Extreme Skiing

Some sad news for all you ski fanatics out there. The men Super G at the World Championships in Are, slated for today has been cancelled following high winds - further disrupting the entire schedule.

Heavy snowfall, poor visibility and gushing winds have caused for the postponement of the event, which will now take place on Monday. The organizers are optimistic over the women’s Super G scheduled tomorrow (Sunday).

The International Ski Federation is hopeful of the change in the weather, with president Gian-FrancoKasper believing there would be delays in the entire programme.

She was tied for the fourth in the first leg though clocking the fastest in the second clamed her first gold at the World’s - the former Olympic silver medalist Nicole Hosp won the giant slalom title finishing in a combined time of 2:31:72.

The Austrian ace and two-time defending champion Anja Paerson unfortunately crashed out of the race and the Olympics champion Julia Mancuso was left stagnant despite her first leg advantage.

Sweden’s Maria Pietilae-Holmer bagged the silver in the event finishing 0.85 seconds behind the leader, while Denise Karbon of Italy finished third.

Hosp’s came out a competitor defying all odds winning the race none would have expected.

Read: Eurosport

Biathlon a dual sporting event combined with cross-country skiing and rifle shooting - The events former half at the World’s this time is grabbed by Alexander Wolf, claiming the feat for third time.

For the 28-year-old, German the victory at the World Cup in the 10km sprint clocking a time of 22:41.4, scheduled at Pokljuka, is by far a befitting return to form, digging himself out of the slump of 10 failures this season. This finish will certainly jive momentum and confidence into him ahead of the World Championship next month.

Sweden’s Bjorn Ferry moved in 6.6 seconds behind the leader, sufficing with second spot, with the effort also securing a penultimate spot behind triple Olympic champion Michael Greis in the discipline standings.

Raed: Eurosport

New faces are creating wonders at the World’s this season - the champions of the likes of Schild and home queen Paerson have failed to impress much.

Sarka Zahrobska perhaps isn’t a name as big as couple mentioned above - but the Czech has made it where it really counts, Zahrobska clinched the gold medal in the Alpine Skiing World Championship women’s slalom.

Zahrobska the quickest on the first lost out somehow on the succeeding but still managed an overall 0.11 seconds finish quicker than her Austrian counterpart Schild who finished second ahead of the downhill, super G and super combined winner Anja Paerson who ended with a bronze the fourth medal of the championships.

Win over the ski giants is indeed a great achievement for young Zahrobska.

Read: Eurosport

He leads the overall standings though the max. Gregor Schlierenzauer could manage at the large hill is a second spot - the Austrian teenager finished behind the two time successive champion Adam Malysz.

The Polish, triple World champion was outstanding in both his jumps covering distances of 129.5 meters and 134.5 meters respectively.

Russia’s Dimitry Vassiliev was the third to finish on the podium - with a win at Titisee-Neustadt, Malysz has stepped into the top three slot at the overall standings, though behind Schlierenzauer and Jacobsen of Norway.

31-year-old Renate Goetschl is an Austrian alpine skier - she finished at the pinnacle in the women’s downhill event clocking 1:55:65.

This is the Austrian’s 44th World Cup victory of which she has managed six this season - and this being second in successive days. She made her debut in 1993 and has made 99 odd podium appearances since then at the Worlds.

Goetschl won the super G yesterday and in the process tops the super G and the Overall standings.

The others to finish on the podium at the downhill event today were Austrian Elisabeth Goergl and Maria Holaus.

Read: Eurosport

Katrin Apel began her career at a young age as a cross-country skier, though failed to create much effect managing a best possible third in the junior World Championships. When the German failed to make a mark in the event she switched to biathlon.

Now, after skiing for 22 long years Katrin has decided to call time. The 33-year-old has decided to retire at the end of the World Cup season. She quoted,

The final World Cup race of this year will be the last of my career.

Katrin in her illustrious career achieved ample. To mention a few, she won nine World Championship and four Olympic medals including four World Cup wins - age and fitness seems taking its toll on her of late, the German has struggled to remain at the top fitness level required to remain competitive at the World events (owing to shoulder problem she was unable to make it into the German squad for the World Championship this season).

What would Katrin do, post quitting would have been a worry though the champion is cool, she is certain of working with children viz. becoming a teacher.

A resolve to win confronted a hazardous terrain but none could stop Anja Paerson from successfully defending her super G title at the Women’s Alpine Skiing World Championship - staying aloof of a victory for nearly a year now, the 25 year-old was out at the apex at Are much to the delight of the home fans.

The frustrating run last season forced the champion into a break from the ice and the layout worked just right for Paerson who from the very outset dominated to clock 18.85 seconds finishing at her personal best this season.

Paerson confidently defended her Super G title she had won two years ago in Bormio - Lindsey Kildow of America followed her of the silver with the favorite Renate Goetsschl of Austria finishing for the bronze.

Paerson is competing in all five events and is scheduled to compete in the giant slalom on coming Tuesday where again she will be defend her title.

With a victory in the super-combined at Kvitfjell, the Austrian Benjamin Raich increased his overall World Cup lead while Aksel Lund Svindal bagging the season’s title in the event.

Winning a spellbinding slalom race, clocking 2 minutes 21.22 seconds he (Raich), moves a wee bit closer to successfully defending his World Cup skiing title.

The Austrian was a distant eleventh in the standings after the downhill run but with a staggering finish in the slalom Raich leads the overall standings with a comfortable margin totaling 1045 points with six races to go this season.

Switzerland’s Silvan Zurbriggen finshed 1.41 seconds behind the Raich to clinch the second spot, with Aksel Svindal finishing for the third place - though the third place finish was just enough for Aksel to win the first edition of the super combined.

Bode Miller injured his knee at the World Cup finals downhill event at Are’s Olympia course in the downhill event last year - fearing a recurrence he has decided to give up his downhill title at Are this time without competing.

However, the American is willing to defend his Super G title in the World’s commencing at Saturday - that he won in the World Championship event in 2005.

The twenty-nine year old wants to be the first athlete to claim supremacy in all five events though has failed to qualify for the American Slalom squad - the only feat missing from his repertoire.

Bode will miss out from the downhill event scheduled for the Feb. 10 - he had been severely criticized by the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) for inappropriate behavior but off late looks a transformed competitor.

Read: Eurosport