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Italian women surprise field with gold, bronze in super-G
By Ray Grass
Deseret News Olympic specialist
SNOWBASIN — Italian Daniella Ceccarelli has had a pretty nondescript skiing career — until now.
At 27, she has no golds and no major wins and was given little hope of medaling in the women's super-G on Sunday, against what was an extremely fast crowd. Her last win, in fact, was so long ago she couldn't remember just when . . . "In a Europa Cup race, I don't remember which one," she said. The Europa Cup is the B-circuit of ski racing.
But, Wildflower was her course and this was her day. Ceccarelli skied what is, to this point, the biggest upset race of these Olympic Games to win the gold.
Second was Janica Kostelic of Croatia, winner of the gold medal in last Thursday's women's combined, and third was her Italian teammate, Karen Putzer.
America's best showing was Kristen Clark in 14th.
Prior to this appearance, Ceccarelli had been on the winner's podium only once. In World Cup standings last year she was 40th.
But, after looking at the course and finding it suited her style — technical and turny — she said she felt "encouraged."
"But I was very tense. I couldn't do the usual warming-up exercises I usually do," she said through an interpreter. "A minute before the start I said, 'That it.' I was not really concentrating. I had to think of this race as any other race. The tension went down and I felt very well."
She skied the course with only a couple of little bobbles. She admitted, in fact, that coming down "I already realized I was doing well."
"When I was at the (finish) line . . . I looked at my time, I thought 'Oh, it is the best one.' "
Kostelic was as casual about her silver medal as she was after winning her gold. She wasn't looking for a second medal, and she stressed at a press conference after the race that she's not interested in a third, despite being favored in the slalom.
"I have two medals, I don't need any more. I have enough for now. It doesn't matter if I do (win a third) or not," she said as she leaned back in her chair.
Looking back on her run, she said that on course she felt she was skiing badly.
"I was a little out of line, but not that bad," she said. "I made not so many mistakes as the others."
She was the 16th racer out of the gate and came into the finish area between the two Italians. Ceccarelli's time was 1 minute, 13.59 seconds to a 1:13.64 for Kostelic. Putzer's time was 1:13.86.
Putzer, too, said she was surprised at her time and that "While I was coming down I realized I made a few mistakes."
It was another of those disappointing days for the U.S. Ski Team. Caroline Lalive, in what was her last chance at redemption, instead sunk deeper into despair. She fell in the downhill, fell in the combined and less than six gates and 13 seconds into the super-G, she fell again.
Kristen Clark, the No. 2 speed skier on the team, finished 14th. "This is definitely not the result I wanted. I was going for it on the top section, but it caught me in the middle section. I just lost quite a bit of speed in the middle section," she said. "I looked at the course in inspection and knew it was right up my ally. I'm definitely bummed I wasn't able to capitalize."
Two of the U.S. team's youngsters, Jonna Mendes and Kathleen Monahan, finished 16th and 17th, respectively.
Racing will now switch to the technical side. After a two-day rest, the women will pick things up with a slalom at Deer Valley on Wednesday.
E-MAIL: grass@desnews.com
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February 18, 2002
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