12 Established 1961 Sports Monday, February 5, 2018 Aces high as Vonn keeps cards up her sleeve for Olympics next week Lindsey says her rivalry with Goggia motivates her GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN: Lindsey they are up my sleeve still.” The women’s points behind the Italian in the downhill Vonn is keeping a few cards up her sleeve Olympic alpine programme starts with the rankings before the race. Vonn battled Maria for the Olympics, which start next week, giant slalom on February 12 while the down- Hoefl-Riesch on the World Cup circuit despite bidding to chalk up her 81st World hill-the blue-riband event-is on February 21. before the German retired in 2014. Cup win yesterday. She is the woman to Vonn wants more medals after taking “I always had this with Maria, you push beat in the women’s downhill race in downhill gold and Super-G bronze at the each other and respect each other, it’s Garmisch-Partenkirchen yesterday-the final 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Her career stats almost the same with Sofia, she has also had World Cup tune-up before the Winter — 80 World Cup wins, including 41 down- a lot of injuries,” said Vonn. “When she is at Olympics open on Thursday. hill victories-are impressive given her recent the start, she always gives 110 percent-just On Saturday, the US ski queen com- like me. “It’s all or nothing with her-I like pleted her hat-trick of back-to-back that. She is a good person and works downhill wins in Garmisch to leave her hard. We need a personality like that on with 80 World Cup career wins. Having the World Cup circuit. already won on the German piste in 2016 “When she is at the finish with the and 2017, Vonn, 33, clocked 1min 12.84sec, fastest time, then I know I have to give just 0.02 secs faster than World Cup I think I skied my all to beat her.” Vonn flies to Korea downhill leader Sofia Goggia, who fin- a solid line, on Wednesday and is mentally racing the ished second. Olympic course every day to prepare. Vonn will again go flat out, hoping for in some places Goggia narrowly beat Vonn into second a fourth straight downhill win in the place in both the downhill and Super-G Bavarian Alps, but the Olympics remain test events last March on the Jeongseon her focus having missed the Sochi 2014 course where Olympic medals will be Games with a knee injury. “I think I skied decided. “Sofia won the two test events a solid line, in some places I could have injuries. She fractured her arm in November in Korea and now it’s time for a change,” done more, but I am not looking to risk 2016 having broken her ankle the previous said Vonn. everything right now,” said Vonn after August. “Everyday, before I go to bed, I run GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN: Lindsey Vonn of the US celebrates after winning the Ladies’ Saturday’s World Cup win. through the course once or twice in my Downhill event at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern “I skied aggressively-don’t get me NEW RIVALRY mind. “It was the same before Vancouver-I Germany, yesterday. Lindsey Vonn chalked up her 81st World Cup win to complete the down- wrong-but I didn’t leave all the cards on the The American says her rivalry with was ready then and I am ready now for hill double at Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the final races before the Winter Olympics. — AFP table. “I’ll hold those aces for the Olympics- Goggia motivates her and she lies just 43 Korea.” — AFP Tournament of late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah concludes Ligety back against the odds By Abdellatif Sharaa to defend giant slalom crown KUWAIT: Tournament of the late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah concluded on PYEONGCHANG: Against all the again with a third placed finish in Saturday at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic odds, reigning Olympic giant slalom Garmisch just one week ago. Shooting Complex in the presence of repre- ski champion Ted Ligety is grasping Missing two seasons of wear on his sentative of the tournament Sheikh Abdallah the chance to defend his crown after body has enabled Ligety to ponder Khalid Fahad Al-Sabah, President of Arab and battling back from knee and back extending his career to the point Kuwait Shooting Federations Eng Duaij injury. “I want to be where I was at where he might attempt a fifth Khalaf Al-Otaibi, Secretary General Obaid my peak,” Ligety said ahead of the Olympic berth in 2022 at Beijing. “I Al-Osaimi, Deputy Chairman of Kuwait February 9-25 