Elisabeth Goergl's star shines out in Cortina

The Austrian champion Elizabeth Goergl wins the superG on the Olimpia delle Tofane course - On the podium also Maria Riesch who confirms her World Cup leadership and the Austrian Nicole Hosp - Tina Maze not happy about her placing (sixth) - Disappointment for Lara Gut

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Date:	23/01/2014
Place:	Cortina d'Ampezzo

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, 23rd OF JANUARY 2014 - Starting with the bib number 9, Elisabeth Görgl crossed the finish line and clinched today’s victory with a four hundredth seconds advantage. The 33 years old World Cup alpine ski racer from Austria, born in Styria, reached World Cup podiums in all five alpine disciplines. In the 2011 World Championships at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Görgl won her first gold medal in the Super G and added a second gold medal in the downhill five days later. She is the third in a row to win both Super G and downhill World Championships gold medals – Lindsey Vonn did just that in 2009 at Val d'Isère and Anja Pärson in 2007 at Åre. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Görgl won the bronze medal in the downhill – the same medal in the same event as her mother Traudl Hecher half a century earlier at the 1960 at the Squaw Valley’s Olimpic games. And one week later she also won the bronze medal in the giant slalom.

Nicole Hosp, the versatile all-around racer, born in Ehenbichl in the Austrian Tyrol, claimed rank two. She has won the overall World Cup title in 2007, the season title in giant slalom and has celebrated her triumph in 4 of the 5 alpine skiing disciplines (super G, giant slalom, slalom, and combined) and was World Champion in the giant slalom in 2007. Moreover she has achieved brilliant results as in January 2008 when she won her first World Cup race in the giant slalom at Maribor, Slovenia. And in the 2009 at the World Championships (Val d'Isère), gaining a bronze medal in super combined.

The second place was taken by the outstanding Maria Höfl-Riesch who has won two Olympic and two World Championship gold medals and is an overall World Cup champion. The World Cup’s overall ranking leader did a great race, she had the same third split time as the Austrian winner, but lost a few hundredth of seconds in the final part of the spectacular hill, achieving the result of a second place.

Tina Weirather is in fourth place, Anna Fenninger on fifth, Tina Maze in sixth and Julia Mancuso on seventh, they will fight again to be leader on Sunday for the next superG scheduled in Cortina. The Slovenian racer Tina Maze was upset at her placing and Lara Gut faced today a difficult race, after a great season start winning in superG both in Beaver Creek and in Lake Louise, today’s is only 19th.

 

Statements of the today’s superG winners

Elisabeth Goergl: “I am always looking for a good feeling when I ski, and today I felt comfortable, I skied fast, my materials were best. As in normal life you have good and you have bad times, but that is part of the deal, you have to keep on working. So I did and I am happy and excited to be in a good shape and be able to fight for my country at the Winter Olympic Games of Sochi.”

Maria Riesch: “The superG is a difficult race because you never know how fast you are skiing and you do only one inspection of the course. Anyway, I am proud and happy about my second place. The next three days are challening, especially for the head, you have to keep on being focused and concentrated. I think four races in a row are tougher for the mental strenght than for the body.”

Nicole Hosp: “I feel really good at the moment, I skied fast and I am not far from Maria. I’ve had very hard times, and I wasn’t even sure to be able to stage a comeback, but this third place is what I need at that point.”