Surprise Podium Results at Alpine Skiing World Cup

After last week’s competition in Arte Terme, Italy, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing World Cup moved to La Molina, Spain, with two Slalom events on Tuesday 31 January and Wednesday 1 February 2012.

The change of scene brought some upsets with skiers who had dominated the competition thus far toppled from the podium.

Until Wednesday, France’s Marie Bochet, Germany’s Andrea Rothfuss and Italy’s Melania Corradini had not shifted from their first-second-third positions throughout all the women’s Giant Slalom and Slalom Standing events.

Although Bochet held onto gold on Wednesday, Rothfuss did not finish the first run and Corradini had a disappointing second run, finishing in fifth place.

Instead it was an opportunity for Slovakia’s Petra Smarzova to take silver and Austria’s Danja Haslacher to take bronze.

In the women’s Slalom Visually Impaired Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova was out-skied by Russia’s Alexandra Frantseva for the first time on Tuesday and Wednesday. Farkasova took silver in both Slalom events. Bronze went to USA’s Danelle Umstead on Tuesday and to Australia’s Melissa Perrine on Wednesday.

In Tuesday’s women’s Slalom Sitting event, Germany’s Anna Schaffelhuber was the only skier to cross the finish line, with Canada’s Kimberly Joines and USA’s Alana Nichols not finishing the second run.

“Well, slalom got the best of me today but lucky for me (stretch for a positive) I have another race tomorrow! Learn something new #everyday,” Nichols tweeted from @alananichols21 on Tuesday.

But the following day, disappointment struck again: Nichols did not finish the first run.

“Slalom 2 Alana 0. But seriously dialed some things in today and feel like I made some significant progress. #patienceisavirtue #orsomthing,” Nichols said on Twitter.

Joines took silver and Schaffelhuber won gold in Wednesday’s Slalom Sitting.

Russia’s Valery Redkozubov won his third and fourth golds of the World Cup in both the men’s Slalom Visually Impaired events. Spain’s Yon Santacana Maiztegui, who is the only athlete to have beaten Redkozubov earlier in the World Cup, finished second and Slovakia’s Miroslav Haraus took bronze in both events.

In the men’s Slalom Standing, Russia’s Alexandr Alyabyev proved to be unbeatable in the Slalom taking gold on both days. France’s Vincent Gauthier-Manuel won silver and Australia’s Toby Kane came third on Tuesday.

“A bronze medal today in the slalom!! Looking forward to another slalom race tomorrow,” Kane tweeted from @Toby_Kane.

On Wednesday though, Kane failed to medal, after a slower second run, and Gauthier-Manuel did not finish the first run. Instead, Switzerland’s Thomas Pfyl took silver and Kane’s teammate, Mitch Gourley won bronze.

The first men’s Slalom Sitting was won by Austria’s Philipp Bonadimann, who also won the race in Arte Terme. His teammate Dietmar Dorn came a close second whilst Germany’s Franz Hanfstingl had to settle for third place.

On Wednesday though, the podium looked totally different. Bonadimann had a much slower second run, finishing fourth overall. Dorn and Hanfstingl did not finish.

Instead, Japan’s Takeshi Suzuki took his first gold of the World Cup. USA’s Tyler Walker won silver and Austria’s Roman Rabl won bronze.

The Alpine Skiing World Cup continues until 2 February in La Molina Spain. For full results and more information, please visit: http://www.ipc-alpineskiing.org/Calendar/