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Scorching Giant Slalom Podium for Vonn

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
March, 3 2012

OFTERSCHWANG, Germany (March 3) - Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) produced a scorching final run of giant slalom Saturday to finish second in spring-like Ofterschwang and boost her Audi FIS Alpine World Cup point total to 1,708. German Viktoria Rebensburg won for the second straight day and leads Vonn in the giant slalom standings by 135 points with two discipline races left on the calendar. With the podium, Vonn became the first skier to produce four World Cup seasons with 15 or more podiums, breaking a tie she held with Austrian great Hermann Maier.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) produced the fastest final run to finish second in the Ofterschwang giant slalom.
  • With the podium, Vonn became the first skier with four seasons of 15 or more World Cup podiums, breaking a tie with Hermann Maier.
  • German Viktoria Rebensburg won for the second straight day and leads Vonn in the giant slalom standings by 135 points.
  • Vonn was 1.68 behind Rebensburg after hitting her face on a gate, which knocked her goggles sideways in the first run
  • Vonn's overall point total is now at 1,708, just 80 shy of personal high mark she set in 2009.
  • The women's season point record is 1,970 set by Croatian Janica Kostelic in 2006. Men's is 2,000 set by Maier in 2000.
  • Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) was seventh after the first run, but went out in the final. Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY) was 22nd.
  • The race was held under blue sky with temperatures in the low 60s Fahrenheit
  • There are seven races remaining in the World Cup season, including a slalom on Sunday in Ofterschwang.

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
This is only my third career giant slalom podium. I’m really proud of the way I skied the second run.

I was almost 1.70 behind Vicki after the first run so in the second and I knew that my coach has set the second run. He set a course that was open and straighter and I went for the fastest line.  I went for the most direct line possible and risked a lot and was able to make up a lot of time. I was thinking I could maybe get the win when Viki had trouble on the bottom, but she was just too strong today.

I had problems on the first run, I hit my goggles on a gate and could not see and struggled just to make it to the bottom.

Viktoria has been skiing amazing giant slalom this season and to have two wins at home is in front of home crowd is amazing. She is one of the best with regards to feel of snow and finding the fall line; she can drift, ark and can do anything she wants with her skis.

I have been thinking about the 2,000 point mark since about the St. Moritz races. I am not focusing too much on it, but it is definitely in the back of my mind. This year the tech races have been going well and now am second in the giant slalom standings. To me, that is a huge accomplishment.

Alex Hoedlmoser, Head Coach
Lindsey [Vonn] was just full-on gunning. She never took her foot off the gas in the second run and the course was set for everyone to do that. [Roland] Pfeifer was the course setter for the second run and we just set the course how our girls like it.

Julia [Mancuso] knew that section was going to be a little bit tricky and she just said 'well, I'm just going to go for it' and it didn't work out. She just misjudged it a little bit, but she was going for the podium. That's what our girls are doing in every race and you can't blame her for that.

The whole organization of this race is unbelievable. There's like 450 workers here to make it happen. Without those people it would definitely not be possible because we've had temperatures of like 18 degrees Celsius - that's like summertime.

TV
Universal Sports will air the race at 4 p.m. ET

RESULTS
Official Results

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