SESTRIERE, Italy, 10 March 2004 — Austria’s Renate Goetschl has her focus firmly in today’s final downhill of the World Cup season, hoping to wrap up the title before turning her attention to the battle with Sweden’s Anja Paerson for the overall prize.
Goetschl has a 63-point lead over her only challenger in downhill, Germany’s Hilde Gerg. “I want the downhill title and that is what I am focused on most of all,” said speed specialist Goetschl. “Then comes super-G and if that goes well I can start to think about the points needed for the overall. But what matters now is downhill.”
Goetschl claimed a gold medal in Sestriere in the combined event at the 1997 world championships and says memories of that triumph have helped to calm her nerves before today’s opening of the five-day women’s and men’s finals. “I have happy memories of that win here and the course feels good so I feel ready to go for it,” said Goetschl.
In eight downhills this season Goetschl has finished off the podium only once and she took victories in Veysonnaz and St. Moritz. She has had three wins in super-G, most recently in Are, Sweden.
Gerg and France’s Carole Montillet are her only realistic challengers for the super-G title, which will be decided tomorrow.
Last season Goetschl finished World Cup runner-up in downhill and super-G.
But to get her hands on the overall title this week, Goetschl needs Paerson to fail dramatically.
The Swede has a 173-point lead. Although that should be cut back after the downhill, in which she will not compete, Paerson should still win the overall as long as she performs to her usual standard in the technical events at the weekend.
Paerson has already wrapped up the slalom and giant slalom titles this season.
