Goergl springs a big surprise
Source: Agencies |
February 9, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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AUSTRIA'S Elisabeth Goergl won the women's super-G in the opening race of the world championships in Germany yesterday, mastering a difficult, icy course that produced several crashes.
Julia Mancuso of the United States earned the silver and Maria Riesch of Germany was third. Defending champion Lindsey Vonn of the United States started despite a concussion last week and finished seventh.
"I think maybe it was the wrong decision to even try to race today, but I'm too stubborn," Vonn said. "I couldn't give up."
Goergl sang the official song of the championships at the opening ceremony on Monday and blazed down the Kandahar course to beat Mancuso by .05 seconds.
"I looked at the board and I saw that it was a fast time," the Austrian said after winning her first major title. "It was a good run. ... You have to be aggressive and attack this course and I did what I'd planned to do.
The Austrian clocked 1 minute, 23.82 seconds over the 2,180-meter course that was set by Austrian coach Juergen Kriechbaum. Riesch was third in 1:24.03.
"I like such conditions because I can put on the pressure," said Goergl, who was the bronze medalist in the downhill and the giant slalom at last year's Olympics.
"I did nearly everything right, except for some small mistakes at one or two gates. I wasn't nervous at the start and I wasn't nervous during my singing, but I was tense at the finish waiting for the others to come down."
The championship had been billed as a showdown between Riesch and three-time overall World Cup champion Vonn, but Goergl stole the show on opening day with a nearly flawless performance.
Mancuso added another silver to her collection, she was silver medalist in the downhill and the super combined at last year's Olympics and giant slalom champion four years earlier. She also had a super combined silver at the 2007 worlds, plus bronze medals in the giant slalom and super-G in 2005.
Vonn hit her head in a fall six days ago in practice and had been uncertain to race because she had trouble keeping her focus in the lower sections of the course. She was not the same racer yesterday that had made the podium in her last 19 super-G races, winning 13 of them.
"Every time I ski I can't concentrate. It's like I'm skiing in a fog," Vonn said. "My head just isn't thinking fast enough. I can't process the information fast enough and that's why I'm behind the course, all the bumps are throwing me around. It's because my body is one gate ahead of where my mind is, and that's not a good way to ski."
Vonn said she was not sure about the upcoming races. "I have to really take the time to figure out what's more important to me: my health or trying to defend titles"
Julia Mancuso of the United States earned the silver and Maria Riesch of Germany was third. Defending champion Lindsey Vonn of the United States started despite a concussion last week and finished seventh.
"I think maybe it was the wrong decision to even try to race today, but I'm too stubborn," Vonn said. "I couldn't give up."
Goergl sang the official song of the championships at the opening ceremony on Monday and blazed down the Kandahar course to beat Mancuso by .05 seconds.
"I looked at the board and I saw that it was a fast time," the Austrian said after winning her first major title. "It was a good run. ... You have to be aggressive and attack this course and I did what I'd planned to do.
The Austrian clocked 1 minute, 23.82 seconds over the 2,180-meter course that was set by Austrian coach Juergen Kriechbaum. Riesch was third in 1:24.03.
"I like such conditions because I can put on the pressure," said Goergl, who was the bronze medalist in the downhill and the giant slalom at last year's Olympics.
"I did nearly everything right, except for some small mistakes at one or two gates. I wasn't nervous at the start and I wasn't nervous during my singing, but I was tense at the finish waiting for the others to come down."
The championship had been billed as a showdown between Riesch and three-time overall World Cup champion Vonn, but Goergl stole the show on opening day with a nearly flawless performance.
Mancuso added another silver to her collection, she was silver medalist in the downhill and the super combined at last year's Olympics and giant slalom champion four years earlier. She also had a super combined silver at the 2007 worlds, plus bronze medals in the giant slalom and super-G in 2005.
Vonn hit her head in a fall six days ago in practice and had been uncertain to race because she had trouble keeping her focus in the lower sections of the course. She was not the same racer yesterday that had made the podium in her last 19 super-G races, winning 13 of them.
"Every time I ski I can't concentrate. It's like I'm skiing in a fog," Vonn said. "My head just isn't thinking fast enough. I can't process the information fast enough and that's why I'm behind the course, all the bumps are throwing me around. It's because my body is one gate ahead of where my mind is, and that's not a good way to ski."
Vonn said she was not sure about the upcoming races. "I have to really take the time to figure out what's more important to me: my health or trying to defend titles"
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