Worlds: Maria Riesch gets slalom gold

Val d’Isere, France – Maria Riesch finally got what she came here for. The World Cup slalom leader proved that no amount of physical or emotional obstacles would prevent her from leaving Val d’Isere without a World Championship gold medal.

Finishing sixth after the first run, the tall, focused German put down a second run that was far smoother, more controlled and yes, faster than anything that came before or after it.

Lindsey Vonn, who looked to make a heroic return to the championship podium with a torn tendon in her thumb after finishing a close second after the first run, slid out hard at the top of the course in the second run, her injured hand dragging in the snow.

Nonetheless, she was one of the first to hug and congratulate her good friend Riesch in the finish area. The Czech Republic’s Sarka Zahrobska, 2007 World slalom champion, took silver this time around and Tanja Poutiainen collected her second bronze medal of this championships.

Riesch has proved many times over to be a champion in terms of sportsmanship, talking up Vonn during the American’s two championships wins following her own hard crash in downhill training during the first week of competition.

Riesch was also the loudest cheerleader for her friend and teammate, Kathrin Hoelzl, who had the race of her life earlier this week to win gold in giant slalom.

Val d’Isere, France – Maria Riesch finally got what she came here for. The World Cup slalom leader proved that no physical or emotional obstacles would prevent her from leaving Val d’Isere without a World Championship gold medal.

Finishing sixth after the first run, the tall, focused German put down a second run that was far smoother, more controlled and yes, faster than anything that came before or after it.

“I never thought I would have a chance at the gold medal,” Riesch said. 

Lindsey Vonn, who looked to make a heroic return to the championship podium with a torn tendon in her thumb after finishing a close second after the first run, slid out hard at the top of the course in the second run, her injured hand dragging in the snow.

Nonetheless, she was one of the first to hug and congratulate her good friend Riesch in the finish area. The Czech Republic’s Sarka Zahrobska, 2007 World slalom champion, took silver this time around and Tanja Poutiainen collected her second bronze medal of this championships.

Sarka’s father, Petr, set the second course and said he set it to be difficult.”The course was really difficult for me and other people as well,” said the silver medalist. “It was not so nice.  I was not so happy with my second run in the finish and I did not believe I would get a medal.”

With both Vonn and first run leader Manuela Moelgg yet to ski her skepticism was well founded. Both, however, exited the course, Vonn high and Moelgg just before the final flush.

The gold medal was a “feel good” result for many as Riesch has proved many times over to be a champion in terms of sportsmanship, talking up Vonn during the American’s two championships wins following her own hard crash in downhill training during the first week of competition.

Riesch was also the loudest cheerleader for her friend and teammate, Kathrin Hoelzl, who had the race of her life earlier this week to win gold in giant slalom.

Riesch was disappointed in her eighth-place super G finish, not just disappointed with her 10th place in downhill but also shaken and bruised after her training crash. Then, nearly back to form in super-combined, she was lashed again by circumstances, barely missing the podium in fourth place. In giant slalom, she was strong after her first run but crashed and hiked a gate in the second, too thrilled for her teammate to be upset and already looking for her final chance at a medal in slalom, her best discipline this season.

“I was not racing so good this world championships,” the new champion said. “In super G I was eighth, and combined where the expectations were really high…I messed up the slalom. The downhill was also hard, then the tech events started and the first run was okay and then I crashed six gates before the finish. This was the deepest point of being here.”

Vonn was uninjured after her fall high on the course and spent time following the awards signing autographs. It was also the first race since Dec. 2007 crash for Resi Stiegler who said these were the longest runs she has taken since that injury. “My legs felt it, but I think a lot of girls legs felt it,” she said. 

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The SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
World Ski Championships
Women’s slalom, Val d’Isere, France, Feb. 14, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
2 Zahrobska, Head/Head/Tyrolia
3 Poutiainen, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
4 Karbon, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
5 Gius, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
6 Feierabend, Head/Head/Head
7 Jelusic, Atomic/Salomon/Atomic
8 Chmelar, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
9 Paerson, Head/Head/Head
10 Bonjour, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

Women’s slalom, 40th Alpine FIS World Ski Championships, Feb. 14, 2009, Val d’Isere, France. … It is the ninth of ten scheduled races at the World Championships and the final women’s race. … It is the 266th race in World Championship history. … And the 64th slalom dating back to 1931.

It is the first World Championship medal for Maria Riesch. … Her previous best had been a fourth in combined eight days ago. … It is the 28th World Championship in alpine ski racing for Germany. … And the second in 2009 after Kathrin Hoelzl’s GS win two days ago. … It is the first German slalom title since Frank Woerndl in 1987 Crans-Montana. … The first for a German woman since Christl Cranz in 1939 in Zakopane. … It is the fifth win of the season for Riesch. … All of them coming in slalom.

