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December 29, 2009

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Hoelzl wins as Vonn crashes

GERMANY'S Kathrin Hoelzl strengthened her position as No. 1 giant slalom specialist with a World Cup win in Lienz, Austria, yesterday, while overall leader Lindsey Vonn did not finish after crashing and hurting her arm.

Hoelzl, winner of her first World Cup race in Aspen earlier this month and the discipline's world champion, secured victory in a combined time of two minutes 16.61 seconds.

Thanks to a blistering second run, Italy's Manuela Moelgg fought back from 13th in the morning to take second place 0.05 seconds behind, while France's Taina Barioz held on for third place.

The race was marred by Vonn's crash in the morning run.

The American, winner of the overall World Cup for the past two seasons and favorite in the speed events for February's Winter Olympics in Vancouver, lost her balance halfway down the Schlossberg piste and fell on her right hip.

The downhill and super-G world champion was able to make it back on her skis, holding her injured left arm. "It hurts in the left arm and hand," she told Austrian television.

She was taken to hospital and doctors said she did not suffer a fracture, only some swelling, and should be able to start today's slalom on the same slope.

The American did not lose any ground in the race for the overall crystal globe since closest rival Maria Riesch of Germany also failed to finish the first leg and did not score points.

Vonn was coming off a successful weekend in Val D'Isere, France, where a victory in the super combined and a third-place finish in a super-G helped her to reclaim the sole lead of the overall World Cup standings ahead of friend and rival Riesch.

Riesch, who started immediately after Vonn, was distracted by her crash and missed a gate on the middle section of the partly icy Schlossberg course.

"It's hard to stay focused and keep your concentration during such a break," said Riesch, who trails Vonn by 50 points in the overall standings.

The day belonged to Riesch's teammate Hoelzl, the Val d'Isere world champion being the only skier able to hold Moelgg at bay. The Italian was 1.19 seconds faster than the German in the second leg yet was again denied her first victory by a slim margin.

Barioz, who recorded her first podium finish, confirmed the good form of the French women's team, which won both races in Are two weeks ago thanks to Tessa Worley and Sandrine Aubert, one of the favorites for today's slalom.





 

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