Frantceva beats Farkasova at alpine World Cup

Russia’s Aleksandra Frantceva claimed back her form in the slalom to beat world champion Henrieta Farkasova, who has won every race since returning from injury. 06 Feb 2014

Russia's Aleksandra Frantceva and Guide Pavel Zabotin could secure the overall super-combined World Cup title in Tarvisio.

ⒸNicolas Nereau

By IPC

Come Sochi 2014 the race will be on

Russia’s Aleksandra Frantceva beat slalom world champion Henrieta Farkasova at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup in St. Moritz on Wednesday (5 February), the first time the Slovakian has suffered defeat since returning from injury.

Farkasova and guide Natalia Subrtova have been in stunning form since making their World Cup season debut in Tignes, France, winning all three women’s visually impaired races they had competed in. However, Wednesday’s slalom victory belonged to 26-year-old Frantceva, guided by Pavel Zabotin (1:25.13), who posted the two fastest runs on packed snow to edge Farkasova (1:25.94), showing that come Sochi 2014 the race will be on. Australia’s Melissa Perrine and guide Andrew Bor were third (1:31.49).

In the men’s standing, France’s slalom world champion Vincent Gauthier-Manuel (1:11.76) returned from a disappointing non-finish in Monday’s (3 February) giant slalom to finish first ahead of Russia’s Alexey Bugaev (1:12.88) and Austria’s Thomas Grochar (1:14.44) on the podium.

For France’s serial podium topper Marie Bochet (1:18.40), it was once again a great day at the office in the women’s standing. Fastest in both runs, she claimed yet another World Cup victory over her closest rival Andrea Rothfuss (1:22.96) of Germany. Russia’s Inga Medvedeva (1:26.57) showed why she could also step onto the podium in Sochi with another third placed finish.

Joint World Cup leaders Russia’s Valerii Redzokubov, guided by Evgeny Geroev, and Spaniard Gabriel Juan Gorce Yepes, with guide Ja Ferrer Ventura, went head-head in the men’s visually impaired. Redzokubov (1:12.94) came out on top, with Gorce Yepes (1:19.38) second ahead of Poland’s Maciej Krezel (1:19.87).

In the men’s sitting Croatia’s Dino Sokolovic (1:16.79) bagged his first World Cup slalom victory of the season to propel himself into the top 10, ahead of France’s Jean Yves Le Meur (1:18.81) and German Thomas Nolte (1:19.75).

Germany’s slalom world champion Anna Schaffelhuber (1:25.59) was fastest in the women’s event ahead of Victoria Pendergast (1:56.03), for her second win of the week.

Races conclude in St. Moritz on Thursday (6 February) with the second round of slalom races, before skiers head to Italy for the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals in Tarvisio from 24-27 February.

Pictures from World Cup races are available at the IPC's Flickr page and updates will be posted to IPC Alpine Skiing's Facebook page and @IPCAlpine on Twitter or search #WorldCup.