ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP 1997/98
Lienz (AUT) Women's 4th Slalom. 28.Dec.1997
Nowen on Slalom Streak, Koznick Takes Second

Ylva Nowen has found the perfect snow-wave this winter: the Swede is actually surfing from victory to victory in this last days of December. In Lienz, southern Austria, the Scandinavian who had never conquered a place on a World Cup podium prior to this season celebrated her third consecutive win in a slalom.
This time, the new ski star beat by 10/100 America's Kristina Koznick who clinched her first World Cup podium and by 19/100 the reigning World Champion Deborah Compagnoni from Italy. Urska Hrovat from Slovenia, 3rd on Saturday, had to content herself with the 4th place in front of the leader in the Overall World Cup standings, Katja Seizinger. Two of the main favorites, Claudia Riegler and Zali Steggall also finished among the top-10 in 9th and 10th position.
Last winter's slalom World Cup Champion Pernilla Wiberg didn't finish the second run nor did Germany's Hilde Gerg and Martina Ertl. This allowed Seizinger to increase her advance in the World Cup: the downhill Olympic Champion leads now with 911 points in front of Gerg (674 points) and Compagnoni (563 points). Nowen, who is also a strong leader in the slalom standings is now 5th with 533 points while Koznick got closer to the top-10 group. She is now 12th with 220 points but 2nd in slalom with the same total. At Nagano, she will also be fighting for an Olympic medal.
Thanks to colder temperatures, the Hochstein course at Lienz was in pretty good shape this time for the last women's competition of the year: a spectacular slalom took in fact place in front of a great crowd who enjoyed the fight between the best gates specialists on the World Cup tour. They already produced an attractive show during the first run which took place on a hard piste which favored aggressive skiing. Great technique was required on the final steep part which caused tough problems to some favorites such as Italy's beloved Compagnoni who lost over a second because of a mistake in that section.
Yet it was not Ylva Nowen who set the best time in the morning but Koznick who impressed everybody with her determination. Starting in 19th position, the 22-year-old skier from Brunsville, Maine, was able to improve by 12/100 Nowen's former best time. Switzerland's Martina Accola was 3rd at that point, 23/100 in front of other favorites such as Hrovat, Riegler, Seizinger and Roten. Compagnoni was only 9th at that point.
Having nothing to loose the triple World Champion once again took all risks, hoping to improve her position, achieve an incredible second run, and put great pressure on all the other skiers. In fact the Italian remained in the lead for a while: the skiers starting just behind her were not able to ski at her level. Ylva Nowen, the next-to-last starter was the first one able to beat her time by less than two tenths. Koznick also proved how strong her nerves were that afternoon: the multiple US slalom champion only lost few tenths on Nowen in the upper part of the course. Yet, she fought with all her heart in the more technical bottom part where she even made up some time on her.

