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www.worldskinews.com/Lake
Louise (CAN) 03.12.2004
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Women
Downhill - Race report
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LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Dec. 3) - Lindsey Kildow, one of the foremost promising American talents, confirmed her potential today in celebrating her first World Cup victory in Alberta's Lake Louise. The 20-year-old resident of Vail, Colorado, who took a nasty fall at Lake Louise a few years ago, won the opening downhill of the women's World Cup season, leading six Americans into the top 20.
Kildow, starting 17th, skied through steady winds and flat light to edge by 19/100 of a second Olympic DH champion Carole Montillet of France, a three time-winner in Lake Louise in recent years. Germany's Hilde Gerg, always very fast on this Canadian course, was 3rd preventing the Austrians to reach their first podium this season. Michaela Dorfmeister was 4th ahead of Renate Goetschl.
Italy's Isolde Kostner, a four-time winner in this event, was 7th while reigning World Champion Mélanie Turgeon was the best skier of a disappointing Canadian team in 30th position. It was her first competition since the 2003 season. She had to skip the entire last season because of problems with her back.
The favourites of the Overall World Cup, Croatia's Janica Kostelic and Sweden's Anja Paerson, also made it among the top-20. Kostelic was 13th and Paerson 16th.
Several racers crashed, including France's Mélanie Suchet and USA's Libby Ludlow. It's not sure that they will be able to race here this weekend.
The 7th US downhill winner
Lindsey, whose best result so far on the World Cup tour was her 3rd place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, last January, became the seventh US American to win a World Cup downhill. 1998 Super-G Olympic Champion Picabo Street, the 1996 downhill World Champion who is also Lindsey's role model, leads the list with nikne wins. She won at Lake Louise in 1995 and 1995. Kildow is now on her best way to march on her footsteps.
“I was pretty nervous, my main goal was just to relax and fly as low as I could,” Kildow said after the race. “I feel comfortable on this course since clocking some best times last year. I didn't know however how it would end up this year with the difficult weather conditions. I was hoping to make the top three.”
She got chilly in the mid-20s temperatures while waiting for the next dozen racers to finish. When Austrian Renate Goetschl finished 75/100 behind her, Kildow said she could take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.
Kildow had some thoughts about her Nov. 29, 2001 crash - doing a split on a roller at the head of the 300-meter finish schuss - as they drove into this section of the Canadian Rockies earlier this week. “But once we got to the first training run, I pretty much got over it.” Last year, Kildow finished a disappointing 15th and 27th here after he good training runs.
There was light snow throughout the race and steady winds - “tailwind at the top, head wind at the bottom,” she said. “Yet conditions were consistent for everyone, though, nobody got any advantage. I just skied pretty well as I kept on charging the course.”
She also said that she was inspired by the recent successes of her teammate Bode Miller on the same course last week. “If he did it, I didn't see any reason why I couldn't do it the same,” she said with a big smile. “It's awesome that the US skiers are doing so well this season, and it's not finished yet!”
Kildow, one of the few skiers to have scored points in all events including a top-15 in slalom in Levi, Finland, was more than ready for this first win. She was en route to win the last downhill of the 2004 season in Sestriere, Italy, when she crashed at the middle of the course after clocking the best intermediate time. She is now aiming for more, much more, during the coming weeks and months.
Another podium for Montillet
While Kildow was delighting in her first win, Montillet was making her eighth top-three finish at Lake Louise. The French veteran who got married last spring, has had an ongoing love affair with the Alberta resort, having won three of the previous four downhills including a sweep of last year's two races.
“Lake Louise continues to be good for me,” said Montillet. “I was a little stressed in training because I was not feeling so well and I was having trouble finding the good line. Today I was more focused and aggressive. The conditions were difficult with the wind and no visibility. I wanted to be aggressive as I could but I am happy to have this finish.”
Croatia's Janica Kostelic, the overall World Cup winner and triple Olympic champion, finished 13th on a wild and windy afternoon in the Canadian Rockies. The skier from Zagreb was pleased by her performance - especially considering the fact that she only skied one day in downhill since her last downhill race in Innsbruck, 21 months ago!
“I had a rather good race even if I made some mistakes at the top, it was really nice to get back on my downhill skis,” she said after her race. “I did well at the bottom and this top-15 in encouraging.”
“I have been looking for this for a long time. I just like this event and I take these races as kind of intense training for the coming speed events.”
“I really like to be here and these courses are not to difficult. The weather was not so nice today, but the race was fair. There was not too much wind for us.”
“I still need to practise in this event before being able to take more risks.”
Racing continues Saturday with the second of back-to-back downhills followed by a super-G Sunday before the circuit shifts back to Europe. The Austrians are expected to fight back in the coming events, but Kildow and Montillet may be difficult to beat if they remained focused and confident.
Ph. Lang
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