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Kostelic the one to beat in St. Moritz Posted: Tuesday January 28, 2003 7:41 PMLONDON (Reuters) -- The glitzy Swiss resort of St Moritz is a long way from the humble beginnings of Janica Kostelic but the 21-year-old Croat will arrive for the world championships ready to be crowned queen of the slopes. Kostelic, who with her brother Ivica makes up the entire Croatian ski team, spent the early days of her career sleeping in the back of a freezing car, travelling around the Alpine ski circuit on a shoestring budget. Things have changed since those days for the woman who became a national heroine by winning a record three gold medals and one silver at last year's Salt Lake City Olympics. One thing remains the same, however --- her burning desire for victory, whatever the discipline. As with all great champions, the sight of her name in the start list is enough to intimidate all but her most fearless rivals. Kostelic won the overall World Cup in 2001 and has already wrapped up this year's slalom World Cup with two races left. But strangely she has no track record in world championships -- her best being a fifth in the slalom in St Anton two years ago. Though she says that her goal this season is to win the overall World Cup again, it will be a major surprise if Kostelic leaves St Moritz without any gold. Heading the queue to challenge the dynamic Croat will be in-form reigning world slalom champion Anja Paerson -- a skier seemingly undaunted by the aura of Kostelic. The Swede, also 21, posted her third consecutive victory in the World Cup on Sunday when she beat an ailing Kostelic in a slalom at Maribor -- 24 hours after topping the podium in a giant slalom. Swiss hopes Home hopes will rest on the experienced shoulders of world giant slalom champion Sonja Nef and Corinne Rey Bellet. The 30-year-old Nef will hope to repeat the form that took her to victory over Paerson in Bormio earlier this month, though her results since then have been disappointing. The Swiss team is much weaker than 16 years ago, the last time the world championships were held in Switzerland. Then, the Swiss, led by Maria Walliser, Erika Hess and Vreni Schneider, swept all five gold medals in Crans Montana and added two silvers and a bronze as well. One woman to watch in the technical disciplines this time will be the 19-year-old Nicole Hosp, regarded as the leader of a new generation of Austrians. After a remarkable joint first place in the season-opening giant slalom in Soelden, Hosp has achieved a level of consistency belying her tender years, with podium finishes in Sestriere, Semmering and in Maribor last weekend. While Kostelic cannot be discounted in the speed events -- she was a super-G silver medallist in Salt Lake City -- she will have a hard job to upset the traditional downhill specialists. Austrian World Cup champion Michaela Dorfmeister has struggled all season to rediscover her speed but will relish defending her world championship crown. Cavagnoud remembered One of the biggest obstacles to her achieving that feat will be France's Olympic champion Carole Montillet, winner of two super-Gs and one downhill on the World Cup circuit this season. The 29-year-old Montillet has the added incentive of trying to emulate her friend and former training partner Regine Cavagnoud who won the super-G in St Anton in 2001. Cavagnoud died after a training crash in Austria later that year. Dorfmeister will also be up against compatriot and former world champion Renate Goetschl who has staged a remarkable comeback from knee surgery in March last year to post a double victory in Cortina earlier this month. The Italian challenge in downhill, super-G and giant slalom will be led by Karen Putzer, second in the overall World Cup standings behind Kostelic, while Daniela Ceccarelli is out to prove that her Olympic super-G gold was no flash in the pan. The United States will have genuine medal potential in Kirsten Clark, currently joint leader of the downhill World Cup standings with Montillet despite failing to register a win this season. Germany's top skier Hilde Gerg, possibly competing in her final world championships, will also be dangerous, providing she has fully recovered from the knee injury that has bothered her this season. Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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