Gerg favored in women's Super G

SNOWBASIN, Utah (AP) -- The women's Olympic super-G on Sunday will be marked as much by who is not racing as who is.

While the competition promises an exciting showdown between Germany's Hilde Gerg, who won two-of-four super-G races this season, and Austrian Renate Goetschl, fresh off medals in the downhill and combined event, it will be overshadowed by the sad absence of the 2000 world champion Regine Cavagnoud, who was killed in a training accident 3 1/2 months ago.

Also out is reigning Olympic champion Picabo Street.

Gerg, the surprise 1998 Olympic slalom gold medalist, stunned the circuit's speedsters by charging to the forefront in both speed disciplines, winning a super-G in Val d'Isere, France, and another in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, as well as clinching back-to-back victories in downhills in Saalbach, Austria.

"I like going into the race as the favorite," said Gerg, who tops the World Cup super-G standings. "It's better than going in not knowing where you stand because you question things."

"The super-G course suits me better than the downhill," added Gerg, who finished fourth in Tuesday's downhill. "The turns are tighter than the downhill and I prefer that to only small changes in direction."

Goetschl, who took Olympic bronze in the downhill and silver in the combined earlier this week, twice finished runnerup behind Gerg this season in the Super G and sits second behind the German in the World Cup discipline rankings.

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Italy's Karen Putzer, the winner of the season's third super-G, Austrian Alexandra Meissnitzer, the 1999 overall World Cup champion who finished third in the last super-G in Cortina, and American Caroline Lalive, third in the season opener in Lake Louise, Canada, could also figure in.

Gerg, nicknamed "Wilde Hilde" by the German press, is the only returning female Olympic gold medalist aside from Street. Street only qualified for the downhill this time, where she finished 16th and then announced her retirement.

The ad absence is Cavagnoud. The French speed specialist died 3 1/2 montsh ago, two days after slamming into a German coach while training on an Austrian glacier.

The Frenchwoman's death left a pall over many of the circuit's skiers, the veterans in particular. After winning the first super-G of the World Cup season, Gerg cried atop the podium as she remembered Cavagnoud.

Even Carole Montillet's surprise victory Tuesday, which gave France's women their first Olympic gold in the downhill, was clouded by memories of the team's former leader.

 

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