Dorfmeister scores first win of season

By Julien Pretot

VAL D’ISERE, France (Reuters) – Austria’s Michaela
Dorfmeister scored her first win of the season in an Alpine ski
super-G on Sunday to extend her lead in the overall World Cup
standings.

Just 24 hours earlier, Dorfmeister had criticized Val
d’Isere organizers for going ahead with a downhill in poor
weather.

Conditions were perfect, however, on Sunday and
Dorfmeister, eighth on Saturday, clocked one minute 17.59
seconds for the 22nd win of her career, her eighth in super-G.

“This is a measure of revenge after what happened yesterday
(Saturday),” Dorfmeister said. “At least we could get back to
proper skiing. I did pretty well. It felt very easy.”

Her team mate Alexandra Meissnitzer, who came third in
Saturday’s downhill, was second, 0.49 seconds behind, with
Canadian Emily Brydon earning her first podium place of the
season in third, with 1:18.15.

“I had a good run, especially on the upper part of the
course, but Michaela was just too strong,” Meissnitzer said.

Brydon set the early pace and then nervously waited for the
favourites to ski down.

“I was actually more nervous while waiting than during my
run,” she said.

The 32-year-old Dorfmeister, who had come close to victory
since the start of the Olympic winter with four podium
finishes, will be one to watch in the speed events of the Turin
Games in February.

American Lindsey Kildow, who won Saturday’s downhill,
finished joint fourth with Switzerland’s Fraenzi Aufdenblatten
in the final race of the early-season classic meeting,
celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“It was a pretty open race but Michaela and Alexandra are
just too good in super-G,” said Kildow. “It’s amazing how
strong they are.”

France’s Carole Montillet, the Olympic downhill champion
who had placed sixth on Saturday, frustrated her home fans in
this picturesque French Alpine resort by finishing 10th,
according to provisional results.