Vanderbeek completes Tarvisio series with 7th in Super G.

Vonn crowned best female American ski racer ever with win

TARVISIO, ITA Kelly VanderBeek (Kitchener, ON) finished a solid seventh place with a time of one minute 22.60 seconds in Sunday’s World Cup ladies super-G held in Tarvisio, ITA.

Ski fans will be able to catch Tarvisio’s racing action on CBC during Sunday’s broadcast of the ladies super-G at 3 p.m. (EST).

With this result, VanderBeek equaled her season best performance in the discipline achieved at Lake Louise, CAN and improved her result from Saturday’s Tarvisio downhill by one rank.

“I’m quite happy with my result given that I made a little mistake at the top of the super-G course,” said VanderBeek following her second consecutive top 8 result in two days.

“For the most part, I was able to stick to my game plan, ski the desired line and attack the course to the maximum and this has allowed me to conclude a very consistent weekend. I know that if I keep going this way - attacking and charging the race courses – then the podium will definitively be in sight,” added VanderBeek, who has fully recovered from serious shoulder injuries sustained last January in Cortina d’Ampezzo, ITA.

“My shoulders are now doing very well, primarily because I’m doing a lot of rehabilitative and preventative exercises,” said VanderBeek. “This has allowed me to feel very good in the start gate and to push with the same intensity as before.”

Lindsey Vonn from the United States skied a clean and speedy run, convincingly claiming the 19^th win of her career with a time of 1:21.72. Fabienne Suter (SUI) was the closest skier to match Vonn’s pace, crossing the finish line in 1:22.23. Tina Maze of Slovenia was the last racer to step on the podium after stopping the watch at 1:22.39, a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of fourth place finisher, Kathrin Zettel from Austria.

With this victory, Vonn surpasses Tamara McKinney's record for wins by a female American skier on the World Cup.

After finishing 15^th in Saturday’s downhill, Canada's Emily Brydon (Fernie, BC) tied for 12^th with Regina Mader of Austria in the super G with a time of 1:22.75.

Brydon, who recorded the day’s fastest speed at the top of the course with 91.55 km/h, had a roller coaster ride throughout the super-G course, going from 31^st position at the second time interval, down to 5^th at the second to last time check. She had to settle for 12^th after losing speed in the final stretch of the course.

“I had very good speed at the top of the course but then made a costly mistake near the finish,” admitted Brydon. “There was a long delay turn and because I didn’t have the correct line, I had to throw my skis sideways and slow down quite a bit. It’s disappointing because I probably could have been much closer – if not on the podium if this hadn’t happened, but this is just the way ski racing goes,” added the team veteran.

“I really wanted to be on the podium this weekend, especially because I had such solid training runs,” said Brydon. “This was another good learning experience and this gives me motivation to really go for it in the upcoming races,” she said.

Other Canadians taking part in the super-G included Britt Janyk (Whistler, BC) who finished 34^th with a time of 1:23.70 and Emilie Desforges (Montreal, QC) who came in 40^th position in 1:24.02.

Larisa Yurkiw (Owen Sound, ON) was among ten skiers unable to complete the course.

The women’s circuit now moves to Bansko, BUL for two downhill races and a super G to be held from February 27 to March 1. This will mark the first ever World Cup events held at that site.

“I’m very excited to go Bansko,” said VanderBeek. “I’ve never been to Bulgaria before in my life so I’m looking forward to this new experience.”

The World Cup circuit will be chartering a flight for all female athletes leaving on Tuesday and heading to Bansko.

TARVISIO, ITA – FEB. 22, 2009 – SUPER-G – LADIES