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Paerson Wins; Mancuso Grabs Bronze in Super G
Santa Caterina, Italy — January 30, 2005

Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) made it two medals in two days for U.S. skiers Sunday at the 2005 World Alpine Ski Championships, grabbing the bronze medal in super G behind Anja Paerson of Sweden and Lucia Recchia of Italy as all four U.S. women finished in the top 12.

A day after Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) opened the championships by winning the men's super G, Paerson won in 1:17.64 with Recchia timed in 1:18.09 and Mancuso the bronze medalist in 1:18.40. With Mancuso in the lineup, some Italian journalists began talking happily of four Italians in the top five (Recchia was second, Nadia Fanchini fourth and Isolde Kostner fifth.)

"Well, not perfect...but I didn't make any mistakes as big as everyone else's," Mancuso said with a laugh as she walked along TV Row in the finish area, answering questions from all the national television crews at the championships.

"I think the snow was a little different than I expected. I thought it would be grippier but it was fast and I made some mistakes from that, going a little straighter than I wanted in some places," she added. "It was faster than when we were here three weeks ago and that surprised me a bit."

Moving quickly through shadows
The 2K Deborah Compagnoni course - named for Italy's great Olympic champion who is from the region - was a mix of sunshine and shadows. "But I didn't notice the shadows that much," the newest American medalist said.

Mancuso, who set the U.S. record for Junior World Championships medals at eight (and medaled in all five events at the Chevrolet U.S. Alpine Championships, came into Worlds with top-10 results in all four disciplines although she hasn't produced a World Cup top-3. She chatted easily with journalists in the finish as she waited for the rest of the top guns to race. She skied 16th and when she was knocked out of the top spot by Recchia, she made her way to the American reporters. "It wasn't my best race but I'll take it," she said, watching as, one by one, the top SG racers, according to World Cup points, made errors, skiing off course, crashing, missing gates, going wide on turns...and skiing away from the top-3 podium.

At the customary press conference, she said, "My season was very good so far. I wasn't expecting much coming in here and I think that helped a lot, not having expectations." Running No. 16 and then waiting, she said, was "crazy and exciting staying in the finish...

"I didn't have the best run but it held up." She explained that her great-great-grandfather on her father's side came to the United States from southern Italy and her mother's relatives also came from Italy - but she doesn't think there are any relatives in the country any more.

Coach: "Always good to get a medal"
Lindsey Kildow (Vail, CO), one of the pre-race medal favorites, appeared to lose the edge of her right ski at one point and then skied wide on a right-footed turn in the midsection as she finished ninth. In addition, Kirsten Clark (Raymond, ME) - SG silver medalist two years ago at Worlds in St. Moritz, Switzerland - finished 10th and Caroline Lalive (Steamboat Springs, CO) 12th.

Head Coach Patrick Riml called the performances "not shabby at all. It's always good to get a medal...and the girls were ready. I was very pleased to see 'Clarky' skiing so well after her training crash a week ago, and she did well. Lindsey skied well at the top and then caught an edge and lost a bit of time...and Caroline did a decent job, too.

"And Julia, of course, really attacked. She was pushing it, taking risks," Riml said. "She picked up good speed at the bottom."

He wasn't overly surprised by the leading super G skiers having less than stellar results. "That happens in the World Championships and the Olympics. Three of the Austrian women have won four or five super Gs, so you would expect one of them to be on the podium." During the press conference, Paerson echoed Riml, noting that while it's unusual all the leaders would have problems, "Everyone is going up one level in taking risks," which can lead to mistakes.

Men and women have downhill training this week before the racing schedule resumes Thursday with the men's combined, one downhill run on a shortened course and two runs of slalom on an abbreviates run. Mancuso said she would race combined Friday but would skip the women's downhill Feb. 6 so she could have more giant slalom training.

USA Network will televise coverage Feb. 5 from noon to 2 p.m. ET and Feb. 6 from noon to 2 p.m. ET. NBC will broadcast coverage from Worlds Feb. 12, 1-3 p.m. ET, and Feb. 13, 3-5 p.m. ET.

2005 WORLD ALPINE SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS
Santa Caterina, ITA - Jan. 30, 2005
Women's Super G

1. Anja Paerson, Sweden, 1:17.64
2. Luccia Recchia, Italy, 1:18.09
3. Julia Mancuso, Olympic Valley, Calif., 1:18.40
4. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 1:18.54
5. Isolde Kostner, Italy, 1:18.67

9. Lindsey Kildow, Vail, Colo., 1:18.82
10. Kirsten Clark, Raymond, Maine, 1:18.94
12. Caroline Lalive, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 1:19.03


Courtesy of US Ski Team