It is the third World Championship medal for Sarka Zahrobska all in slalom. … She won in 2007 at Are was second here and third at Santa Caterina in 2005. … She is the only Czech to have won a World Championship medal. … It is her third podium result of the season having won the slaloms at Aspen Nov. 30 and placing third at Zagreb Jan. 4. …

It is the fourth career World Championship medal for Tanja Poutiainen. … She won silver medals in slalom and GS at Santa Caterina in 2005 and two bronze medals at Val d’Isere in 2009. … She owns four of the five Finnish alpine championship medals ever. … Kalle Palander won the slalom at Vail in 1999. … She has not failed to finish a slalom since December of 2006. … She has been in the podium eight times this season, six in World Cup split evenly between GS and slalom. … She also owns a silver Olympic medal in GS from 2006.

It is a career best World Championship result for Anna Goodman. … And her best result of the season in world level competition. … She won the Nor-Am slalom title in 2008. … It is the first competition for Resi Stiegler since sustaining a severe knee injury, broken shin and broken arm in a World Cup crash at Lienz, Dec. 28, 2007. … Her best title event result is sixth in slalom at Santa Caterina in 2005. … It is the second best World Championship result for Brigitte Acton. … She was 12th in combined in 2005.

Medal Count:
SUI 2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze
AUT 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
USA 2 gold, 1 bronze
NOR 1 gold, 1 bronze
FRA 2 silver
ITA 1 silver, 1 bronze
CAN 1 gold
GER 2 gold
SLO 1 silver
CZE 1 silver
CRO 1 bronze
FIN 2 bronze

