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The 2010 Audi Alpine FIS Ski World Cup Women's and Men's Slalom races on November 14-15, 2009 are the first technical races of the 2010 season. This marks the second stop on the alpine racing Road To the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Last year at the Audi 2009 FIS World Cup Slalom races at Levi, Finland, Lindsey Vonn won with two great runs and Bode Miller was second to the French slalom specialist and the 2009 World Cup Slalom Champion, Jean-Baptiste Grange.
Here's a look the the top 15 finishers in both the 2009 Women's and Men's slalom races.
Women's Results:
Skier - Nation - 1st Run - 2nd Run - Total Time
1 VONN Lindsey USA 53.61 54.37 1:47.98
2 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria SWE 53.99 54.39 1:48.38
3 RIESCH Maria GER 54.08 54.56 1:48.64
4 HOSP Nicole AUT 53.83 55.11 1:48.94
5 ZUZULOVA Veronika SVK 54.59 54.51 1:49.10
6 POUTIAINEN Tanja FIN 54.52 54.76 1:49.28
7 PAERSON Anja SWE 54.90 54.40 1:49.30
8 BORSSEN Therese SWE 54.62 54.84 1:49.46
9 ZAHROBSKA Sarka CZE 54.52 54.96 1:49.48
10 BERGMANN Monika GER 54.83 55.27 1:50.10
11 GRAND Rabea SUI 55.25 54.93 1:50.18
12 GIUS Nicole ITA 54.93 55.31 1:50.24
13 FEIERABEND Denise SUI 55.32 54.97 1:50.29
13 MOELGG Manuela ITA 55.11 55.18 1:50.29
15 KIRCHGASSER Michaela AUT 55.53 54.83 1:50.36
What We Can See Here:
Lindsey Vonn pulled away last year, winning both heats of the 2009 Audi Fis World Cup Slalom at Levi, Finland. She was followed by Maria Pietilae-Holmner and the eventual 2009 WC Slalom Champion Maria Riesch. While Pietilae-Holmner didn't podium again the rest of the season she was one of three Swedish team racers in the top ten here.
It will be interesting to see how Lindsey Vonn does on Saturday, racing on Head skis - the same as her friend and rival Maria Reisch.
Men's Results:
Skier - Nation - 1st Run - 2nd Run - Total Time
1 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste FRA 51.72 52.77 1:44.49
2 MILLER Bode USA 51.98 53.30 1:45.28
3 MATT Mario AUT 52.53 52.89 1:45.42
4 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan SUI 52.86 52.69 1:45.55
5 KOSTELIC Ivica CRO 52.46 53.11 1:45.57
6 MYHRER Andre SWE 52.48 53.11 1:45.59
7 HARGIN Mattias SWE 52.52 53.29 1:45.81
8 MISSILLIER Steve FRA 52.63 53.19 1:45.82
9 VALENCIC Mitja SLO 52.88 52.95 1:45.83
10 BECHTER Patrick AUT 52.91 53.04 1:45.95
11 PRANGER Manfred AUT 52.79 53.37 1:46.16
11 DRAGSIC Mitja SLO 52.98 53.18 1:46.16
13 HOERL Wolfgang AUT 52.83 53.39 1:46.22
13 LARSSON Markus SWE 52.72 53.50 1:46.22
15 LIZEROUX Julien FRA 52.53 53.99 1:46.52
What We Can See Here:
French slalom specialist Jean-Baptiste Grange, the 2009 WC Slalom Champ, put up the fastest first run and second fastest 2nd run to take the gold here over Bode Miller. Looked like a real battle for silver and bronze medals with the number 2 through the number 10 finishers all home in 1:45 and change.
The results may not look much different this year, but just take note that at the end of last season the Austrian team had 5 men in the top ten.
