12 Established 1961 Sports Sunday, December 17, 2017 Confident Vonn claims first victory, fires warning shot to Olympic rivals Record tally of 78 World Cup victories VAL-D’IS»RE: Lindsey Vonn put a stuttering start to ing yourself back up’, especially after the first crash in the season and a backlash over her anti-Trump remarks Lake Louise. “My body wasn’t quite up to par and so aside as she stormed to a first World Cup victory in 11 it was important for me to stay mentally tough and months yesterday, in a warning shot to Olympic rivals. continue to fight.” As one of world sport’s most recognisable athletes, US speed queen Vonn has never been shy of facing the Focus on Pyeongchang cameras but she has been dealing with a furore over Austrian duo Nicole Schmidhofer and Anna Veith, her criticism of President Donald Trump and the US previously Fenninger, respectively the world and government in a CNN interview. Olympic super-G champions, finished fourth and 15th in The 33-year-old responded perfectly on the piste a competitive field. And Vonn said her aim was now with a dominant win in the super-G in Val d’Isere, tak- turned on the February 9-25 Winter Olympics in ing to 78 her record tally of World Cup victories. “I Pyeongchang, having missed Sochi because of injury don’t think I really ever went anywhere. I just had some after claiming downhill gold in 2010. bad luck and things weren’t really going in the first few “I’m back on track and my goal now is to continue to races of the season,” Vonn said. “I knew my skiing was take this self-confidence, this momentum through to there and I just had to February,” the American execute on race day and said. “It’s been a while make it all the way to the since I’ve been on top in finish.” super-G, so it just proves Vonn had to withdraw that my skiing is good.” from a super-G in St It was important Vonn added: “Of Moritz last weekend with course, all victories are a back injury, for which for me to stay important, especially at she had treatment in this point of my career. Austria. “My back’s much mentally tough But the biggest thing is better. It was still a bit just getting the confi- stiff at the start,” she said, dence going for stressing the challenge February. “My confi- had been “more mental”. dence gives me a lot of “The physical issue that I peace of mind going into VAL-D’ISERE: US Lindsey Vonn holds a cheese as she celebrates on the podium after winning the women’s had just made it hard to have confidence in trusting my the next few months of ski races.” Super-G race at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Val-d’Isere, French Alps, yesterday. —AFP body. It was mentally challenging to overcome that and Under the watchful eye of father Alan, Vonn admitted be able to trust myself and push myself even though I’m it had been an emotional day’s racing in the French happy to get things back on track,” she said. “After loves Winston Churchill! My dad has always taught me maybe not moving as well as I normally do. resort. “We’ve all been a little bit disappointed the way Lake Louise I asked my dad if he’d come to some races to be mentally tough. “He was very happy, it’s his first “Over the last few weeks, it’s been a question of the start of the season has gone. But we work very hard with me. “It’s important for me to stay positive and my time in Val d’Isere and it was really cute when he was ‘keep going, keep fighting, keep trying, keeping pick- as a team together and I think everyone’s exceptionally dad’s always the one to say never, never give up - he crying at the finish.” —AFP Paillaugue stars Williams put as Montpellier off driver stay in hunt announcement PARIS: Benoit Paillaugue kept Montpellier afloat in the European Champions Cup with a match-winning per- formance in a 36-26 victory over Glasgow yesterday. to New Year The bonus-point victory moved the French Top 14 out- fit to a point off Pool 3 leaders Leinster ahead of the LONDON: Formula One team Williams have put off Irish team’s clash with Exeter. Scrum-half Paillaugue until the New Year an announcement on who will scored the crucial bonus point fourth try and kicked partner Canadian teenager Lance Stroll next season. four conversions while monstrous Fijian wing Nemani A team spokeswoman confirmed no driver news was Nadolo scored a try and had a crucial hand in two oth- planned before January, with the 21-race 2018 season ers as Montpellier hit back from a blistering Glasgow due to start in Australia on March 25. start that saw the visitors score three tries in the open- Russian Sergey Sirotkin appears favourite for the ing 20 minutes. drive, the only remaining vacancy on the starting grid, rather than Poland’s comeback hopeful Robert But having lost a fourth game in a row in this compe- Kubica. Williams have said their decision would be tition, Glasgow remain rooted to the bottom of Pool 3, based on performance and have given few hints about although in truth they dominated this match. Glasgow’s who is likely to succeed now retired Brazilian Felipe Fraser Brown charged down a Jesse Mogg clearing kick Massa at the former champions. and dived on the ball over the Montpellier line to open Sirotkin, a 22-year-old development driver for the the scoring after just two minutes. Renault team this year, has been backed by Russian Montpellier relied on power to get a hold of the billionaire Boris Rotenberg and his SMP Racing. game and the bullocking Nadolo set free Jan Serfontein Rotenberg’s brother Arkady is a close ally and former to take the ball close to the line. The Fijian followed up judo partner of President Vladimir Putin. to scoop the ball into his giant hands and bundle over Leaving aside his significant backing, the Russian the line. MONTPELLIER: Montpellier’s South African number eight Jan Serfontein (R) runs with the ball during the impressed in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi after The fast and free-flowing start to the game contin- European rugby champions cup match between Montpellier and Glasgow Warriors yesterday at the Altrad sta- he was passed over by Renault when that team were ued as Glasgow twice came close to scoring, only to be dium in Montpellier, southern France. — AFP looking to replace Britain’s Jolyon Palmer. thwarted by forward passes close to the tryline. Both he and Kubica, 33, were at the factory last Glasgow did score when Matthew Smith stripped the week for debriefs and further assessment, with media ball from Francois Steyn and Peter Horne ran through a team wanted the half to end and it went on for three Zealand international fly-half Aaron Cruden was injured reports suggesting Russian Daniil Kvyat was also in gaping gap to score. minutes beyond the 40 before a Montpellier knock-on in the build up. the frame after being dropped by Red Bull and Toro brought a return to the changing rooms. Glasgow scored a consolation bonus-point try their Rosso. Russia, which pays handsomely for the right to CONTROVERSIAL TRY Montpellier went in front for the first time in contro- dominance of territory and possession deserved after host a grand prix in Sochi, currently has no Formula Montpellier then kicked a penalty to the corner and versial circumstances after getting away with a knock- another rapier move ended with Horne galloping One driver contracted to race next year. Kubica was on at a line-out in their own 22. Nadolo charged 80 through to score by the posts. There was only a con- tipped as a future champion before a 2011 rally acci- got the rumble on before Romain Ruffenach barged dent partially severed his right arm, and while there over and twisted in the tackle to stretch out an arm and metres up the left wing and although Ali Price dragged verted try in it but after Paillaugue had missed a penal- are some lingering doubts about his ability to race dot down. Yet back came Glasgow as Lee Jones col- the Fijian down just short of the line, the hosts exploited ty Steyn landed one two minutes from time to seal the without full movement the Pole has said he has no lected a Horne chip on the left wing and made ground an overlap on the right for Henry Immelman to score. win. In the day’s other early match, Scarlets kept their problems and is fitter than ever. before the Scots recycled quick ball and Nick Grigg Benoit Paillaugue converted and a couple of minutes quarter-final hopes alive with a thumping 31-12 victory Kubica has tested twice for Williams this year, as burrowed over from close range. later was on hand to score in the corner after Nicolaas at Treviso, just a week after needing a last-gasp try well as with Renault, and his case for the seat is being Horne missed the conversion but Glasgow, who were Janse van Rensburg charged down a Price clearance. from Steff Evans to beat the 14-man Italians in Llanelli.