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Rank	Bib	FIS Code	Name	Year	Nation	Run 1	Run 2	Total Time	FIS Points
1	6	206001	RIESCH Maria	1984	GER	55.63	56.17	1:51.80	0.00
2	1	155415	ZAHROBSKA Sarka	1985	CZE	55.47	57.10	1:52.57	4.13
3	5	185140	POUTIAINEN Tanja	1980	FIN	55.91	56.98	1:52.89	5.85
4	17	295445	KARBON Denise	1980	ITA	55.95	56.95	1:52.90	5.90
5	12	295435	GIUS Nicole	1980	ITA	56.75	56.18	1:52.93	6.06
6	38	515997	FEIERABEND Denise	1989	SUI	56.46	57.03	1:53.49	9.07
7	11	385032	JELUSIC Ana	1986	CRO	56.04	57.63	1:53.67	10.04
8	22	206035	CHMELAR Fanny	1985	GER	56.62	57.14	1:53.76	10.52
9	4	505483	PAERSON Anja	1981	SWE	57.09	56.69	1:53.78	10.63
10	23	515733	BONJOUR Aline	1985	SUI	56.83	57.01	1:53.84	10.95
11	30	185271	LEINONEN Sanni	1989	FIN	55.78	58.26	1:54.04	12.02
12	24	106633	GOODMAN Anna	1986	CAN	55.86	58.41	1:54.27	13.26
13	35	196806	NOENS Nastasia	1988	FRA	57.06	57.23	1:54.29	13.36
14	28	515692	GRAND Rabea	1984	SUI	56.01	58.43	1:54.44	14.17
15	13	505679	HANSDOTTER Frida	1985	SWE	55.62	58.86	1:54.48	14.38
16	8	515619	GINI Sandra	1982	SUI	57.42	57.38	1:54.80	16.10
17	18	565320	FERK Marusa	1988	SLO	57.26	57.94	1:55.20	18.25
18	14	205993	HOELZL Kathrin	1984	GER	58.42	57.47	1:55.89	21.95
19	29	537772	STIEGLER Resi	1985	USA	58.21	58.13	1:56.34	24.36
20	25	355040	NIGG Marina	1984	LIE	57.56	58.90	1:56.46	25.01
21	51	65038	PERSYN Karen	1983	BEL	58.42	59.14	1:57.56	30.91
22	45	315149	LOLOVIC Jelena	1981	SRB	59.19	58.82	1:58.01	33.33
23	37	435142	KARASINSKA Katarzyna	1982	POL	59.05	58.98	1:58.03	33.43
24	49	435189	KLUS Aleksandra	1986	POL	59.15	1:00.52	1:59.67	42.24
25	36	106527	ACTON Brigitte	1985	CAN	56.99	1:10.25	2:07.24	82.86
26	10	195972	AUBERT Sandrine	1982	FRA	55.40	1:44.97	2:40.37	260.66
Did not qualify for 2nd run
27	41	306096	HOSHI Mizue	1985	JPN	59.31		59.31
28	33	536481	SCHLEPER Sarah	1979	USA	59.33		59.33
29	42	155194	KURFUERSTOVA Eva	1977	CZE	59.60		59.60
30	55	35089	SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena	1984	ARG	59.78		59.78
31	31	55576	GOERGL Elisabeth	1981	AUT	59.88		59.88
32	34	55947	FENNINGER Anna	1989	AUT	1:00.37		1:00.37
33	46	385041	NOVOSELIC Sofija	1990	CRO	1:00.62		1:00.62
34	48	435210	GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka	1987	POL	1:00.94		1:00.94
35	47	185229	ROMAR Tii-Maria	1986	FIN	1:01.32		1:01.32
36	63	35079	SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen	1982	ARG	1:02.61		1:02.61
37	69	465060	NAREA Sandra-Elena	1988	ROU	1:04.42		1:04.42
38	68	695073	SKRYABINA Anastasiya	1985	UKR	1:04.60		1:04.60
39	73	115115	BARAHONA Noelle	1990	CHI	1:04.90		1:04.90
40	77	235110	RALLI Sophia	1988	GRE	1:06.02		1:06.02
41	27	537792	DUKE Hailey	1985	USA	1:07.66		1:07.66
42	78	555016	FIMBAUERE Liene	1989	LAT	1:08.48		1:08.48
43	81	525033	DASDEMIR Tugba	1985	TUR	1:09.59		1:09.59
44	84	695044	MASHCHAKEVICH Oksana	1983	UKR	1:09.85		1:09.85
45	90	675019	FEDOTOVA Lyudmila	1986	KAZ	1:12.97		1:12.97
46	94	245048	HELLNER Szelina	1986	HUN	1:14.23		1:14.23
47	98	345061	CHAMOUN Jacky	1991	LIB	1:20.18		1:20.18
48	97	265004	KIADARBANDSARI Fatemeh	1982	IRA	1:21.91		1:21.91
49	93	265005	KALHOR Mitra	1985	IRA	1:22.12		1:22.12
50	101	175040	MOLLER JENSEN Katrine	1991	DAN	1:30.42		1:30.42
Disqualified 2nd run
	40	196179	BERTRAND Marion	1984	FRA
	26	296509	CURTONI Irene	1985	ITA
	9	296259	MOELGG Manuela	1983	ITA
Disqualified 1st run
	95	265006	KALHOR Marjan	1988	IRA
	74	145003	KRONE Kristina	1990	PUR
	66	65090	VAN BUYNDER Isabel	1991	BEL
Did not start 1st run
	58	345018	NJEIM Chirine	1984	LIB
	52	106825	PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier	1988	CAN
Did not finish 2nd run
	2	537544	VONN Lindsey	1984	USA
Did not finish 1st run
	100	345028	ARAMAN Andrea	1988	LIB
	99	85022	HARRISSON Maya	1992	BRA
	96	115152	JOFFROY Stephanie	1991	CHI
	92	695048	GISEM Tamara	1984	UKR
	91	125016	LIU Yu	1985	CHN
	89	125025	SUN Lingling	1989	CHN
	88	865000	BASSANI ANTIVARI Gaia	1978	AZE
	87	645000	DENZLER Cynthia	1983	COL
	86	555008	POSHKA Kristine	1984	LAT
	85	525051	ULUSOY Duygu	1987	TUR
	83	35112	QUIROGA Julietta	1988	ARG
	82	125021	XIA Lina	1987	CHN
	80	245051	BERECZ Anna	1988	HUN
	79	35131	GASTALDI Nicol	1990	ARG
	76	245059	DOEME Zsofia	1992	HUN
	75	715132	KLEPIC Maja	1988	BIH
	72	665009	SCHKANOVA Marija	1989	BLR
	71	665008	KUZMENKA Lizaveta	1987	BLR
	70	465055	NAREA Bianca-Andreea	1986	ROU
	67	715123	NOVAKOVIC Zana	1985	BIH
	65	495605	CLEMENTE Mireia	1987	SPA
	64	315174	TRMCIC Marija	1986	SRB
	62	695063	MATSOTSKA Bogdana	1989	UKR
	61	155560	KUCEROVA Nikol	1989	CZE
	60	415128	JARVIS Sarah	1986	NZE
	59	705378	SKVARKOVA Jana	1991	SVK
	57	95050	KIRKOVA Maria	1986	BUL
	56	385034	FERK Matea	1987	CRO
	54	25096	GUTIERREZ Mireia	1988	AND
	53	705363	LUKACOVA Barbora	1990	SVK
	50	565333	BRODNIK Vanja	1989	SLO
	44	705349	GANTNEROVA Jana	1989	SVK
	43	425887	LOESETH Mona	1991	NOR
	39	425629	LOESETH Lene	1986	NOR
	32	105269	GAGNON Marie-Michele	1989	CAN
	21	425771	LOESETH Nina	1989	NOR
	20	206160	RIESCH Susanne	1987	GER
	19	385027	FLEISS Nika	1984	CRO
	16	55759	KIRCHGASSER Michaela	1985	AUT
	15	505610	BORSSEN Therese	1984	SWE
	7	55838	ZETTEL Kathrin	1986	AUT
	3	505760	PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria	1986	SWE