Maze Storms to Giant Slalom Win
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Warner puts Aussies on top as Test turns feisty 43 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014 SATURDAY, SportsSports ARE: Tina Maze of Slovenia competes on her way to win an alpine ski, womenís World Cup giant slalom. —AP Maze storms to giant slalom win SWEDEN: Olympic champion Tina Maze consoli- tal globe last season, has 303. same venue and a women’s competition in on the Olympia course. Dopfer was .57 seconds dated her overall World Cup lead on Friday American superstar Lindsey Vonn sits sixth Courcheval, both slated for this weekend, had behind and American skier Ted Ligety trailed by when she produced a stunning second giant overall on 212pts thanks to her stunning Lake already been called off due to mild tempera- .81. Hirscher, who won the season-opening slalom run to clinch an impressive victory. Louise win last weekend. Maze, who was the tures and a lack of snow. giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, was looking to The Slovenian had trailed in seventh from Alpine skiing star at the Sochi Games after win- But the FIS said the women’s disciplines become the fifth Austrian to reach 25 World Cup the first leg earlier in the day in Are, but finished ning both the giant slalom and the downhill, would go ahead at Val d’Isere while a decision is wins. The race was moved from Val d’Isere to with a combined time of 2 minutes 23.84 sec- claimed she had been tired on the early run, but yet to be made on the men’s super-G and down- northern Sweden because of a lack of snow in onds, 0.2sec ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Hector woke up in time to save the day. “I only just got hill at Val Gardena in Italy on December 19-20. the French Alps. Ligety will still be confident and 0.28sec ahead of Eva-Maria Brem of Austria here from Canada (where she came third in the Following FIS tests, it was decided that the heading into the second run later Friday. in third Lake Louise super-G last weekend) and I’ve been Val d’Isere slopes could be maintained. It is only He was fourth after his first run in Beaver Brem had been fastest in the early run and staggering around half asleep,” she joked. over the last few days that temperatures in the Creek, Colorado last week, and still earned his looked set for victory before a late slip. But she “After the first run I thought I was out of it, Alps have dipped below freezing, something 23rd career win in giant slalom, meaning he can console herself with the overall lead in the but I went at it hard and aggressive in the early which is imperative in order to employ snow needs one more victory to move ahead of giant slalom World Cup standings after three part of the second run,” explained the 31-year- cannons. These latest cancellations have Switzerland’s Michael von Gruenigen and into events with 220 points, ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin old, who is also the 2011 world champion in the reopened the debate about transferring the ear- outright second on the all-time list in the disci- of the United States on 166, and Austria’s third giant slalom. ly season European events to the USA and only pline. Ligety had a rough start to the season, fin- placed Anna Fenninger on 162. The race had been due to be held at heading to Europe from the end of December. ishing 10th in Soelden and 18th in slalom at Fenninger was sixth in Are with 2min Courcheval, France but was moved to Are due The problem with that, though, is economic Levi, Finland, on Nov. 16. The following week, he 24.21sec and Shiffrin, who began the second leg to lack of snow at the original venue. Are, venue as many stations rely heavily on Christmas had four metal screws inserted into his left wrist like a bomb only to lose speed at a gate, was for the 2017 world championships has a fully tourism at the end of December. after a training accident. Germany’s Stefan Luitz tenth on 2min 25.20sec. floodlit piste for night-time racing. Meanwhile, Marcel Hirscher of Austria was was fourth quickest in the first run ahead of Leif The win in the fading Swedish winter light Meanwhile, falling snow has ensured that the fastest Friday in the first run of a World Cup Kristian Haugen of Norway and Austrian veteran puts Maze in an early season position of domi- women’s alpine skiing World Cup event at Val giant slalom raced under floodlights, finishing Benjamin Raich. nance in the overall, where she has opened up a d’Isere in the French Alps will go ahead on more than half a second ahead of Fritz Dopfer. Earlier Friday, overall World Cup leader Tina lead of 177 points on 480, second placed Anna December 20-21, the International Ski In increasingly cold conditions, the 25-year- Maze of Slovenia won the women’s giant slalom, Fenninger, who won the overall World Cup crys- Federation (FIS) said. The men’s event at the old Hirscher finished in 1 minute, 17.86 seconds which was switched from Courchevel.—AFP.