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Ivica Kostelic uses slalom skills to overcome downhill deficit

This really was a race of two halves and with some brilliant moments. Ivica Kostelic had written himself off after the downhill and really did not expect the win. With a gap of almost three seconds to Beat Feuz who lead after the downhill section, Kostelic was at a loss as to why he was so far behind. Where his downhill was slow, the Croatians Slalom was devastating and he used his skills to post a fast time that gave him the win ahead of Feuz and Bode Miller who came in third.

Wengen is a Classic in more ways the one: the views of the mountains that protect the course are some of the best on the World Cup tour. From his start of number 2, Bode Miller put in a solid run: Explosive at the start, Miller admitted after his run that had it not been a for a mistake at the Brueckli S, then he would have been closer to the downhill section winner, Beat Feuz. “Feuz was awesome today and if he skis like that tomorrow, he will be up there,” explained Miller after the race. Many were complimenting Feuz for the way that he skied various sections of the shortened Super Combined Downhill course yet the Swiss racer countered the compliments by saying that he will have another minute of racing in his legs at the same stage for the main Downhill race.

With a heap of downhillers taking the leading spots in the downhill section, Feuz was over three quarters of a second ahead of Miller who lead the rest. When it came to the slalom section of the race, Kostelic, the defending Overall, Slalom and Super Combined World Champion, was going in a good position: Kostelic was eighth off down a course that had had the sun on it for most of the day.

Kostelic put in a good run and admitted afterwards: “I had a good number and so just had to go for it, fortunately I just had one of my best runs ever. So I did what I could on that side,” explained Kostelic. Then it was just a case of wait. With each racer the lead extended yet no racer was able to keep their lead intact. With just Miller and Feuz in the start before the slower downhillers were let loose on the slalom, Kostelic could start thinking of what seemed an improbable podium.

Kostelic had given the rest of the field a lesson in how to ski the notorious Wall.

Miller made a few mistakes and was off balance as he set off and while the lead shrunk, even by the bottom of the notorious Wall, Miller had a little lead. Another mistake along the flats and Miller was hanging on for dear life. Second place was the result as he crossed the line. Feuz remained at the top and having only done six or seven days of slalom training this season, he was not expecting much. You would not have guessed he was no Slalom skier and all was looking good before he lost his confidence near the bottom and made a mistake in going on his inside ski. He did not crash but had lost time and felt that maybe this cost him the win!

So Kostelic takes the win in the first race in Wengen in 2012 yet all the talk after the race was on whether Feuz can win the downhill in the morning.

FIS Results