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Perfect conditions Norway's Bakke wins World Cup slalom event
Posted: Thursday January 06, 2000 12:12 PM
MARIBOR, Slovenia (AP) -- Norway's Trine Bakke put together two flawless runs Thursday to capture her first victory of the season and jump atop the slalom World Cup standings. Bakke took advantage of her No. 1 starting bib and perfect conditions in the first run, posting the fastest time of 51.75 seconds and a lead of 42 hundredths of a second. Starting 30th in the second run, Bakke was undisturbed by the rougher course and again had the fastest time, finishing with an aggregate of one minute, 41.90 seconds, and a victory by 0.87 seconds. "I knew Spela Pretnar was very close after the first run," Bakke said after posting a combined time of one minute, 41.90 seconds. "I was under pressure to beat her." Pretnar, a Slovenian who was cheered wildly by thousands of local fans, finished second in 1:42.77. Some 12,000 fans lined the piste on the cool but sunny day, cheering wildly each time a Slovenian was up. Skiing is the national sport in this tiny country. "I wanted to win," Pretnar said. "But I was happy with second place because Trine was much better than me today." Austrian Sabine Egger, winner of last week's slalom in Lienz, Austria, was third in 1:42.99. The victory pushed Bakke atop lead in World Cup slalom standings past 18-year-old Croatian Janica Kostelic, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last month. A slalom specialist, Bakke, 24, earned the bronze medal in slalom at the World Championships in Vail, Colorado, last year. Her only other World Cup triumph was a slalom last year in St. Anton, Austria. "I hope to be on the podium in every slalom race," said Bakke, who has fared no worse than sixth in the five events this season. In addition to Thursday's victory, she has a second and third-place finish. Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister maintained atop the overall World Cup lead, which she took over from teammate Renate Goetschl Wednesday by winning a giant slalom. Goetschl, last year's World Cup downhill champion, trails by 37 points. The women's tour moves to Berchtesgaden, Germany for a giant slalom and slalom over the weekend.
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