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2010 Winter Olympics Alpine Ski Racing Preview - Women's Slalom
Just like in the Kentucky Derby and other premier head-to-head sports competitions where the best of the best compete, there are favorites and "also competing" - on any given day a "dark horse," pumped up and coming out of the blue - can win.
Be assured that on the Olympic Slalom course the favorites will be doing their absolute best, but when the best make the tiniest mistake or let up just a little there are a lot of lot of racers striving for that fastest time measured in hundredths of a second. Taking a look at who came out on top and who almost won in recent competitions is a good place to start to get a feel how the Olympic racers may stack up.
Not only was last season a tune-up for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, but it was also a World Championship race year in Val d'Isere, France. All the following statistics are culled from the International Ski Federation (FIS) data base and generated by me. .
Here are the 2009 season Women's Slalom medal and top ten finishes:
Nation - Gold, Silver, Bronze - 4-10 Finishes - Total Top Ten
Germany - 4, 2, 1- 8- 15
USA - 2, 1, 1- 3- 7
France - 2,0,0- 3- 5
Czechia - 1,0,2- 5- 8
Austria - 0, 2, 2- 9- 13
Sweden - 0, 2, 1- 13- 16
Finland - 0, 1, 2 -6 -9
Italy - 0, 1,0- 4- 5
Slovenia - 0,0,1-0- 1
Croatia - 0,0,0-4- 4
Switzerland - 0,0,0- 3- 3
Slovakia - 0,0,0- 2- 2
Norway - 0,0,0- 1 -1
Canada - 0,0,0- 1 -1
What Can We See Here?
It's pretty obvious that Maria Riesch is dominant for Germany with 9 top tens - 4 golds and 1 each silver and bronze. For the U.S Lindsey Vonn was in the fray with 2 wins, 1 second and 1 third. Sandrine Aubert scored it all for the French - 2 firsts.
Sarka Zahrobska was a Czechia phenom with 1 win, 3 bronze and 8 total top tens. Sweden had 16 top tens from 4 different women but no golds. Also, Finland claimed 9 top tens - all by Tanja Poutiainen.
With all the various countries medaling in 2nd and 3rd place and all that Olympic adrenalin pumping, I wouldn't be surprised to see a longshot winner in what could develop into a wide open event.
The 2009 World Championship Ladies Slalom event
I prefer to look at the World Championship races separate from the overall 2009 history. The "Worlds" are only held every two years and mean a lot in terms of prestige and bragging rights among the racers - as much as do the Olympics. The World Championship races generate a supercharged, adrenalin producing showdown that very often brings out super results from lesser known athletes and cause the best to over achieve and have disastrous results - much as the Olympics do.
A look back at last years World Championship races may show some surprises that could reappear in Vancouver and so here are the:
2009 World Championship Ladies Slalom Top Ten:
1 RIESCH Maria GER 1:51.80
2 ZAHROBSKA Sarka CZE 1:52.57
3 POUTIAINEN Tanja FIN 1:52.89
4 KARBON Denise ITA 1:52.90
5 GIUS Nicole ITA 1:52.93
6 FEIERABEND Denise SUI 1:53.49
7 JELUSIC Ana CRO 1:53.67
8 CHMELAR Fanny GER 1:53.76
9 PAERSON Anja SWE 1:53.78
10 BONJOUR Aline SUI 1:53.84
What Do We See
Maria Riesch had 2 safe and steady trips while Lindsey Vonn did not finish the second run. Silver medalist Sarka Zahrobska actually finished ahead of Riesch in the first run but was really off in the final.
There was a definite European dominance here but the French ladies didn't do well at all - could this be the jitters in front of the home crowd?
In Vancouver, on North American turf, this could be a real wide open and exciting event.
