US starlet Lindsey Vonn on Friday showed her form ahead of the world championships by consolidating her World Cup rankings lead with success in the women’s slalom.
Vonn made it 17 wins on the circuit after posting her fourth success of the current campaign, seeing off Germany’s Maria Riesch by 0.9 seconds and Slovenia’s Marusa Ferk by 1.16 seconds.
And the American was delighted to step onto the podium alongside locally-born best friend Riesch.
PHOTO: EPA
“It was a great day for us both, I am just as happy for Maria,” Vonn said. “I am really, really happy with this result, I am so pleased I was able to be on the podium, especially in Garmisch. I had two good runs, the second one I was really able to attack. I have always said Maria would be really strong and she skies all five disciplines really well. There is still a lot left in this season and nothing has been decided yet. I hope we can both keep on fighting until the end.”
The victory was a confidence booster for Vonn before the World Championships begin in Val D’Isere, France, on Tuesday and leaves Vonn on 1014 points, 124 clear of second-placed Riesch.
Local girl Riesch was delighted to be on the World Cup podium for the first time in her home town.
PHOTO: EPA
“To stand here on the podium is a dream come true for me,” the smiling 24-year-old said. “There was a lot of expectation on me, but I am so pleased.”
And her coach Mathias Berthold praised “the very good performance.”
For Slovenia’s Ferk, it was her first time on the podium and the 20-year-old was delighted with her finish.
PHOTO: AFP
“My best result before today had been 15th, so this was a really big step for me,” Ferk said. “My expectations ahead of the World Championships are now much higher and I am aiming to improve on my previous placing of 26th at the last champs.”
■FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
AP, PARK CITY, UTAH
Ryan St Onge of the US won for the first time in two years and Li Nina of China won the women’s event in aerials competition at the Freestyle World Cup season opener on Friday.
St Onge won his sixth career World Cup event and first since December 2006. Three of his titles have come at Deer Valley, where he hit a quadruple twisting, triple back flip to clinch the victory under the lights on Friday.
Liu Zhongqing of China, who was first after the qualifying round, finished second and World Cup leader Steve Omischl of Canada was third.
“During that second jump, I knew I was either going to be way too big and land on my head, or — if I could somehow get my feet underneath me — I knew it was going to be the biggest-scoring jump I could possibly do,” St Onge said. “I just stretched for my life and somehow my feet got down.”
China’s Guo Xinxin was second in the women’s, ahead of American Emily Cook.
China was poised for a sweep of the podium, but Cheng Shuang took a fall right before Li’s clinching jump. Cheng leaned forward on her landing and kept going after her skis hit. She tumbled to the bottom of the hill and lay still for a few moments as medical crews ran out to check on her.
After a few minutes, Cheng got up and walked off on her own.
Li still had to go with the final women’s jump and did well enough to pass Guo, whose 108.11 on her second jump was the highest score of the night by almost 10 points. Li led after qualifying with a double back flip with two twists on each.
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