WC Rewind: And then there were 4 …

Ooh man, this is getting good.
    Pay close attention over the next two weeks. Julia Mancuso is standing down a full array of Austrian counterparts in a battle for supremacy. For Austria there is the headstrong veteran, the seasoned champion and the undeniable force to reckon with in an onslaught of eight races and the overall title of the Audi FIS World Cup alpine skiing at stake. Three against one in an endurance test encompassing four of the five alpine racing disciplines (oddly, there is no combined scheduled at Finals). Put black hats on the Austrians and call Hollywood. This is can’t miss.
    There have been exactly three U.S. skiers to win the overall title. Phil Mahre did it in 1981, ’82 and ’83. Bode Miller did it in 2005 — precipitating the celebration made a little too famous by 60 Minutes — and Tamara McKinney took the big crystal globe in 1983. This weekend, Mancuso fought her way back into the shootout for the globe. She collected 240 points in the three races at Tarvisio, Italy. But these are not lightweights in the black hats.
OOH MAN, THIS IS GETTING GOOD.
    Pay close attention over the next two weeks. Julia Mancuso is standing down a full array of Austrian counterparts in a battle for supremacy. For Austria there is the headstrong veteran, the seasoned champion and the undeniable force to reckon with in an onslaught of eight races and the overall title of the Audi FIS World Cup alpine skiing at stake. Three against one in an endurance test encompassing four of the five alpine racing disciplines (oddly, there is no combined scheduled at Finals). Put black hats on the Austrians and call Hollywood. This is can’t miss.
    There have been exactly three U.S. skiers to win the overall title. Phil Mahre did it in 1981, ’82 and ’83. Bode Miller did it in 2005 — precipitating the celebration made a little too famous by 60 Minutes — and Tamara McKinney took the big crystal globe in 1983. This weekend, Mancuso fought her way back into the shootout for the globe. She collected 240 points in the three races at Tarvisio, Italy. But these are not lightweights in the black hats.
    Renate Goetschl, at 31, is the wise old-timer. She has won eight World Cup discipline titles, including two already confirmed this season, and won the overall in 2000. She’s won plenty of championships and plenty of medals. And she’s a plenty big star back home. She also has already accomplished what she hoped to this season in winning the DH title.
     At Are in World Championships competition, Nicole Hosp (23) won the GS, earned bronze in DH and was fourth in SG. She is having a career year and sees the top prize within her reach.
    Marlies Schild (24) has been Superwoman in slalom this season, winning all of them save one when she purposely held back and lost concentration. That hasn’t happened since. She's also won the season title in combined.
    To illustrate the focus all four of these women have, look back no further than Tarvisio on March 2-3-4. Three races, nine possible podiums; these women accounted for eight of them. Like making the turn at Augusta on Sunday, par isn’t going to win.
    But it is the individual areas of expertise that has the experts all drool mouthed. Goetschl’s nickname is “Speed Queen.” She already has won the downhill and super G titles (taking a bit of drama from the Finals). She can ski GS pretty well, collecting four Cup podiums over the past seven years, but her slalom is all but non-existent. Right now, she and Mancuso are tied for first in the standings, 1,199 points from placings in 29 races. Hosp, perhaps the best-rounded of the Austrians who does best in GS and SG and has already won the combined title for the season, has 1,183 points on the season. Schild won the slalom title weeks ago because she has been unbeatable in the close gates. She has 1,170 points on the season and is probably the most dangerous to Mancuso’s chances.
    Goetschl claimed 180 points at Tarvisio, second in DH and third in SG. Hosp gained 194 winning the combined, second in SG and 17th in DH. Schild gained 118 at Tarvisio, but in events that are distant from her strength. A seventh in DH and 12th in SG could well spell the difference down the line as the schedule has one race in each discipline at Finals plus an additional slalom and GS at Zwiesel, races that are in her domain of strength.
    Mancuso, though, posted 240 points from Tarvisio with a podium in all three races. To carry the analogy too far, she had all guns blazing and fully loaded. But she hasn’t got the upper hand just yet. Of the trio of hired guns she faces, Hosp most closely matches Mancuso’s point profiles. On the World Cup start list, Hosp is ranked first in GS, third in SG, sixth in slalom. Mancuso is fourth in GS, fourth in SG and second in DH. Goetschl is first in DH and SG and non-existent in GS and slalom, and Schild is first in slalom, but has displayed a recent ability in all disciplines.
    The group is positioning around the corral now, preparing for another burst of activity at Zwiesel. Odds are good Schild will make a move at Zwiesel and it will be up to the others to keep pace. Tarvisio taught us they can all do that. Then they reload for the final battle at Lenzerheide, starting with DH and winding up March 18 with GS. It is entirely possible the last women standing will be head to head in that GS. The key will be making every shot count.