LIENZ, Austria, 28 December 2003 — Austria’s Nicole Hosp threw down the gauntlet to overall World Cup leader Anja Paerson yesterday, clinching her second victory in as many weeks in a giant slalom after the Swede was disqualified.
Hosp, leading after the first leg, held her nerve down the technically demanding Dolomiten course for a winning combined time of two minutes 06.24 seconds.
The jubilant host nation had further cause to cheer when speed specialist Renate Goetschl made it a one-two for Austria, coming 0.65 seconds behind Hosp for her best result in the technical discipline to date.
Victory for Goetschl would have completed her dream of winning in all of the sport’s four disciplines. The veteran Austrian last made the giant slalom podium three years ago.
In a race full of surprises, American Kirsten Clark — like Goetschl more at home in the speed events — also notched up her best performance in giant slalom with a third place in 2:07.17.
Overwhelming pre-race favorite Paerson, the world champion and runaway leader in the World Cup standings with three wins so far, had little cause for cheer.
The Swede was disqualified in the first leg when she charged the penultimate gate too aggressively and was sent off-course for the next.
“It was very icy and difficult, and I didn’t put enough pressure on the skis,” Paerson said after being eliminated in the first leg. “Now it’s full attack for tomorrow,” the Swede warned in reference to today’s slalom.
“Fantastic, absolutely wicked,” an overjoyed Hosp said after clinching the third World Cup victory of her young career.
“I made another mistake in the second run, so realized I then just had to really go for it and managed to pull it off,” the Austrian said.
The 20-year-old Hosp, Austria’s leading light in a new generation of racers, is proving to be Paerson’s fiercest rival on the slopes.
With reigning overall World Cup champion Janica Kostelic sidelined by health problems this season, Paerson has become the racer to beat in the technical disciplines, especially in her domain of slalom.
But Hosp threw a spanner in the Swede’s works last week when she won the first slalom of her career in Madonna di Campiglio, robbing Paerson of her third victory in a row.
Today’s slalom should be a thrilling spectacle with Paerson bent on making amends for her elimination in the giant slalom and keeping the ever-dangerous Hosp at bay.
Hosp has now narrowed the gap to Paerson in the overall standings, lying 90 points behind, but has overtaken the Swede in the giant slalom standings.
Goetschl, one of a rare breed of racers to compete in all of Alpine skiing’s disciplines, boosted her chances of winning the overall crown and now lies third.
“I knew that anything was possible here in Lienz because I like it here, but that this happens is an absolute sensation.”
