Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – For the third consecutive day, bib one held onto that number to become the FIS Alpine World Ski Champion. Saturday it was Audi FIS Alpine World Cup slalom leader Marlies Schild of Austria with the slalom victory over teammate Kathrin Zettel and Maria Pietilae-Holmer of Sweden.nSlovenian Tina Maze set the bib one trend with a Feb. 17 giant slalom win and Ted Ligety, of Park City, Utah, followed a day later with the men’s GS gold.
Schild has won five of seven World Cup slaloms this season to maintain a 40-point margin over Tanja Poutiainen of Sweden, who in turn holds a 40-point advantage over World Cup overall leader Maria Riesch of Germany.
Jackson Hole, Wyo.’s Resi Stiegler posted the top American result Saturday in 18th. Megan McJames, of Park City, Utah, followed in 28th.
“I hammered out of the gate, but at the bottom I was a little more hesitant because I just wanted to make sure I was clean onto the flats and into the finish. But there really wasn’t any problems at all and I could have gone a little straighter,” Stiegler acknowledged. “As hard as I am on myself I have to be really happy. My goal wasn’t to make World Championships, it was just to finish the season. My race before this in Zwiesel I was top 15 in the first run so I feel like those were accomplishments that I didn’t expect. I haven’t raced in three years and making it through the season is probably the most important thing for me. This is just a really good step for starting out next season.”
Julia Mancuso, of Squaw Valley, Calif. failed to finish her first run, a fate matched in the second run by Vail, Colo.’s Sarah Schleper.
“I went all for it, it was all or nothing,” Schleper explained, adding, “I think the tech team is struggling a bit. It’s hard because we don’t train with a lot of teams so we don’t get at chance to gauge ourselves at the races. I asked Sasha [Rearick, U.S. Ski Team men’s Head Coach] if we could train with the men a little bit more next year. He said ‘you can train with me anytime.'”
Erin Mielzynski from Collingwood, Ontario, competing in her first World Championship, finished 16th to lead the Canadian women, while veteran Anna Goodman, from Pointe-Claire, Quebec, finished in 21st place. Lac-Etchemin, Quebec’s Marie-Michèle Gagnon was one of the 36 skiers who did not finish the first run. Eve Routhier from Sherbrooke, Quebec did not qualify for the second run as she finished 35th.
World Championships conclude Sunday with men’s slalom.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – February 18, 2011
Slalom
Gold: Marlies Schild, Austria, 1:45.79
Silver: Kathrin Zettel, Austria, 146.13
Bronze: Maria Pietilae-Holmer, Sweden, 1:46.44