THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015 SPORTS ‘Tough’ mountain to climb for Kiwi racers BEAVER CREEK: New Zealand boasts some of the where he is competing in his first alpine ski world gates in the ground, it gets even shorter.” ‘breakthrough’ racer of the year at the 2014 Snow most spectacular alpine scenery in the world but a championships. “We have some of the best skiing in Sports NZ Annual Awards, Feasey has loved every relatively short skiing season has made it “tough” for the world, it’s just that the seasons there are so ELITE LEVEL minute of the world championships at Beaver racers from that country to make an impact at the short that you have to hit it right. “For training espe- Despite all the challenges facing New Zealanders Creek, though he was a little apprehensive when he top level. Best known for its often dominant All cially, you need a lot of mileage and we don’t really trying to break into ski racing at the elite level, first saw the daunting Birds of Prey piste. “My first Black rugby union team, the Land of the Long White get that so much in New Zealand. But what we do Feasey is trying to be as optimistic as possible. taste of it was in training and that was pretty tough,” Cloud is fiercely proud of its athletes who have get is some of the best skiing facilities anywhere.” “It is difficult for us but I think it’s doable,” he said. he smiled. “It was really a kind of an awakening, and made a habit of punching well above their weight Forced to look elsewhere out of season, Feasey Given the shortage of alpine ski role models in New it was good that I managed to step it up for the race but role models in alpine skiing are few and far spends up to six months each year training and Zealand, Feasey has turned to European racers for days. The Birds of Prey is definitely the hardest between. competing overseas. his own inspiration. downhill I’ve ever done.” Feasey did not finish the Only five World Cup races have been won by “I am based in Austria, in Leogang, for the season “I’ve always looked up to Didier Cuche because opening men’s event at Beaver Creek, the Super-G, New Zealanders, all of them clinched by women in but we also come over to Copper Mountain here in he is a similar sort of build to me,” Feasey said of the but went on to place a creditable 40th in the blue the slalom, and the country’s sole medal at the Colorado for November and December when the veteran Swiss skier who was Super-G world champi- riband downhill and 37th in the super combined. “I Winter Olympics was the slalom silver earned by rest of the countries don’t have as much snow,” he on at Val-d’Isere in 2009. “He was so humble and was really hoping to get a top-35 finish so I was Annelise Coberger at the 1992 Albertville Games. said. “Back in New Zealand, the ski fields are open just an amazing skier. “And I’ve seen Annelise almost there but not quite,” he said of his expecta- “It is tough for us,” New Zealand’s giant slalom from June 6, at the earliest, and then they close by Coberger’s silver medal from the Winter Olympics, tions coming into the world championships. “And champion Willis Feasey told Reuters at Beaver Creek the start of October. That’s at best. If you want that was very cool,” he grinned. Honoured as the I’m always happy to make it down!” — Reuters Zimbabwe upset Sri Lanka WELLINGTON: Hamilton Masakadza Jayawardene with his biggest score out- scored a run-a-ball century as Zimbabwe side Zimbabwe. The 31-year-old reached stunned Sri Lanka with a comprehensive the milestone with a single off spinner seven-wicket victory in a World Cup warm- Rangana Herath in the 41st over of the up at Bert Sutcliffe Oval yesterday. innings before ushering his country to vic- It was a second defeat in warm-up tory with just under five overs to spare. matches for the Sri Lankans, who reached Masakadza hit his 117 off 119 balls with the final of the last two World Cups and eight fours and three sixes but it was arrived Down Under with hopes of a sec- Williams who scored the winning runs with ond title to go with their 1996 triumph. the four, his seventh, that brought up his Masakadza, who finished 117 not out, half century. shared an unbroken fourth wicket partner- Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to ship of 119 with Sean Williams (51) to bat but while plenty of their batsmen got chase down the target of 280 and claim a starts, only Dimuth Karunaratne (58) and morale-boosting victory in the university all rounder Jeevan Mendis (51) managing town of Lincoln, southwest of to get to the half century mark and 279 