ALPINE:

Slovenia’s Maze skis to gold in women’s GS at worlds

Feb. 17, 2011

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Tina Maze became the first Slovenian to win an alpine skiing World Championships title Thursday, riding her advantage from the first run to the gold medal in the women's giant slalom.

Maze took silver in the giant slalom in her last two major competitions, at the 2009 worlds and the 2010 Olympics, and finally nailed that elusive gold with a controlled second run on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany to win by .09 seconds over Federica Brignone of Italy.

"It was a great feeling to come in and win," Maze said. "It was a difficult run with many turns, but I gave it all I had and it was enough, even if just."

Brignone, daughter of former Italian World Cup winner Maria Rosa Quario, came into the race with only two podium finishes in her career. But one of them was a second place in the final World Cup giant slalom before the worlds, 10 days ago in Zwiesel, Germany.

Tessa Worley of France jumped from 19th to third for the bronze medal. Winner of three of five giant slalom races in the World Cup this season, Worley was considered the top favourite but finished 2.12 seconds behind Maze in the first run.

Denise Karbon of Italy was fourth. Olympic champion Viktoria Rebensburg was fifth and her German teammate and local favourite Maria Riesch skied out in the second run.

Maze, who also won silver in the super-combined, took advantage of an early start number on a course softened by mild weather in the first run. After a two-hour race delay because of thick fog, Maze was first out of the gate and stayed ahead as more than 100 starters came down the Kandahar course.

In the second run, the top 30 race in reverse order and Maze was the final starter.

"I heard that the bottom part of the course was deteriorating, it was important to let the skis run," Maze said. "We are a small nation, the first gold means very much. The hundredths were on my side this time."

Maze lost the Olympic gold to Rebensburg by .04 seconds last year.

Anja Paerson of Sweden failed in her attempt to tie the slpine skiing record of 20 medals at worlds or Olympics held by Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway. She finished ninth.

"I didn't really have any flow in the second run, and I wanted a bit too much," Paerson said.

Elisabeth Goergl of Austria, who won gold in the super-G and downhill, was third after the first run but ended in a tie for 10th.

Canada’s Marie-Michele Gagnon was 23rd, with teammate Marie-Pier Prefontaine 24th and Britt Janyk 28th.

Gagnon, of Lac-Etchemin, Que., put together a storming second run before clipping a gate near the end and finishing 23rd with a combined time of 2:23.32 seconds. Préfontaine, of Saint-Sauveur, Que., was right behind Gagnon in 24th with a time of 2:23.49, while veteran Janyk, of Whistler, B.C., was 28th in 2:25.73.

Préfontaine, 22, and Gagnon, 21, young skiers with bright futures, had been hoping for more after posting excellent results in the leadup to the World Championships.

"It was not a good day but there are a lot of positives we can take forward," said Jim Pollock, the technical head coach. "We have the raw material that we need to win but we need a little more polish and more hard work.

"We've yet to see the girls put two really good runs together. When that happens they are going to be on the podium."

"My first run was quite disappointing but I knew I was still in the game because conditions definitely make a difference," said Gagnon, who finished seventh in the World Cup slalom at Arber-Zwiesel, Germany, on Feb. 4.

"I had a good second run going until I pretty much took out the gate. At least I know I can do better. I like that I changed my approach in the second run. In the first run I was trying so hard, but in the second run I just relaxed and let the skis run."

Préfontaine, who was ninth in the World Cup giant slalom at Arber-Zwiesel on Feb. 6, wasn't happy with either of her runs on Thursday.

"The first run didn't go well. I made a couple of mistakes," she said.

"I had a good start for the second run but I made kind of the same mistakes. I'm skiing well and I know I can do well. It's just annoying it didn't happen. Next time I will do better."

Brittany Phelan, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., didn't finish the first run.

Next up for Canada's women is the slalom Saturday. The men's slalom race, which is the final event at the World Championships, is set for Sunday.

— The Canadian Press and Alpine Canada contributed to this report

2011 Alpine World Championships women's GS results