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Slow it down World Cup leader Ertl seeking change of pace
SESTRIERE, Italy (Reuters) -- World Cup leader Martina Ertl seeks a change of pace when the women's Alpine skiing circuit moves to Sestriere this week, while Croatia's Janica Kostelic aims for a fourth straight victory. Ertl had a torrid weekend in the Swiss resort of San Moritz when she finished 48th and 33rd in back-to-back downhills dominated by the Austrians. That reduced the German's lead in the standings to 51 points over Frenchwoman Regine Cavagnoud, third on Sunday, and 82 over Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister. But Ertl should find Tuesday's giant slalom on Sestriere's Giovanni Agnelli piste more to her liking. The double World Cup champion in the discipline won the opening event of the season on the Soelden glacier in Austria and was fourth here in a giant slalom eight days ago. The women's giant slalom has proved one of the most fiercely contested of the World Cup events this season and Ertl will face stiff competition from a number of women. Anja Paerson has finished on the podium in all three giants this year but never on the top step. The Swede was third behind Ertl at Soelden and in Park City last month and second here on December 9 -- a consistency which has given her the lead in the discipline standings. Switzerland's Sonja Nef is also a threat having won at Park City and taken third behind Paerson and Dorfmeister at Sestriere. Wednesday's slalom appears a more clean-cut affair. Kostelic has won all three technical events this season including a remarkable race here a week last Sunday when she jumped from 10th after the first leg to clinch the fifth victory of her fledgling World Cup career. That was Kostelic's second victory at this resort on the Italian-French border in two visits. Her first, in December 1999, was her last before a horrific knee injury which brought her 1999-2000 season to an abrupt end. Ertl has twice finished second behind the Croatian teeneger this season and will be chasing points in slalom again to consolidate her overall lead. New Zealand's Claudia Riegler and Sarah Schleper of the United States both performed well here eight days ago in slalom as did Trine Bakke of Norway, who finished third. Both races were rescheduled to Italy from the Slovenian resort of Jasna due to lack of snow.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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