L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Heel wins Super G in Val Gardena with Defago and Jaerbyn on the podium ... Paerson wins Super combined from Hosp and Suter ... Walchhofer retains King of the Hill in Downhill, Miller 2 and Osborne Paradis 3 ... Gut wins Super G in St Moritz from Suter and Fanchini

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

"She is just too fast for the rest of us," declared Janica Kostelic after taking her best ever World Cup downhill result in finishing second to the Queen of Cortina, Renate Goetschl.  The Austrian was just too strong for the rest of the field as she won for the 8th time in Cortina.  "It is like she decides when she wants to win and that is it," the Croatian declared!  The podium for Kostelic took her above Finland's Tanja Poutiainen in the race for the overall World Cup.  The Finn, sitting out these races as she prepares for the World Championships, dropped to third behind Goetschl who has now scored a maximum 300 points this week and moved up to second in the standings.

Third place in the race went to American Lindsey Kildow.  Kildow, who had no expectations at the beginning of the season, has now set her stall out with the aim to win in Bormio in February as well as looking for the Crystal globe for the Downhill speciality.  With Goetschl also going for the globe, this is turning into a fascinating battle.

Chemmy Alcott failed to recapture the form from last year that saw her power into 9th place as the injury that she has been fighting all season finally took its toll and Alcott will race no more until the championships.  Struggling with bunions on her feet, Alcott was informed half an hour before her run that she was to go to Hospital straight after the race for an x-ray.  Whilst the x-ray showed that there was no further infection to the bone, precaution has been taken and Alcott will not race again before the World Championships.  "The bunion will dictate when she races again," explained Geri Greber, her coach after the trip to the hospital.

Despite the pain and psychological damage of being told so near her run, did not stop her giving it her best shot.  Alcott was not on form and a few technical mistakes meant that her skis did not carve as well as she would have liked.

While the injury list mounts up, the form of Renate Goetschl and Janica Kostelic will start to worry the rest of the field.  Goetschl will go for an unprecedented four wins in five days on Sunday.