There was some disappointment when the women’s World Cup schedule came out and Aspen didn’t have a downhill.
Last season, Ski Club Vail alum Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win the World Cup overall title in 25 years. She did it by dominating in downhill, and she just missed the podium in Aspen’s downhill last year.
Last year’s downhill was the first in Aspen since 1994, back when Colorado’s most famous resort town annually hosted the men’s tour in March. Downhill, with its death- defying speeds, high G-force turns and soaring jumps, has a long and storied history on Aspen Mountain.
Franz Klammer won there in 1976, a month after he won his Olympic title at Innsbruck with the most hair- raising downhill run in history. Bill Johnson won in Aspen two weeks after winning his 1984 Olympic title.
This time, Aspen will host a giant slalom and slalom. Fortunately, Vonn tweaked interest in Sunday’s slalom by claiming her first World Cup slalom win two weeks ago in Levi, Finland. She bruised a knee in a training crash last week but has been cleared to race in Aspen.
“It’s always great for our athletes to return home and race domestically,” U.S. Ski Team alpine director Jesse Hunt said. “We’ve started off the season really well in the technical events, highlighted by Lindsey Vonn’s win in Levi. We’re coming into those races with some high hopes.”
Olympic giant slalom champion Julia Mancuso ordinarily would be a favorite in that event, but she is behind schedule because back problems hampered her training during the summer. She’ll race, but head coach Jim Tracy doesn’t expect her to be at full strength until January.
“My back was bothering me a lot, so I didn’t ski as much high-intensity,” Mancuso said. “It’s starting to feel better now, but it has been (a problem) through the prep period.”
Aspen Winternational Women’s World Cup
Some of the best skiers in the world gather for the first major stop on the pro schedule:
Where: Aspen Mountain
Saturday: Giant slalom, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.; U.S. Ski Team autograph session, 3-4 p.m. at Gondola Plaza
Sunday: Slalom, 10 a.m and 1 p.m.
AROUND TOWN
Eight teams, two sites.
Women’s college basketball fans will swim in it this weekend as Colorado and Colorado State host national tournaments with some unusual guests.
CU’s 22nd annual Coors Classic will bring Drexel, Minnesota and Massachusetts to Boulder for four games today and Saturday. Brittany Spears’ 17.0 points per game and Kara Richards’ 15.0 points have paced the Buffaloes (2-1) this season.
And the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Fort Collins will see Murray State, Florida State and Valparaiso today and Saturday. The Rams (2-1) are led by Britney Minor’s 12.0 points this season.
Coors Classic in Boulder
Today: Drexel vs. Minnesota, 5 p.m.; CU vs. UMass, 7:30 p.m.
Rocky Mountain Invitational in Fort Collins
Today: Murray St. vs. FSU, 5 p.m.; CSU vs. Valparaiso, 7 p.m.
STAY ON THE COUCH
Ready for prime time?
A late-November game in East Rutherford, N.J., rarely presents ideal conditions. And a late-day start time could complicate matters more.
When the NFL moved the Broncos-Jets game Sunday to a 4:15 p.m. start at the Meadowlands (2:15 p.m. MST), the league chose TV star power over ticket-holder comfort. But if you’re a Broncos fan, who cares? The later start time is ideal.
The game could be perfect for TV. Two of the league’s best quarterbacks in Jay Cutler and Brett Favre face off for two division-leading teams. The game has playoff implications written all over it.
CBS’s Kevin Harlan and former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon will handle the call on KCNC-4.
GET OFF THE COUCH
Copper calendar.
Copper Mountain is a place to be for mountain-goers over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Today, Copper hosts its first rail jam of the season, the Leftover Yam and Jive Turkey Rail Jam at its Eagle Jib Park. If you don’t know what any of that means, you don’t want to go. Trust us.
But on Saturday, Copper will put on the Gobbler Chase Snowshoe 5K — a much more welcoming and casual exercise. Check for more information.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Chasing a rebound.
Not to berate the point that men’s collegiate basketball is suffering in this state, but within a six-day span, our three big schools took rough losses to small schools.
Colorado lost to Montana State, Colorado State fell to Saint Martin’s (Wash.) and Air Force was downed by Wofford (S.C.).
Not a good sign for the season to come. But they can rebound this weekend. Saturday, CU plays at Stanford (8:30 p.m., FSN), and CSU goes to San Francisco (3 p.m.). Sunday, AFA hosts Norfolk State (3 p.m.).