Finally only 10/100 separated her from her first victory, also the first for an American slalom specialist since Julie Parisien's win at Park City in 1992. But the US skier was more than pleased by her first top-3 finish on the World Cup tour. Fourth at Park City, she also finished 6th at Val d'Isere and again 4th at Lienz on Saturday.
"It's great feeling to be on the podium after this difficult race," she said.
"I have reached a main goal today and it was worth fighting hard for it in the past years. I felt confident after my recent good performances, and I could try harder this time. Everything is right in my mind in this moment. I came much closer to my strongest dream, a spot on the Olympic podium."
Like Nowen, Koznick has been working hard in the past years to achieve her potential: after finishing once 10th in a slalom in 1993, she had to face several health problems before getting back into her best shape with the help of a chiropractor from Salt Lake City. She couldn't take part in the 1994 Olympics after she tore her left ACL in pre-season training. Her best result last winter was a 11th place at Mammoth Mountain, California.
Nowen would certainly agree that skiing is also a mental sport at the highest level. Charged with confidence by her first wins, she only thought about skiing as fast as possible in both runs. Yet she couldn't hide her surprise at the end of her excellent second run which brought her a new success.
"Everything came so fast and so suddenly," she wondered. "I really can't explain why I'm skiing so well in this moment even if I know all the intensive work done in the past years. My mental training is for sure a main part of my actual success, but I'm still amazed."
"I will need some time to digest all what happened to me in the past month," she added. "I will take some distance when I will be home in Oestersund during New Year. It's important to remain calm and focused. I don't want to think about Nagano right now. Everything can happen on a given day. You can't control your form over many months. For the moment, I just want to enjoy all these great events".
With three wins and her second place at Park City, Nowen is now the main favorite for the Slalom World Cup title which will be presented at the finals at Crans-Montana, in March. She could built up a strong lead on her closest rivals. Yet with five slalom races left, some top specialists such as Compagnoni are not ready to give up their search for the crystal globe. The Italian was pleased but also a little frustrated after that race. "I have lost too much time in the first run with that mistake," she said. "This time I tried harder from the first gate on, but it didn't turn out the way I wished in the final part. I must be pleased by my final 3rd place after that great second run. Last year, I won the last race before the New Year break, and I wanted to repeat this performance today. I guess I must wait a little longer on my next slalom victory".
The next women's races are scheduled in Ofterschwang, in Germany, in one week. Yet, current snow conditions there are not good enough for World Cup actions. It's possible that the FIS will again decide to move or reschedule the upcoming slalom and giant slalom.
Women's 4th Slalom, December 28,1997
Rank Name Nat. Total
 1 NOWEN Ylva  SWE   1:37.33
 2 KOZNICK Kristina  USA   1:37.43
 3 COMPAGNONI Deborah  ITA   1:37.52
 4 HROVAT Urska  SLO   1:38.16
 5 SEIZINGER Katja  GER   1:38.48
 6 ACCOLA Martina  SUI   1:38.72
 7 PRETNAR Spela  SLO   1:38.96
 8 RIEGLER Claudia  NZE   1:39.26
 8 ROTEN MEIER Karin  SUI   1:39.26
 10 STEGGALL Zali  AUS   1:39.30
 11 BAKKE Trine  NOR   1:39.38
 12 PEQUEGNOT Laure  FRA   1:39.47
 13 DOVZAN Alenka  SLO   1:39.65
 14 BIAVASCHI Elisabetta  ITA   1:39.67
 15 GALLIZIO Morena  ITA   1:39.73
 16 EGGER Sabine  AUT   1:39.89
 17 SALVENMOSER Ingrid  AUT   1:39.90
 18 MAGONI Lara  ITA   1:40.04
 19 FLEMMEN Andrine  NOR   1:40.56
 20 TICHY Katerina  CAN   1:40.65
 21 HALTMAYR Petra  GER   1:40.71
 22 WACHTER Anita  AUT   1:41.03
 23 WOLF Stefanie  GER   1:41.44
 24 PASCAL-SAIONI Christel  FRA   1:43.03

Did not finish 1st run:
WAIDHOFER-DUMMER Carolina (AUT), RAITA Henna (FIN), GERG Annemarie (GER), BEHRINGER Simone (GER), CARRICK-ANDERSON Emma (GBR), YAMAKAWA Junko (JPN), GALINDO SANTOLARIA Ana (SPA), DAEPP Claudia (SUI), OESTER Marlies (SUI), NELSON Tasha (USA), KVOPKOVA Maria (SVK)

Did not finish 2nd run:
JORCIN Emmanuelle (FRA), GERG Hilde (GER), ERTL Martina (GER), WIBERG Pernilla (SWE)

Disqualified 2nd run:
BERGMANN Monika (GER), MILANI Barbara (ITA)

Did not qualify 2nd run:
GRAU Vicky (AND), KOELLERER Karin (AUT), ROZSA Edith (CAN), KURFUERSTOVA Eva (CZE), CHAUVET Patricia (FRA), VIDAL Vanessa (FRA), SOURD Isabelle (FRA), JACQUEMOD Ingrid (FRA), CERESA Annalisa (ITA), PLANK Astrid (ITA), GILJARHUS Bente (NOR), BOSCH FORRELLAD Monica (SPA), ANDERSSON Kristina (SWE), YDESKOG Linda (SWE), FORTKORD Martina (SWE), HAELLDAHL Sandra (SWE), LAMBRIGGER Karin (SUI), NEUENSCHWANDER Katrin (SUI), REYMOND Sandra (SUI), NEF Sonja (SUI), SHEINBERG Carrie (USA), SCHLEPER Sarah (USA), BOKAL Natasa (SLO), SITAR Nives (SLO)