Tarvisio, Italy – The U.S. Ski Team finished 1-2-4 in the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup super G Sunday in Tarvisio with Lindsey Vonn of Vail, Colo., taking the win and her third consecutive World Cup super G title. Squaw Valley, Calif.’s Julia Mancuso was second with World Cup rookie Laurenne Ross, of Klamath Falls, Ore., in fourth to earn a start at World Cup Finals.nit was the U.S. Ski Team’s best finish since Jan. 14, 2007. Germany’s Maria Riesch was third, yet slipped to a 96 point lead in the overall standings over Vonn with six races remaining in the women’s season. The win was the 41st of Vonn’s career and notched her third 2011 title in three days after locking super combined on Friday and her fourth straight downhill title Saturday. The weekend capped with six podiums for the U.S. Ski Team with Vonn earning three, Mancuso adding one and men’s athletes Ted Ligety and Nolan Kasper landing in the Kranjska Gora, Slovenia top three.
“One of my goals at the beginning of the season was to defend my World Cup titles – so far, so good. But a lot can happen in the next two weeks,” Vonn acknowledged. “At this point I actually feel really relaxed. I know I have to perform if I still want to be at all in contention for the overall and that’s how I’m approaching it. I have to go after it and if I make mistakes I make mistakes. But I have to try to do my best to give Maria a run for her money.
“I’m really happy with the way this whole weekend turned out. I’m especially happy with the super combined title, that as really important for me particularly with my slalom,” Vonn concluded.
Her fourth place finish moved Ross into the super G top 25 and earned the young racer a start at World Cup Finals.
“I knew I had to do really well if I wanted to make World Cup Finals. I just gave it everything I had and I pinned it. It’s definitely something that I’ve been looking to do and working toward all year. It’s good to know that I am in there and can compete with these girls,” Ross said. “It would have been nice to be third but this is my first top five, my first top 10 and my first top 15 in a World Cup. I was 10th at World Championships but this is my first time really be in there for a World Cup. I’m OK with Julia, Lindsey and Maria beating me because they are all really good skiers.”
Canada’s Britt Janyk finished 24th. The racer from Whistler, British Columbia, had a late bib start and the warm weather made it difficult for her to compete against the top ladies. She was the only Canadian to cross the finish line.
“It was tough today,” said the 30-year-old. “I started 30th and it was getting really warm and it’s typically a fast gliding course. My draw wasn’t great. I thought I skied really well but I kept losing time the whole way down to the finish.”
The women’s alpine skiing World Cup now moves to Spindleruv Miln, Czech Republic for a giant slalom and slalom before World Cup Finals.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Tarvisio, Italy – March 6, 2011
Super G
1. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 1:21.75
2. Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 1:21.98
3. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:22.25