Tina Maze Crowned Giant Slalom Champion in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Feb. 17 - Ski Racing Magazine News Service) - The relief was palpable. After two silver medals at last season's Olympic Games, a silver medal at the last World Championships, and a silver medal here, Silver Tina Maze finally got her gold, winning the giant slalom today (Feb. 17) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, the first gold in history for Slovenia.
The first skier out of the start in the first run of the delayed GS, Maze smoked the course, then stood stoically in the leaders box, straight-faced watching 116 skiers from 48 nations try to best her time. Few even came close. Italian 21 year old Federica Brignone got within a third of a second and Elisabeth Goergl was 0.71 in the first heat, but it was clear Maze was the premier racer of the run.
"It felt like forever up there," said Maze about the two-hour first run delay caused by a fog that drifted up and down the course. "Every half hour it was delayed again. ... It was not good for the concentration."
When the time finally came to start, Maze said, "I felt like a bull. I couldn't wait to get going. I wanted the speed and to show what I could do."
What she could do was dust the bulk of the competition.
In the second run, French wonder Tessa Worley, only 19th fastest in run 1, saw no reason to hold back. The winner of three straight World Cup GS's from November through January, Worley smoothly attacked, putting up a time that would withstand racers with more than a second and half advantage on her from the first heat and earned her the bronze medal.
“I put all my hear in the second run. I was so disappointed after the first run,” said Worley, a leader on the winning French team in yesterday's team event . “I am so happy. This is the biggest success of my career so far.”
Brignone, with just nine World Cup scoring results to her credit including two podiums, came after Worley with an enthusiasm fueled by a four medal performance from Italy's men. She was the first to take Worley's lead away, by 0.39 seconds. Her mother Maria Rosa Quario, a four-time World Cup winner in the late 70s and early 80s, was close at hand in the finish area working as journalist for the Italian magazine Sciare.
"My mom and grandmother were there in the finish and I had no idea what was going on," said Brignone. "I knew I had to just clear my head from how well the first run went and go for it."
The real lead, however, was still in the starthouse and Maze was not to be denied the top step again. The Slovene got the win by a scant 0.09 seconds and her stoic facade vanished. A smile radiated her face and she strode to the center of the finish area before the packed stadium, waved to the crowd and did a handspring celebrating like a teenager.
"It is the first gold medal for Slovenia," said Maze "and I thought, 'That's over now. That's enough'." (Yugoslavia won a gold medal with Mateja Svet in 1989). For my country I finally show that even if it is a small country we can still be on top. It makes a difference. ... we can show a little arrogance."
Behind Brignone the Italians were a force with Denise Karbon - a two time medalist in GS - in fourth and Manuela Moelgg sixth.
The best American hope was Julia Mancuso and she simply could not find the speed to challenge, winding up 16th. Sarah Schleper finished 21st. Megan McJames was saddled by missing the top 30 flip and finished 34th.
"The second run was really turny on the pitch and this hill has such a long flat that I think it just makes such a difference if you're carrying speed or not,” said Mancuso of the course. “The snow is softer today, so you can't generate any speed, you just have to take what you have from the pitch and hold on to it."
“When you're looking at a GS course especially, it's a matter of hundredths per turn. In a GS, there are 50-60 gates and when you're on, you're on,” continued Mancuso, who skied down to James Brown’s Living in America. “If you're off, you add up those hundredths from all those gates and you've lost a second."
The Canadians struggled all day and placed in a bunch with Marie-Michele Gagnon in 23rd, Marie-Pier Prefontaine 24th and Britt Janyk 28th.
For more details including results visit SkiRacing.com.
