Tina Maze ended her long wait for a win this season with victory in the second of two downhills in Cortina. Since changing the structure ... of her coaching staff and bring in Mauro Pini, Maze has felt more at home and the results have flowed as well. Marianne Kaufmann-Abderhalden took her third podium of the season with second place and Tina Weirather edged out Maria Hoefl-Riesch for third.
Maze explained the coaching results after the race:Â “Mauro brought peace in the team, it just became easier with him,” she explained at the press conference. “We knew he was a great coach with a lot of experience. With him in the team I just have to focus on my skiing and not on other matters. He understood the situation and all the emotions going through my body and mind. He told me not to fight against but to accept the emotions and ski with it.”
With the race taking place down the full length course, unlike the previous day that had seen Maria Hoefl-Riesch continue her fine form from training, these were almost perfect conditions. Many expected Hoefl-Riesch to continue her form from the previous day but after a mistake at the top of the course she was always playing catch up. Maze, already safely in the finish was down and in front and could only hope and pray that the German did not excel and pass her. Instead the gap got wider and Maze could finally relax and take the win her season has craved:Â “I have had my ups and downs this winter and one learns much more from losing. It's just feels good right now,” she concluded.
It is not that rare to see three World Cup races in a row but it is hard for the racers to keep the same intensity in having four races in four days; the World Cup Finals are the exception but not many racers do all four races.
Chemmy Alcott finished in 47th but will take heart from posting a top thirty split (26th in the final split to the finish) as well as posting the sixth fastest speed through the speed gun at the bottom of the course. Alcott is heading in the right direction in the lead up to Sochi and posted on Facebook: "Just had my first DH scare. That is how I know I am skiing better because I made a risky decision and skied the nets at 80mph." Alcott will go in the Super G as well.