Pyeongchang Winter want to ski as long as I’m healthy and Shooting Sport Club Mohammad Mustafa Games. “I feel good about my skiing. ski fast,” he said. “I’d be 37. That’s not Karam, and Assistant Secretary Eng I’m just not sure where my speed is.” impossible. I think there’s the ability of Mohammad Misfer Al-Ghurba. The 33-year-old American has won skiing that much longer and I’m a dad The tournament lasted for three days with three world titles and five World Cup now. He’d only be four years old. He’s the participation of club, National Guard and crowns in giant slalom after taking his still packable.” Son Jax was born last Sheikh Saad Academy shooters in the skeet, first Olympic gold medal in 2006 in year and has lightened Ligety’s load trap and double trap events. the combined event. during his comeback fight. Eng Mohammad Al-Ghurba said in the But Ligety hasn’t won a World Cup “Playing around with him and try- club’s speech that the tournament enjoyed a race since October 2015 at the season ing to make him laugh is fun,” he said. large participation of shooters who competed opener in Solden, Austria. In January Ligety, the first American male ski rac- and achieved good results, in this tournament 2016 he tore his right anterior cruciate er with two Olympic gold medals, which the club is keen to organize every year. knee ligament and missed the remain- became the youngest US man to take He said that KSSC takes the opportunity to der of the season. He returned in late alpine gold with his Turin combined congratulate HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- 2016 but struggled with back pain and title 12 years ago, an early career suc- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown last January underwent back surgery, cess that changed his outlook. “It Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- having a microdiscectomy on two ver- gives you a different perspective for Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber tebrae in his lower back. “I was having one thing,” Ligety said. “Faith is a Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Kuwait shooting pain from my ass to my more important thing. Your perspec- people on the occasion of the national days. ankle,” Ligety said. “The back surgery tive changes a little bit. You don’t have Al-Ghurba concluded his speech by was even more frustrating. “I probably to try and be a great ski racer but it thanking the family of Sheikh Abdullah Al- saw 10 different doctors and a lot of gives you a greater sense of impor- Mubarak Al-Sabah for their continued sup- The men and women winners them were super anti-surgery. I was tance during training. You have some- port of this tournament. choosing something major to fix it but thing great to get back.” He almost Results of the tournament were as fol- Skeet Juniors: Fatima Al-Zaabi sometimes it’s the right option.” had to get back his Sochi gold medal lows: Ahmad Al-Awwad, Hamad Al-Ablani, Trap Juniors: before finding it in a search at his par- Skeet Men: Hamad Al-Azmi Yousuf Al-Rashidi, Yousuf Al-Mutairi, Faris ON THE PODIUM ents’ home.“My parents have it hidden Mohammad Al-Daihani, Saud Habib, Trap Men: Al-Mutairi Ligety was back training by last away somewhere,” Ligety said. “My Abdullah Al-Rashidi Abdelrahman Al-Faihan, Talal Al-Rashidi, Double Trap Men: April and enjoyed World Cup finishes dad lost it for six months. We rum- Skeet Women: Marzouq Al-Waalan Saad Lafi, Jarrah Al-Shuwaier, Mishal Al- of fifth in Italy and seventh at Beaver maged through the house and eventu- Eman Al-Shamma, Afrah Adel, Fatima Al- Trap Women: Zafiri. Creek on home snow in December ally we found it. Where? His secret Zaabi Asmaa Al-Qatami, Shahad Al-Hawal, before finally standing on the podium hiding place.” —AFP Japan ski jump queen grapples Olympic demons PYEONGCHANG: Haunted by the memory of her Olympic heartbreak four years ago, Japan’s ski jumping superstar Sara Takanashi has a point to prove in Pyeongchang. But despite being the most successful female ski jumper of all time, the 21-year-old must break a perplexing slump in form that stretches back almost a year in order to banish her demons. Takanashi has been stuck on 53 World Cup wins-the most by any woman in the history of the sport-since last March, and on recent form Norway’s Maren Lundby and Katharina Althaus of Germany are tipped to contest the gold medal. One more World Cup victory will see Takanashi overtake Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer and claim an unprecedented win total-male or female.