Street, Clark Finish Top-10 in Lake Louise Downhill

Lake Louise, Alberta Nov. 30, 2001 (USSA)–Picabo Street (Park City, UT) overcamea mid-race mistake Friday to finish fifth in the second World Cupdownhill of the season with teammate Kirsten Clark (Raymond, ME) ineighth place at sunny — but single-digit — Lake Louise Ski Area.Meanwhile, Isolde Kostner of Italy won for the second day in a row andthe third straight time wearing No. 22 at the Canadian Rockies area.

Outdoor Life Network will broadcast coverage of the Winterstart WorldCup downhill(s) Dec. 3 at 9 p.m. EST.

“I guess 22 is just a lucky number for me,” Kostner said aftercollecting the 11th win of her career, finishing with a time of 1:38.13on the 2.7-km course. She won both DHs this week, took the seconddownhill a year ago (after Petra Haltmayr of Germany was the surprisefirst-race winner), and captured the lone downhill here two years ago.Overall, Kostner has eight top-2s at Lake Louise, 10 top-3s.

Sylviane Berthod of Switzerland was second in 1:38.19 with MichaelaDorfmeister, the World Cup leader from Austria, third in 1:38.35.Canadian Melanie Turgeon, who injured a shoulder Thursday when shecrashed about 200 meters from the finish, was fourth (1:38.36).

Four Americans in Top 30Street, racing No. 2, hooked a gate as she came into Coaches’ Corner atthe top of the course’s midsection but held the top spot until theskiers at the back of the pack raced. She was tops until Kostner (22)came down. Berthod skied 30th, one spot behind Clark; Dorfmeisterstarted 25th and Turgeon 26th. Street, the two-time World Cup DHchampion who missed the ’99 and ’00 while recovering from multipleinjuries suffered in a crash a month after winning the ’98 Olympic superG gold medal, finished with a 1:38.46 clocking and Clark’s time was1:38.63.

In addition, Caroline Lalive (Steamboat Springs, CO) was 26th and KatieMonahan (Aspen, CO), coming back from two years on the sidelines withknee injuries, scored her first World Cup points since the end of the1999 season, coming down 28th. Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley was 32nd,missing the top-30 by .11.

“The top three’s hard to penetrate. These girls are good,” Street said,”and i think I can ski with them. So, I’m wanting that for myself now.I’m not expecting to cruise my way down the course. I’m looking for anumber ‘1’ by my name when I get to the finish line.”

Although she left the finish area after being knocked off the podium,she explained, “I’m happy with fifth place. I am. I’m happy with myprogression but I’m not happy with my skiing because I still have workto keep doing, so that’s why I’m a little bit upset.

“But I’ll take two top-6s and roll over to Europe with some confidenceunder my belt.”

Clark, who lost some speed at the bottom of the run, added the top-10 toThursday’s 11th and a ninth in giant slalom at Copper Mountain as sheand Street are tied for 11th in World Cup points with 85. Dorfmeisterleads with 276 and Kostner is second at 228.

Tracy: “The Europeans know…””It was good. I’m happy,” Clark said. “I thought I skied a lot betterthan Thursday. I would have liked to be top-5 — that was my goal fortoday — but top-10? I’ll take it. It’s packed in there really tight,hundredths of second apart.”

Said DH/SG Head Coach Jim Tracy, “We wanted to do a little better thanwe did Thursday and that’s what we did, so that part was good. It’sstill a little gut-wrenching, though, because if Picabo hadn’t hookedher arm on that gate and lost five- or six-tenths of a second, it’d be adifferent story. And Kirsten out-skied everybody for two-thirds of therace…

“The Europeans know we’ve got at least four of ’em who can be in thetop-5, if not on the podium, every time, so…we’re moving forwardnicely.”

The women conclude the annual Winterstart World Cup Saturday with asuper G before heading back to Europe. U.S. women, however, will stay inLake Louise for several extra day, though, so they can compete in Nor Amraces, two downhills and a pair of super Gs, before they go to Europe.