Hoelzl takes win number two in Lienz, Vonn & Riesch crash out
This was a race that had so many sub plots leading into it and even more “will she won’t she” questions after it. The fact that the World Champion in Giant Slalom, Germany’s Kathrin Hoelzl, took her second World Cup win of the season and her career was almost lost on the event. Hoelzl put the work in on the first run to lead comfortably from Austria’s Michaela Kirchgasser and the rest of the chasing pack. Having won in Aspen in the second race of the season, Hoelzl has now put the hoodoo of being the World Champion without a World Cup win to rest. Yet again like in Aspen, she mastered the hard packed and icy snow better than the more acclaimed racers.
Many, including Lindsey Vonn, Maria Riesch and Julia Mancuso, struggled to keep a tight and clean line and the flat middle section accounted for Vonn in spectacular fashion. Vonn, struggling with her Giant Slalom form this season over compensated with her upper body and then flipped over and crashed hand first into a gate. At first she lay on the ground but managed to ski down to the finish with her hand bandaged and after completing her media work, was rushed to hospital in Spittal some 45 miles away. Such is Vonn’s standing in the world of skiing that her thoughts and comments on her crash were in high demand. As she stood talking to her husband Thomas Vonn after having spoken to the Austrian TV, the pain was etched on her face and she feared she had broken her arm. This would have been a disaster for the American with the Olympics some 50 days away. In the end all the crash resulted in damaged pride and bruising on her wrist. She is made of tough stuff this American lady!
While Hoelzl had bettered the time of all on the first run, the thought that the pride of Women’s Giant Slalom ski racing: Kathrin Zettel, Tanja Poutiainen, Denise Karbon et al were all lurking behind her and could pounce on the second run. Hoelzl is a strong yet diminutive racer and is made of sterner stuff that to fade away on the second run. While the course was hard and icy, it was a course that rewarded those that attacked and stayed clean. Yes it was icy but while the slope worked its way down the hill, apart from the last ten gates, it was a fairly gentle gradient.
Manuela Moelgg, sister of Manfred, has been searching for her maiden World Cup win and must have thought that her time was now. Her second run was almost the stuff of legends. Across the flat section in the middle of the course and then down through the steep section into the finish, Moelgg was in glorious form. Her disappointing first run was banished to the memory banks and she carved out a lead that left the rest chasing in her slipstream. Many of the favoured racers’ times held up at the first split but their leads had crumbled by the second split and Moelgg had extended this by the finish. Despite the will she wont she story of Kathrin Zettel’s start, the world cup leader in Giant Slalom coming into the race gave it her all and was cheered every inch of the way by the partisan Austrian crown. It was not to be and she fell into the also rans.
With Kirchgasser second last to go after her excellent first run, the expectation of an Austrian home win was high, according to many locals and pundits. Kirchgasser is already a world cup winner but the expectation of winning on home snow is great for the Austrian ladies. Despite being close in at the first split and a fraction behind at the second, Kirchgasser was not able to hang in there and faltered over the line. It was now either an Italian win (Moelgg) or Hoelzl would win for the Germans.
Hoelzl matched the Italians time all the way down yet by the time she crossed the line at the bottom it was a mere five hundredths that separated the two. “I am getting closer,” grinned the Italian in the post race press conference before adding “I will try everything to win soon!” For Hoelzl, she is “now full of self confidence” and this is through the whole German team.
Taina Barioz from France took third spot for her first world cup podium just ahead of World Junior Champion in the Combined, Federica Brignone from Italy. With Tina Maze down in eighth place, just a quarter of a second out, this was a harsh race for those that made a mistake. The win for Hoelzl also lifted her to the top of the Giant Slalom World Cup standings, Vonn despite not scoring holds on to the Overall lead.
For Chemmy Alcott it was a frustrating day as she crashed on the first run eventually limping over the line in 42nd.
- Kathrin Hoelzl (GER)
- Manuela Moelgg (ITA)
- Taina Barioz (FRA)
For full results click here
For Chemmy Alcott perspective click here