Sydney Morning Herald

American ski racer Julia Mancuso’s superb season continued on Friday when she beat the Austrian favourites to win a rain-delayed World Cup super-G race. Coming into this season, Mancuso, 22, had never won a World Cup race though she was Olympic champion in giant slalom. In the space of a month, she has now won three races and had two other podium places. Mancuso clocked one minute 16.25 seconds on the Olympia delle Tofane course, 0.33 seconds ahead of Austrian Nicole Hosp. Former overall World Cup champion Renate Goetschl, who had won the first two super-G races of the season, had to settle for third place, just 0.01 seconds behind Hosp. Their team mate Marlies Schild lost the opportunity to extend her overall World Cup lead when she missed a gate near the top of the course. Mancuso’s team mate Lindsey Kildow, who shared the podium with her friend in last weekend’s Altenmarkt super-combined event, finished just 0.05 seconds behind Goetschl, in joint fourth place with another Austrian, Andrea Fischbacher. The race was delayed for three-and-a-half hours while course workers used chemicals to firm up the piste after heavy rain early in the day. World champion Anja Paerson of Sweden, who has struggled since knee surgery at the end of last season, was sixth, with 1:16.95. Schild held on to the overall lead despite her exit but Hosp moved up to 60 points behind her compatriot on 828. Mancuso jumped into third place, with 634. Goetschl still has a comfortable lead in the super-G standings, 64 points ahead of Hosp. Cortina is due to host a women’s downhill on Saturday and a giant slalom on Sunday.

Alpine skiing-Mancuso wins World Cup super-G

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – American ski racer Julia Mancuso’s superb season continued on Friday when she beat the Austrian favourites to win a rain-delayed World Cup super-G race.Coming into this season, Mancuso, 22, had never won a World Cup race though she was Olympic champion in giant slalom. In the space of a month, she has now won three races and had two other podium places. Mancuso clocked one minute 16.25 seconds on the Olympia delle Tofane course, 0.33 seconds ahead of Austrian Nicole Hosp. Former overall World Cup champion Renate Goetschl, who had won the first two super-G races of the season, had to settle for third place on a deteriorating course, just 0.01 seconds behind Hosp. Their team mate Marlies Schild lost the opportunity to extend her overall World Cup lead when she missed a gate near the top of the course. Mancuso’s compatriot Lindsey Kildow, who shared the podium with her friend in last weekend’s Altenmarkt super-combined event, finished just 0.05 seconds behind Goetschl, in joint fourth place with another Austrian, Andrea Fischbacher. The race was delayed for three-and-a-half hours while course workers used chemicals to firm up the piste after heavy rain early in the day. World champion Anja Paerson of Sweden, who has struggled since knee surgery at the end of last season, was sixth, with 1:16.95. MORE CONFIDENT Mancuso, a former junior world champion in super-G, was second in Cortina last year but had struggled in the discipline this season with 18th place in Reiteralm and 35th in Lake Louise. “I am very excited about this victory,” the American told reporters. “I knew that I had a chance today even though my super-G has been a bit questionable. “Every race is getting better and better and I am getting much more confident on my skis,” added Mancuso, who won the Val d’Isere downhill exactly a month ago. Hosp, originally a technical specialist, began skiing super-G only a year ago and has now had top-seven results in all three races this season. “It is really great what is happening to me this year in super-G,” said Hosp, 23, adding that she hoped her results would impress the Austrian selectors for next month’s world championships in Are, Sweden. “There is always a big fight for places in my team,” said Hosp, who will skip Saturday’s downhill here to train for the giant slalom on Sunday. Goetschl, 31, said the soft snow had made conditions difficult. “It is just not easy when you have a slope in such bad shape,” she said. “You don’t really know what you can do on it. I just hope that the weather is going to be much better tomorrow and then we will have fairer conditions.” Schild held on to the overall lead with 881 points despite her exit but Hosp narrowed the gap and now has 828. Mancuso jumped into third place, with 634. Goetschl still leads the super-G standings, 64 points ahead of Hosp.

Mancuso wins again

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — American Julia Mancuso won a super-giant slalom today after a 3 1/2 -hour rain delay, her second World Cup victory in a row. Associated Press It was the third win this season for Mancuso, the gold medalist in giant slalom at last year’s Turin Olympics. She won a super-combi last Sunday in Altenmarkt, Austria, a day after finishing third in a downhill there. In fading light, Mancuso went down the Olympia delle Tofane course in 1 minute, 16.25 seconds. Nicole Hosp of Austria was second, 0.33 seconds behind, and Renate Goetschl, who holds the record of nine wins in Cortina, was third, 0.34 back. Mancuso’s teammate, Lindsey Kildow, tied for fourth, 0.39 behind. Kildow said she thought the race should have been canceled. “I can’t ski on slush,” she said. “I’m happy that Julia won.” Two-time overall World Cup champion Anja Paerson finished sixth. Current overall World Cup leader Marlies Schild skied off the course midway through her run, but retained her lead in the overall standings. Goetschl, who won the opening two super-G races this season, maintained her lead in the discipline standings. Goetschl has 260 points in the super-G, followed by Hosp with 196, Kildow with 130 and Mancuso with 113. “I’m not disappointed. I’m very happy with third place,” Goetschl said. “The conditions were very tough and it was hard to keep focused.” Skiers waited through four delays before the rain finally stopped and the race began. “I didn’t think we were going to race but I was ready to ski, that’s for sure,” Mancuso said. “I just really felt comfortable on my skis. Everything was working for me.” Mancuso posted her first World Cup victory in a downhill in Val d’Isere on Dec. 19.