Queenstown, New Zealand – Colby Granstrom of Lake Stevens, Wash., the reigning U.S. slalom ski racing champion, finished second on Saturday in the final giant slalom of a four-day Southern Cup race series at Coronet Peak ski resort in New Zealand.

Canadians Philip Brown and David Donaldson surrounded the American as Gilford, N.H.’s Warner Nickerson, Tommy Biesemeyer, of Keene, N.Y., and Coloradans David Chodoundsky and Will Gregorak also finished in the top 10.

“The race results were OK, but it’s not what we’re focused on right now,” said Peter Korfiatis, the U.S. Ski Team men’s Europa Cup Head Coach. “We’re at the end of a four-day block and by the time they took their second race run, our guys are actually on run eight for the day, but that’s all part of it. The Southern Cup races, for us, are more about training.”

Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel won the women’s race with Avril Dunleavy, of Salt Lake City, Utah, as the top U.S. racer in fourth.

The men’s U.S. Ski Team return to racing today with the New Zealand Winter Games, also at Coronet Peak.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Southern Cup
Coronet Peak, New Zealand – Aug. 20, 2011

Men’s Giant Slalom
1. Philip Brown, Canada, 1:40.47
2. Colby Granstrom, Lake Stevens, WA, 1:41.32
2. David Donaldson, Canada, 1:41.43

Women’s Giant Slalom
1. Ragnhild Mowinckel, Norway, 1:42.97
2. Kristine Gjelsten Haugen, Norway, 1:43.48
3. Makiko Arai, Japan, 1:45.69