US' Sarah Schleper finishes 10th
February 22nd, 2006
SESTRIERE, Italy (Feb. 22) - Sarah Schleper (Vail, CO), who was 14th after her first run, laid down a solid second run to finish 10th in Wednesday's Olympic slalom. Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY) was 12th, Lindsey Kildow (Vail, CO) was 14th and Kristina Koznick (Burnsville, MN) opted out of her second run.
Swede Anja Paerson, who sat in first after her first run, won gold in 1:29.04. Austrians followed as Nicole Hosp took silver in 1:29.33 and Marlies Schild won bronze in 1:29.79.
For Paerson, it was her third medal of these Games as she won bronze in both the downhill and the combined. She was the bronze medal winner in slalom at the '02 Salt Lake City Olympics.
Also a double-medal winner in '06 (gold in combined, silver in super G), Croatian Janica Kostelic finished just off today's podium in fourth.
Schleper, who's 10th was a career best in three Olympics, recorded a two-run time of 1:31.38, 2.34 seconds behind Paerson. Stiegler, an Olympic rookie, finished in 1:31.48 and Kildow posted a time of 1:31.58.
Koznick, 3.34 seconds behind Paerson after the first run, decided not take her second run and risk further injury to her knee. She partially tore ligaments in her knee in a training run before a World Cup giant slalom in Germany on Feb. 4. This is Koznick's final season as a World Cup competitor and her final Olympics.
In the first round of runs, Schleper posted a time of 43.61, 1.23 seconds behind leaader Paerson. Kildow was just behind in 43.92, while Stiegler came in with a 44.15 and Koznick a 45.72.
XX OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
Sestriere, ITA - Feb. 22, 2006
Women's Slalom
1. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 1:29.04
2. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 1:29.33
3. Marlies Schild, Austria, 1:29.79
4. Janica Kostelic, Croatia, 1:29.94
5. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 1:30.28
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10. Sarah Schleper, Vail, Colo., 1:31.38
12. Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, Wyo., 1:31.48
14. Lindsey Kildow, Vail, Colo., 1:31.58
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Did not start run 2:
Kristina Koznick, Burnsville, Minn.
