Meissnitzer Wins, Goetschl Secures Season Trophy

	Renate Goetschl World Cup DH Champion

Leading a group of outsiders in direction of the podium, Austria's Alexandra Meissnitzer celebrated her second success of the season in a World Cup downhill during the finals in Sierra Nevada.

The 1999 overall World Cup champion beat by 31/100 of a second Norway's Ingebor Marken and by 54/100 the surprising Canadian Melanie Turgeon. The best specialist of the season, Meissnitzer's teammate Renate Goetschl came in 4th at 27/100 behind Turgeon, who reached her first podium in her five-year career.

Michaela Dorfmeister "only" finished 6th, but she managed to conquer 3rd place in the final downhill standings as Germany's Hilde Gerg was only 8th. The US's Megan Gerety was 7th.

A winner earlier this season in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, Meissnitzer failed to confirm her progress in downhill. She was 4th in Vail and 6th in St Moritz last week, so she didn't expect this great win even if she has set the fastest time in the second training run on Monday.

"I can't believe it, that's fantastic...That's a great way to finish the season..."— Melanie Turgeon (CAN)

"It's the first time that I was pretty relaxed at the start of the race," she said at the arrival. "I didn't feel really concerned by this downhill because my main goal here is the defend my lead in the Super-G and the GS World Cup standings. In fact it's great to ski without any pressure; I had much fun today.

"There are some tough turns in the upper part where I skied well and then I had a very fast pair of skis in the last flats. I'm very pleased to finish on the podium in the downhill standings, I didn't expect it at all at the season start. This result is also a great boost for my morale before the Super-G race on Thursday. It's fantastic to be in such a great shape at the end of the season. I have reached much more than I ever hoped."

Alexandra won her 8th World Cup race this season, her 10th including the World Championships in Vail.

"She is a very determined and dedicated athlete. She proved once more today how strong she is in her mind," said her head coach Karl Frehsner. "She impressed me today. I would not be surprised now if she wins more races here this week."

Marken achieved her first podium since her victory in a Super-G in Lillehammer in 1996. She was third last season in a downhill in Val d'Isere. This result helps her to finish the season on a positive note after an average winter. She scored points in all downhill races, but never better than 10th while her teammate Andrine Flemmen and Trine Bakke, who broke a right leg on Monday, have accumulated great results and medals in the past months.

	Malanie Turgeon

But the happiest person at the finish line was Canada's Melanie Turgeon, a multiple junior World Chanmpion in 1994, whose best result in that even was a 5th in Tignes in 1994.

"I can't believe it, that's fantastic," said the skier from Quebec who had a bad crash two weeks ago in Are, Sweden, on her way for another top-5 place. "That's a great way to finish the season."

In January, the 22-year-old was also 5th in a Super-G in Cortina d'Ampezzo. She can now aim for a top-30 position in the final overall World Cup standings with another good performance in the coming Super-G. In that competition, the skier to beat should again be Alexandra Meissnitzer, who needs to finish ahead of Dorfmeister or close behind her to clinch the Super-G globe.

— Mountain Zone European Ski Correspondent