CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn was encouraged simply by making it to the finish Sunday in her weakest discipline, giant slalom.
The 19th-place result wasn’t exactly what the Vail resident was aiming for after consecutive victories in super-G and downhill the previous two days, however, and Vonn was again critical of the way officials injected the course with water for an icier surface.
“Here in Cortina, it’s the best snow on earth — it doesn’t get any better than this,” Vonn said. “They had a perfect track, and in my opinion, they ruined it.”
The race winner, Tanja Poutiainen of Finland, also questioned the practice, which is meant to make the course hold up throughout the race. Often in the technical races of slalom and giant slalom, courses get worn down with ruts as racer after racer come down and later starters have little chance of being competitive.
The problem this time was that water injection was used only on the bottom section of the course, with the snow untouched on the top.
“The conditions were changing from top to bottom. They watered the 10 gates at the bottom,” Poutiainen said. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to have two different types of conditions on the course.”
Poutiainen posted a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 26.51 seconds. Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany finished a distant 1.05 seconds behind for the first podium result of her career, and giant slalom world champion Kathrin Hoelzl of Germany placed third.
Miller passes on slalom
KITZBUEHEL, Austria — Felix Neureuther of Germany earned his first career World Cup victory, winning a slalom that Bode Miller skipped to rest a sore ankle.
Neureuther finished in a two-run combined time of 1:37.35 seconds. His victory came 31 years after his father, Christian, won on the same Kitzbuehel course.
Julien Lizeroux of France was second, and Giuliano Razzoli of Italy third.
The Associated Press
