Kostner claims downhill in Haus; McCarty leads the way for U.S. in ninth

Kostner claims downhill in Haus; McCarty leads the way for U.S. in ninthItaly’s Isolde Kostner edged Austria’s Renate Goetschl to win the women’s downhill Saturday in Haus Im Ennstal, Austria. For Kostner, it was her first win in more than two years.

Kostner, 28, second in Friday’s race, finished in 1:39.31, with Goetschl 0.35 seconds back. Swiss Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, 22, was third, her first World Cup podium. Kostner, who missed most of last season due to injury, got her last win at Lake Louise in November 2001.

Bryna McCarty, 20, who was fifth in Friday’s downhill, led the way again for the U.S. in ninth. Fresh off three podium finishes in Europa Cup speed events earlier this month, McCarty has made something of a breakthrough at Haus, with fifth- and ninth-place finishes. She’d had just eight previous World Cup starts and six finishes, none better than 25th.

The U.S. team, still reeling from the loss of leader Kirsten Clark in a crash Friday at Haus, nonetheless put five skiers into the points. In addition to McCarty, Lindsey Kildow was 11th, Caroline Lalive 19th, Libby Ludlow 21st (from the 39th start) and Jonna Mendes 23rd. Both Kildow and Ludlow were racing despite taking tough falls in Friday’s race. Stacey Cook just missed the points, finishing 32nd.

The top North American finisher was Canada’s Emily Brydon in sixth.

U.S. skier Alison Powers was a DNF, but had appeared on her way to a podium finish — she was just 0.28 seconds out at the final interval.

“It was pretty solid,” McCarty said of her race. “I think I lost time off a jump — I didn’t hold it really well and landed far back, but I was really comfortable and relaxed again. I haven’t been doing World Cups that long and these people are really good. I’m psyched to be up where I was.”

“After what happened [Friday with Clark’s crash and season-ending injuries], it was a great effort by the girls. They did an amazing job; I’m so proud of my team,” said U.S. head coach Patrick Riml. “It was just a great effort … they were really focused and going for it. We had a setback but they went out and really gave it their best. It was so much fun watching them.”

Of her win, Kostner said, “This is a big relief. It was just so hard to come back. I am just overjoyed.” She added that Friday’s second-place finish had helped her to regain her self-confidence: “I was much more relaxed at the start today and that was certainly the key.”

German teenager Maria Riesch, who got her first World Cup win in Friday’s race, crashed out on the top section on Saturday but did not appear to be hurt.

Alpine World Cup

Women’s Downhill

Haus Im Ennstal, Austria

January 31, 2004

1. Isolde Kostner (Italy) 1:39.31

2. Renate Goetschl (Austria) 1:39.66

3. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten (Switzerland) 1:39.90

4. Isabelle Huber (Germany) 1:40.00

5. Daniela Ceccarelli (Italy) 1:40.01

6. Emily Brydon (Canada) 1:40.03

7. Sylviane Berthod (Switzerland) 1:40.06

8. Hilde Gerg (Germany) 1:40.13

9. Bryna McCarty (U.S.) 1:40.15

10. Ingrid Jacquemod (France) 1:40.17

11. Lindsey Kildow (U.S.) 1:40.23

12. Catherine Borghi (Switzerland) 1:40.28

13. Brigitte Obermoser (Austria) 1:40.32

14. Michaela Dorfmeister (Austria) 1:40.34

15. Carole Montillet (France) 1:40.37

16. Melanie Suchet (France) 1:40.45

17. Martina Schild (Switzerland) 1:40.70

18. Nadia Styger (Switzerland) 1:40.71

19. Caroline Lalive (U.S.) 1:40.74

20. Alexandra Meissnitzer (Austria) 1:40.84

21. Libby Ludlow (U.S.) 1:40.99

22. Katja Wirth (Austria) 1:41.01

23= Jonna Mendes (U.S.) 1:41.02

23= Petra Haltmayr (Germany) 1:41.02

25. Anne Marie Lefrancois (Canada) 1:41.08

26. Martina Ertl (Germany) 1:41.14

27. Barbara Kleon (Italy) 1:41.20

28. Chimene Alcott (Britain) 1:41.44

29. Wendy Siorpaes (Italy) 1:41.48

30. Kathrin Wilhelm (Austria) 1:41.53

Other North Americans:

32. Stacey Cook (U.S.) 1:41.60

35. Genevieve Simard (Canada) 1:41.87

DNS: Kelly Vanderbeek (Canada)

DNF: Alison Powers (U.S)

THE SCOOP

> by Hank McKee

Equipment, Women’s Downhill

Haus im Ennstal, Austria, January 31, 2004

Skier, skis/boots/bindings

1 Kostner, Fischer/Lange/Tyrolia

2 Goetschl, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

3 Aufdenblatten, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

4 Huber, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

5 Ceccarelli, Dynastar/Lange/Look

6 Brydon, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

7 Berthod, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

8 Gerg, Volkl/Lange/Marker

9 McCarty, Dynastar/Lange/Look

10 Jacquemod, Dynastar/Lange/Look

It’s a very close race with the top 12 finishing in the same second and the top 27 within two seconds. … It’s the 24th of 36 scheduled women’s races on the World Cup schedule and the eighth of nine scheduled DH’s. … Only Hilde Gerg and Carole Montillet can mathematically catch Goetschl for the DH crown. … Goetschl only needs to finish sixth or better in the World Cup Finals (Sestriere 3/10) to ice the title. … It’s the first win of the season for Fischer skis.

The 15th win of Isolde Kostner’s career, but her first since November 2001 and a nasty crash at Lake Louise in December 2002. … Her only two podiums of the season have come back-to-back at Haus; she was second in Friday’s downhill. … It’s her first win at Haus after second-place finishes Friday and back in 2001. … It’s the fourth Italian win of the season, all by different racers. … It’s the first Italian DH win since Kristian Ghedina at Val Gardena 12/14/2001.

The 77th career podium for Goetschl and her 11th this season in 17 races. … She has missed the podium in just one of eight DH’s. … It’s a career-best World Cup result and first podium for Fraenzi Aufdenblatten. … She had been fifth three times previously. … She won a total of four medals at the 2000 and 2001 World Junior Championhips.

Sixth matches the third-best career result for Emily Brydon. … Three of the top five results in her career have now come at Haus; she was sixth and eighth in a downhill-super G double-header at Haus 1/13/2001. … Today’s result marks her seventh top-10 finish.

It’s the second career top 10 in two days for Bryna McCarty. … She now has five career scoring finishes, four this season. … It’s the third best career result for Lindsey Kildow behind a third and fifth at Cortina in back-to-back races earlier this month (1/17-18/2004). … It’s the ninth top 20 of the season for Caroline Lalive. … It’s the seventh scoring finish of the season for Libby Ludlow, and 16th of her career. … It’s the eighth scoring finish of the season for Jonna Mendes.

The 11th scoring finish of the season for Chimene Alcott, a British women’s record.

Goetschl claims the lead in the overall standings 1033-998 over Anja Paerson. … Top U.S. skier is the injured Kirsten Clark in 10th at 456. … Goetschl maintains the DH standings lead 580-517 over Hilde Gerg. … Clark leads U.S. skiers in seventh with 228. … Austria leads the Nations Cup (including men’s race today) 12013-3546 for Switzerland. … Italy holds third at 3490 and the U.S. is fourth at 3404. … Austria leads the women’s standings 4621-2643 over Germany. … The U.S. women are fifth at 1645, 21 points behind the Swiss and 28 behind the French.