.68 | 42.30 |
43 | 47 | 103271 | THOMSEN Benjamin | 1987 | CAN | 1:39.69 | 42.41 |
43 | 36 | 934518 | DANIELS Nick | 1991 | USA | 1:39.69 | 42.41 |
45 | 56 | 103385 | PRIDY Conrad | 1988 | CAN | 1:39.81 | 43.72 |
46 | 44 | 990081 | CASSE Mattia | 1990 | ITA | 1:39.93 | 45.04 |
47 | 32 | 103612 | PRIDY Morgan | 1990 | CAN | 1:40.04 | 46.24 |
48 | 53 | 501439 | HEDIN Douglas | 1990 | SWE | 1:40.13 | 47.23 |
49 | 63 | 510997 | BERTHOD Marc | 1983 | SUI | 1:40.73 | 53.80 |
50 | 33 | 934643 | GOLDBERG Jared | 1991 | USA | 1:40.76 | 54.13 |
51 | 62 | 561217 | KOSI Klemen | 1991 | SLO | 1:40.90 | 55.67 |
52 | 68 | 170131 | FAARUP Christoffer | 1992 | DAN | 1:41.05 | 57.31 |
53 | 50 | 560447 | SPORN Andrej | 1981 | SLO | 1:41.14 | 58.30 |
54 | 67 | 20267 | ESTEVE Kevin | 1989 | AND | 1:41.44 | 61.58 |
55 | 65 | 6290062 | BARUFFALDI Stefano | 1992 | ITA | 1:42.09 | 68.71 |
56 | 70 | 660021 | DANILOCHKIN Yuri | 1991 | BLR | 1:42.52 | 73.42 |
57 | 71 | 430472 | KLUSAK Michal | 1990 | POL | 1:45.92 | 110.68 |
Disqualified 1st run | |||||||
20 | 50742 | REICHELT Hannes | 1980 | AUT | |||
8 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | |||
Did not finish 1st run | |||||||
69 | 670058 | KOSHKIN Dmitriy | 1986 | KAZ | |||
66 | 400237 | MEINERS Maarten | 1992 | NED | |||
64 | 491129 | TERRA Ferran | 1987 | SPA | |||
57 | 192932 | FAYED Guillermo | 1985 | FRA | |||
34 | 481705 | GLEBOV Alexander | 1983 | RUS | |||
29 | 50753 | KROELL Klaus | 1980 | AUT | |||
28 | 102899 | OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel | 1984 | CAN | |||
22 | 53902 | MAYER Matthias | 1990 | AUT | |||
18 | 534562 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | |||
17 | 293550 | MARSAGLIA Matteo | 1985 | ITA | |||
10 | 511139 | KUENG Patrick | 1984 | SUI | |||
6 | 54005 | STRIEDINGER Otmar | 1991 | AUT |