Wed, Feb 22, 2006 - Page 18 News List

Ailing Kostelic hits new record with silver in super-G

AP , SAN SICARIO, ITALY

An ailing Janica Kostelic didn't plan on skiing the super-G. She did, though, and earned an Olympic record by placing second.

Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister followed her downhill victory with her second gold medal of these games, covering the super-G course in 1 minute, 32.47 seconds.

Kostelic was 0.27 seconds behind. The silver medal on Monday was her sixth Alpine skiing medal -- her second in as many races here and a career record for a woman.

The 24-year-old Croatian still has a pair of events to go, health permitting.

"For now I have six and we will see. Even if I quit now I would be happy," Kostelic said.

Her four golds -- one here and three in Salt Lake City in 2002 -- are another record,

Kostelic wasn't bothered by the color of her medal.

"If she [Dorfmeister] won today, she was better. It's not her fault; it's my fault. I don't take things so seriously," she said.

Or, as her father and coach Ante Kostelic put it, even though his daughter didn't win, "all the medals is victory for us."

If it weren't for foul weather, Kostelic would have had to wait until Wednesday's slalom or Friday's giant slalom to surpass the two other women who had five Olympic Alpine medals.

She's been sick and, after winning the combined event on Saturday, said she wouldn't race Sunday's super-G. Then a snowstorm forced officials to postpone the race until Monday, giving Kostelic a chance to recuperate.

It seems Kostelic wins a medal whenever she skis -- she won all three races she entered at last season's world championships.

"It is a fact," Ante Kostelic said of his daughter's domination.

She may not be through yet. Janica is the defending slalom champion, though her father said winning at these Olympics wouldn't be easy.

"These Austrian girls are very good," Ante Kostelic said, referring to Marlies Schild, Kathrin Zettel and Nicole Hosp. "And Anja Paerson is still here."

Sweden's Paerson won the past two overall World Cup titles but so far has only two bronze medals from these games. She finished 12th Monday.

"I didn't get any rhythm on the course and I tried to find a lot of speed but it was difficult to find it," Paerson said. In other words, the course could have been more challenging.

Dorfmeister and other skiers criticized the course last year as too easy, signing a petition to move the race to the men's venue in nearby Sestriere. Organizers responded by enlarging the jumps and adding bumps and rolling terrain over the summer.

The super-G was run under sunny skies after several days of snow. With the race delayed from the weekend to a weekday, the stands weren't full.

Many of those who did show up wore the checkered red and white of Croatia.

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