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Kildow Continues Hot Streak
St. Moritz, Switzerland — December 21, 2004

Lindsey Kildow (Vail, CO), who opened the season with a downhill victory and a podium in super G, continued her hot streak Tuesday, finishing second in a World Cup super G on the 2003 World Championships course as four U.S. women broke into the top 30.

Germany's Hilde Gerg won in 1:14.95 while Kildow finished in 1:15.32. Caroline Lalive (Steamboat Springs, CO) was 23rd with Bryna McCarty (Concord, VT) tied for 25th and Jonna Mendes (Heavenly, CA) tied for 28th.

"My [preseason] training went well. I haven't trained speed before in summer, so that's helped," Kildow said, explaining her early season success in downhill and SG. "It's been a progression of results. Last year I had some good results but they didn't come until late..."

Kildow shook off some pre-race jitters because the women hadn't had a speed run since their second training run in Val d'Isere, France, last Thursday. Snow wiped out the third training run and both downhills on the weekend; in super G, racers don't train on the course - they just inspect it and then race.

"I thought I skied pretty well," she said. "I had one mistake in the middle section but, all in all, it went pretty well. I was a little nervous because we hadn't raced in Val d'Isere, so that was disappointing... "I was a little antsy in anticipation of what we were gonna do," she said. "But the snow was perfect - totally buffed and a sunny sky." She skied well through the bottom section, which gave other racers problems, Kildow said.

"Lindsey nailed the bottom, skied very well," said DH/SG Head Coach Alex Hoedlmoser. "It was one of those days where conditions were really perfect - dry, cold, aggressive snow, and, the thing is, in those conditions everybody's attacking. Some people just back off a little - not our girls because they were going for it, but some others.

"Today, you had to ski at the limit and Lindsey did that very well. It was awesome...and when it's so tight - between Lindsey and 30th place was less than a second a half - there isn't much room for the young ones to break in."

He said McCarthy, who has been in the points for all three super Gs this season, "did as good job at the jump where I was standing, but she couldn't carry all her speed into the last part or she'd've been better. And Jonna skied pretty well on the top but she had a little problem after the jump where she caught an edge going into that lost portion of the course and she lost speed.

"You just could not have any mistake today because it was so fast and almost everyone was charging," he said. Libby Ludlow crashed but was okay; "she did something she never does - she leaned in and got on her inside ski; I couldn't believe it," Hoedlmoser said. "All the years I've worked with Libby and I think she may have leaned-in only one other time...but she's fine, no injury."

The women run giant slalom Wednesday before taking a break for Christmas.

WOMEN'S ALPINE WORLD CUP
St. Moritz, SUI - Dec. 21, 2004
Women's SG

1. Hilde Gerg, Germany, 1:14.95
2. Lindsey Kildow, Vail, Colo., 1:15.32
3. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:15.40
4. Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria, 1:15.42
5. Lucia Recchia, Italy, 1:15.49

23. Caroline Lalive, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 1:16.45
25T. Bryna McCarthy, Concord, Vt., 1:16.64
28T. Jonna Mendes, Heavenly, Calif., 1:1:16.71
47. Kirsten Clark, Raymond, Maine, 1:17.20
50. Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, Wyo., 1:17.36
51. Stacey Cook, Truckee, Calif., 1:17.40

Did not finish:
Libby Ludlow, Bellevue, Wash.

Courtesy of US Ski Team