ALPINE:

Schild wins slalom, Riesch claims crystal globe

March 13, 2010 — SRC Staff Report          ►Photo: Marlies Schild (Agence Zoom); below, Maria Riesch (AZ)

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Marlies Schild of Austria won the race by a big margin, with teammate Kathrin Zettel placing second.

But Riesch's third place was enough to give her the slalom title with 493 points, just three ahead of Zettel.

"It was not a very good day on the slope for me," Riesch said. "The first run was not good at all and in the second I never managed to release the hand brake. I was really very, very lucky to get the title."

Riesch, who also won the combined gold medal at the Olympics, could have lost the title if Zettel had won.

Schild, the Olympic silver medalist, had a comfortable lead after the first run and increased it to a massive 1.20 seconds over Zettel, despite the latter having the fastest second heat. Schild clocked an aggregate time of 1:49.57. Riesch was 1.90 seconds behind in third.

Schild's 21st slalom career victory moved her into a tie with Erika Hess of Switzerland in second place on the all-time list for slalom wins. Vreni Schneider of Switzerland had 34. Schild also has two other wins.

Riesch also won the world championship slalom title last year.

She finished second in the overall standings this season behind good friend Lindsey Vonn of the United States. Vonn clinched her third straight title by winning Friday's super-G race and then decided to skip the final event. She watched the race in the finish area.

Riesch's slalom title and Felix Neureuther's victory in the men's slalom earlier set the stage for a massive party in the German resort that will stage next year's world championships. Riesch and Neureuther come from Partenkirchen.

Riesch's sister Susanne, who was third in the first run and one place above her sister, fell in the second, as she did at the Olympics.

Canada’s Brigitte Acton placed 15th to wrap up her most successful World Cup season yet.

"It's my best result so I have to be happy about that. But at the same time I know that I am not executing exactly what I feel like I am able to and that has been frustrating," Acton said.

Acton's 82 points are good enough for a career-high 21st place in the slalom standings.

"At the beginning of the season if someone had told me that I'd finish 21st overall for the season I would have been happy," said Acton, now two seasons removed from a fractured sacrum, the large triangular bone at the base of her spine, that slowed her progress. "I know that I have another step and now I just have to get there. I need to clean a few things up and learn to push my limits and take more risks."

Anna Goodman also qualified to participate in the final slalom of the season but missed it after having surgery on her right knee to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Acton said she hopes to help Goodman return to form with a strong off-season of training.

"Last year when I was coming back from injury, just having her always killing it in training really pushed me a lot. I feel like I have another level to go and hopefully I can help her out when she comes back now too," Acton said.

The final World Cup race is a team event tomorrow. Canadians competing will be Acton, Britt Janyk, Manuel Osborne-Paradis and super-G crystal globe winner Erik Guay.

The teams were seeded prior to the event and Canada opens the dual giant slalom format event by taking on Slovenia.  SRC

— The Canadian Press and Alpine Canada contributed to this report

Garmisch-Partenkirchen women’s World Cup slalom results