for Christchurch. six was not an imposing score. All rounder Masakadza has been play- Left-arm spinner Williams (3-35) was the ing international cricket for 14 years but pick of the nine bowlers used by has never before represented his country Zimbabwe, who open the tournament at a World Cup with injury and loss of form proper against neighbours South Africa in ruling him out of previous tournaments. Hamilton on Sunday. Sri Lanka will have to On Wednesday, though, he showed he pick themselves up for a meeting with co- was in fine form for his maiden campaign hosts New Zealand in Christchurch on when he outshone Sri Lankan batting stal- Saturday in the opening match of the tour- warts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela nament. —Reuters VAIL: (From left) Austria’s Michaela Kirchgasser, Eva-Maria Brem and Marcel Hirscher cheer after winning gold during the mixed worlds team skiing event at the alpine skiing world championships. — AP Austria defeat surprise package Canada for gold VAIL: Top-ranked Austria beat surprise package 2013 and 2007. The competition featured the 16 the other members of the Austrian team to Canada 3-1 in the gold medal final of the team top-ranked nations in a knockout format with share in the gold. “It was unbelievable, a long competition at the alpine ski world champi- skiers going head-to-head on a parallel slalom day ... and a great job to all the guys on the onships on Tuesday to continue their domina- course. Austrian team but it was very close from the sec- tion of the event. While the powerhouse Each country is allowed a maximum of six ond heat on,” said Noesig. Austrians were favored to end the day atop the skiers (at least two women) with four taking part Austria roared its way into the final by demol- podium, 10th-ranked Canada were not expected in each round with the top-seeded nation facing ishing Argentina 4-0 in the opening round, them to escape the opening round but pulled off a the lowest seed. The Austrians were led by eliminating Norway 3-1 in the quarters and their string of upsets, taking down number seven Michaela Kirchgasser and slalom world champi- bitter alpine rivals Switzerland 3-1 in semis. Germany, number two Italy in the quarter-finals on Marcel Hirscher, who picked up his second Canada sent a shock through the crowd and sixth-ranked Sweden in the semi-finals. gold of the championships having also won the when team captain Erin Mielzynski beat Brem in Canada took their second silver of the world super combined event. the opening leg down the Golden Peak track to championships while Sweden beat Switzerland stake the underdogs to a 1-0 lead. But Hirscher 3-1 in the bronze medal final. GREATEST NAMES quickly restored order by beating Phil Brown to It was another dominating performance by With the Austrian victory, Kirchgasser put her level the final before Kirchgasser and Noesig the Austrians who celebrated their seventh name alongside some of the greatest in alpine clinched the gold. medal of the championships, and their fourth skiing, joining Marielle Goitschel, Hanni Wenzel, “I think we are all proud and I am proud of gold. Ingemar Stenmark and Kjetil Andre Aamodt as everyone on this team,” said Mielzynski. Since the team event was first introduced at the only skiers to win a medal in a specific event “Everyone fought, it was a close final and it feels the 2005 worlds, Austria is the only nation to at four consecutive championships. good to stand on the podium, especially as a medal in every edition while also taking gold in Eva-Maria Brem and Christoph Noesig were team.” — Reuters Clarke in the runs in World Cup warm-up MELBOURNE: Michael Clarke gave a pointer to his recovery from recent hamstring surgery with a knock of 64 in Australia’s World Cup warm-up game against the United Arab Emirates in Melbourne yes- terday. Clarke, captaining Australia for the first time since the surgery almost two months ago, spent just over 90 minutes at the crease in a confidence-boost- er at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 33-year-old was promoted to opener to max- imise his time in the middle, and offered a sharp chance on two after winning the toss. He steadied and kept the scoreboard ticking over in a 123-run partnership with Aaron Finch. National selectors will now assess Clarke on Thursday before considering the merits of an earlier- SYDNEY: Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq hits out against the England bowling dur- than-expected recall for Saturday’s World Cup open- ing their one-day international World Cup warm-up cricket match.