Swiss fail to impress in Crans-Montana

Anja Pärson jumps to victory in Crans-Montana on Sunday Keystone

The first World Cup ski event at Swiss resort Crans Montana in almost ten years has ended with a win for the Swede Anja Pärson, but disappointment for the Swiss.

Pärson triumphed at the women’s super-combined race on Sunday, with American Lindsey Vonn winning Saturday’s downhill.

The Swiss did not have any podium finishes, with the best results being Rabea Grand in 11th place in the super-combi and Martina Schild 8th in the downhill.

Pärson won the combined downhill and slalom in 2:30:60. In second place was Germany’s Maria Riesch, 0.2 seconds behind. Vonn was in third.

“I can now say that my season is now much better than what it looked like before. It’s a beautiful finish for me.” Pärson told reporters afterwards.

Pärson has now won her third World Cup race of the season, all of them in Switzerland. She won a downhill and a super-G in St. Moritz in December.

Riesch’s second place allowed her to clinch the discipline title. She is now closing in on Vonn in the race for the overall title.

Vonn still leads the standings with 1,263 points ahead of Riesch’s 1,106 points.

The American’s win in the downhill race made her the all-time leader in the United States with ten career World Cup downhill wins.

Joy

Crans Montana’s race organisers said they were pleased with the event. In all, around 16,000 spectators came to watch the skiing in the canton Valais resort.

“Crans Montana is worthy of the World Cup. I only heard good feedback from other countries,” said Hugues Ansermoz, trainer of the Swiss women’s team.

“We also really need these types of races, with lots of spectators and a good atmosphere, in the women’s World Cup,” he added.

The Piste Nationale, the racecourse, had undergone a SFr4 million (SFr3.9 million) renovation for the World Cup.

… and disappointment

However, Ansermoz had less praise for his team’s performance. “For many nothing quite went as they wanted. The results on our home race ground are therefore rather disappointing,” he said.

Grand, although 11th in the super-combi, came 4th in the slalom part of the combined race. “I know that I can ski the slalom fast, it’s simply in the race that it goes wrong,” she said.

For her part, Schild said she was more or less “satisfied” with her performance.

Swiss men did not fare too much better in the men’s world cup giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. Swiss Didier Cuche finished 6th. Teammate Marc Berthod finished 5th on Saturday.

Berthod then finished 11th in Sunday’s race. Cuche, second in the overall rankings, did not take part.

swissinfo with agencies

World Cup standings

Women
1. Lindsey Vonn, United States, 1,263 points.
2. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1,106.
3. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 1,085.
4. Elisabeth Görgl, Austria , 992.
5. Marlies Schild, Austria, 980.

Men
1. Bode Miller, United States, 1,387 points.
2. Didier Cuche, Switzerland, 1,218.
3. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1,123.
4. Manfred Moelgg, Italy, 855.
5. Ted Ligety, United States, 798.