The women's tour will be marked by comebacks of former champions injured in past seasons. First of all, Picabo Street, the '98 super G Olympic Champion, has been training hard since last spring. The skier from Sun Valley, who now lives near Park City, may need some time to adjust, but the 2002 Olympic Games at home will be a strong motivator.
Picabo's good friend, Austrian Alexandra Meissnitzer, overall champion in '99, has not totally recovered from knee injuries sustained in a crash in November '99. To make matters worse, she tweaked her knee again during summer training.
Two German skiers are also in dubious shape: the '98 Olympic Slalom Champion Hilde Gerg, and the 2000 World Cup Downhill Champion Regina Haeusl, who crashed in the finish area at Bormio after successfully defending her lead. They might need more recovery time before again reaching their full potentials.
Croatia's Janica Kostelic has fewer problems, despite the seriousness of her knee injury suffered in a crash in St. Moritz in December '99. At the time she had been leading the Overall World Cup standings. This summer Kostelic improved greatly after training with specialists from Croatia, Switzerland and France.
Sweden's Pernilla Wiberg, with six medals, 24 World Cup victories in all specialties, and the overall World Cup win in '97, has the best record in the current field of female racers. She also had knee surgery last spring, so anything could happen, but she plans to focus on the speed events before a last attempt in slalom in the 2002 Olympics.
The Austrian women had another great season last winter with four skiers placing among the top-10 in the overall standings. Last year's overall champion, Renate Goetschl, switched to Salomon skis over the summer and hopes that this change will improve her chance for a repeat performance.
Goetschl's toughest challengers will be her teammate Michaela Dorfmeister; Italy's Isolde Kostner, a two-time super G world champion, in '96 and '97, who aims to become the first Italian woman to steal the big Crystal globe; and, France's Regine Cavagnoud, 30, one of the veterans on the circuit. Cavagnoud just began winning races in January '99 and since then has won four races in three events, enough to boost her confidence in her potential to become overall champion. Germany's Martina Ertl, runner-up in '96 and '98, is a strong outsider.
In slalom, Slovenia's Spela Pretnar, the 2000 champion, hopes to continue to dominate a diverse, competitive field which includes Norway's Trine Bakke, Sweden's Anja Paerson, France's Christel Saioni, Austria's Sabine Egger and American Kristina Koznick.
Koznick, now a eight-year veteran, is skiing for US Team II this winter after clashing with the management of the USSA about changes in the staff. She trained at her own expense with former US coach Dan Stripp. During the season, her travel expenses will be paid by the race organizers.
Other skiers, such as '99 World Champion Zali Stegall from Australia, New Zealand's Claudia Riegler and Kostelic, who has trained with her father, have proven that this type of independent solution is hard, but that it can work.
Switzerland's Sonja Nef, one of the best GS skiers, also trained alone this summer to strengthen an injured knee. She won three times last winter and is aiming for more this season.
And another great Swiss gate skier is back after having a baby, '97 silver medalist Karin Roten.
Among the younger generation hungry for a larger slice of the pie are two Canadians, Melanie Turgeon and Allison Forsyth, Austria's Brigitte Obermoser, Italy's Karen Putzer and Switzerland's Corinne Imlig.
In the US, we also look to Sara Schleper and Caroline Lalive, who last season often finished among the top-15. For them, the horizon goes beyond 2002... they can also dream about the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz, the 2005 Worlds at Bormio, or the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy.
— Patrick Lang, MountainZone.com Correspondent
« BACK TO START
