Winter Olympics Prelude -- FIS Alpine Season Opens

(ATR) With four months to the start of the Vancouver Games, top prospects for the Olympics are warming up as the FIS World Cup season in Europe opens.

Soelden, Austria was the scene Oct. 24 and 25 as the host for the opening races. It’s the 12th time since 1993 for Soelden to launch the season, 50 miles west of Innsbruck.

The two days preceding Saturday’s ladies giant slalom brought press conferences by title sponsor Audi and FIS corporate partner, Milka of Kraft Foods. Individual teams and ski manufacturers, Head, Rossignol, Fischer, Volkl and Salomon also held season opening press conferences showcasing their athletes.

Two-time overall World Cup champion, Bode Miller was present for the press conference from Head, although he did not compete on Sunday. Miller, who recently announced his return to the U.S. Ski Team is still working on conditioning and plans to begin his competitive season in Levi, Finland on November 15th.

“This opportunity presented itself and the (U.S.) Ski Team has been super supportive and has had great success over the past few years,” said Miller who skied independently as part of his “Team America” over the past two seasons.

“I think it’s cool to be part of something that’s moving in the right direction and I’m looking forward to that.”

Two-time defending ladies overall World Cup champion, Lindsey Vonn was also in attendance at the Head press conference. Vonn, who has 22 career World Cup wins, more than any U.S. woman in the sport’s history, switched to Head skis in the offseason from Rossignol, after the French manufacturer asked’ athletes to accept a salary decrease.

Vonn was also honored in Soelden as recipient of the 2009 “Golden Ski Award” presented by the International Association of Ski Journalists (AIJS) for her cooperation and excellence working with the media. The Vail, Colorado native became the first American to win the award since Phil Mahre over 25-years ago.

“I’m really honored to receive this award,” said Vonn. “Journalists are an important part of telling the story of our sport. So, to receive an award like this from the International Association of Ski Journalists makes it even more meaningful.”

Action began Saturday morning with the ladies giant slalom. The start was delayed 30 minutes as race crews completed final preparations of the Rettenbach Glacier course due to four inches of new snow on Friday night.

Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen was victorious in the inaugural race holding off Austria’s Kathrin Zettel by just 0.01. America’s Lindsey Vonn was ninth, a respectable start in her weakest of disciplines.

The men took to the steep and tricky piste on Sunday with Swiss veteran, Didier Cuche capturing the win by a sizable 0.60 over Ted Ligety of the United States. It was Ligety’s third podium in three years on the Austrian glacier.

“I think part of it is that it is the first race every year,” said Ligety, the 2006 Olympic Combined gold medalist about his success in Soelden. “It definitely makes you more pumped up. You’re not really sure how fast you will go so you really give 110% to see where you truly are. And also it’s a good hill for me, its super steep for a long ways.”

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup continues with a men’s and ladies’ slalom in Levi, Finland the weekend of November 14-15.

Written by Brian Pinelli

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