Hilde Gerg Wins in Saalbach Downhill, Street 10th

Saalbach, Austria, Jan. 11, 2002 — Picabo Street of Park City, Utah was the top American Friday in the women’s downhill in Saalbach, finishing 10th behind winner Hilde Gerg of Germany. Kirsten Clark of Raymond, Maine was 11th.

It was the third top-10 downhill for Street, who remains the top Olympic qualifier for the U.S. Ski Team in downhill.

Clark, starting second, set the early pace before Gerg came on to take the lead. It was Gerg’s second World Cup win of the season, moving her ahead of Isolde Kostner of Italy for fourth in the FIS Alpine World Cup standings.

Two other Americans cracked the top-30. Caroline Lalive of Steamboat Springs, Colo. was 20th and Katie Monahan of Aspen, Colo. Was 27th. Jonna Mendes of South Lake Tahoe, Calif. did not finish.

“Peek did a better job — she’s so hungry now; she wants to win,” DH/SG Coach Jim Tracy said. He added that, “Jonna probably would have been the top American, but she made a mistake, carrying too much speed into a turn in the mid-section — just about in front of me — and she showed up ready to race and she was moving.”

“They all came to race and it was an okay day, but only okay,” he added. “We’ve got a lot of little things to clean up. “You can’t be too over-aggressive on this course because it’s not long enough.”

Tracy said the noon start meant there was flat light for racers at the back. Only two skiers from outside the top first 30 starters broke into the top 25, none in the top 20.

The women are back in action Saturday with a second downhill, with a slalom and combined wrapping up the weekend on Sunday.

CAFE DE COLOMBIA WORLD CUP

Saalbach, AUT – Jan. 11

Women’s Downhill
1. Hilde Gerg, Germany, 1:21.14
2. Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden, 1:21.26
3. Isolde Kostner, Italy, 1:21.29
4. Corinne Rey Bellet, Switzerland, 1:21.31
5. Brigitte Obermoser, Austria, 1:21.34


10. Picabo Street, Park City, Utah, 1:21.85
11. Kirsten Clark, Raymond, Maine, 1:21.85
20. Caroline Lalive, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 1:22.40
27. Katie Monahan, Aspen, Colo., 1:22.86
33. Lindsey C. Kildow, Vail, Colo., 1:23.06
43. Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, Calif., 1:24.19
–
Jonna Mendes, S. Lake Tahoe, Calif., did not finish.


Women’s Overall Standings
1. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 609
2. Sonja Nef, Switzerland, 181
3. Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria, 488
4. Hilde Gerg, Germany, 425
5. Isolde Kostner, Italy, 413
–
9. Kristina Koznick, Burnsville, Minn., 299
19. Kirsten Clark, Raymond, Maine, 209
21. Sarah Schleper, Vail, Colo., 197
24. Caroline Lalive, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 174
40. Picabo Street, Park City, Utah, 111
56T. Jonna Mendes, S. Lake Tahoe, Calif., 60
70. Katie Monahan, Aspen, Colo., 43
90T. Lindsey C. Kildow, Vail, Colo., 12


Women’s Downhill Standings
1. Isolde Kostner, Italy, 340
2. Sylviane Berthod, Switzerland, 252
3T. Hilde Gerg, Germany, 210
3T. Rey Bellet, 210
5. Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria, 204
–
8. Picabo Street, Park City, Utah, 111
11. Kirsten Clark, Raymond, Maine, 86
18. Caroline Lalive, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 54
25. Jonna Mendes, S. Lake Tahoe, Calif., 28
33. Katie Monahan, Aspen, Colo., 12