Alpine skiing - other results from La Parva

South American Cup went on in La Parva (Chile) with a Super-G and a Super-Combined (by adding a slalom run to the SG time) for both men and women.

Men's Super-G

Another German youngster on the top of the podium but surprisingly this time is not Ferstl, who has been detronized by fellow countryman Klaus Brandner -a regular in European Cup though with no top10 placement, and one WC appearence (59th in Garmisch last season).

Frenchman Theaux completes the podium leading the French troupe which has placed many skiers (including few new names) here and there within the top20. 

Slovenian Sporn is 10th while Perko 12th.

Argentinian Cristian Javier Simari Birkner 16th is the first South American, but it's not good news as Ferstl overcame him in the SAC standing, and he might lose his first SAC overall since 2000.

Men's Super-Combined

Super-Combined has always been a bit in the limbo, on the verge of cancellation, but there are few specialists of this discipline, Mermillod-Blondin, winner here, is one of those - he had few podiums also in WC, including Kitzbuehel this year. Another specialist is Zrncic-Dim who was 3rd.

Ferstl held strong his 2nd position, there weren't previuos relevant results neither in slalom or super-combined from him.

4th the young Frenchman Valentin Giraud Moine, who was 14th after the SG; followed by Cristian Simari Birkner, but as said wasn't enough to seize Ferstl and now the Cup is in danger.

Other nice comebacks from the British duo Crawford-Baldwin, 20th and 21th in the order after SG and American Roberts, a slalom specialist from US university circuit, who recorded the best time of the run and raised to 10th place from 27th.

Women's Super-G

Tina Weirather geared up to win the Super-G, preceeding Fabienne Suter and Lara Gut in a podium not so different from those of the World Cup.
Then there's a long plot of Swiss skiers broken by a girl from a B French team, followed by Ilka Stuhec who has showed consistency here in SAC.

Women's Super-Combined

Weirather and Suter manteined the placements they achieved with the SG while Kaufmann-Abderhalden stepped on podium also thank to another slalom letdown from Gut. She couldn't be defined as specialist of the Super-Combined but she is better in slalom than the average downhiller.

Good runs for Stuhec, Strachova -formerly Zahrobska- world class slalomist, and young Russian Yakovishina consistently in the top 10 here in Chile.   

I'll leave with few videos:

As I mentioned it before: Lara Gut crush in super-combi at the World Championships in Garmish.

I'm sorry but I can't help but think the crush is funny.

Vail-Beaver Creek 2015 are taking shape, and women's speed track has just been named Raptor (because 'murica). Link

I have a special guest who tested the track.

Alpine Skiing - some results from La Parva (Chile)

In La Parva took place some speed events valid for the South American Cup, but which involved some names of relevance also for the World Cup.

Men's downhill 1

Josef Ferstl finished in the top 30 only twice in WC, 9th in Garmisch, 30th in Kvitfjell. He has some good placements, with some wins and podiums in European Cup though, and also was 3rd in DH standind in 2012.

Brice Roger, scored several top 30 placements last season in WC and also was 15th at the Championships in Schladming. A good up and comers

Not much to say about Russian Alexander Glebov, he can easily dominate National Champs but no important results on main tour.

Just down the podium Clarey leads the group of France's veteran which includes Fayed, and out of the top10 Bertrand, Theaux, W-Champs DH bronze Poisson, Mermillod-Blondin and W-Champs SG silver De Tessieres.

Other interesting names: UK's hope Crawford and Baldwin, who's found several top10 finish here in Chile; Slovenia's Perko and Sporn

Men's Downhill 2

Josef Ferstl doubled the succes, followed by his countryman Andreas Strodl who hasn't competed since 2011.

France scored a good team-result: Theaux was 3rd, Clarey 5th, Bertrand just behind, while Fayed, Poisson, Mermillod-Blondin and De Tessieres ended inside the top 20. Roger didn't race.

Good 4th place for combined specialist Zrncic-Dim and the two Britons both in the top 10

Women's Downhill 1

Swiss team makes big thing from the start placing all the atlethes in the top 10.

4th placed Joana Haehlen is the only new name, she has never raced

in WC, some good placements in European Cup and couple of medals at the Junior Champs.

Good 3rd place for Slovenian Stuhec, and two Russian novice Yakovishina 10th followed by her countrywoman Bedareva, both class '92.

All Ferk and Brodnik from Slovenia and Weirather from Liechtenstein finished inside the top 20.

Women's Downhill 2

Switzerland still dominating. Gut didn't take part as well as Weirather.

Another top 10 finish for Stuhec and Yakovishina while Bedareva was 11th again. 

Gisin showed great appreciation for La Parva on her blog, even though internet and news have some difficulties to make their way up there.

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Alpine skiing - get ready for the White Circus

It may look like I've abandoned the blog, and in fact I have... but the White Circus silently goes on, mostly Down-under, and our heroes are getting ready to entertain us on the bigger stages, lets see how.

Ivica Kostelic at the trapeze

Maroney may be not impressed by Kostelic's gymnastic skills but she'll be impressed at his collection of knee surgery that has now reached and gone beyond the double figure. In Italy there's the saying "hundred of these days" to wish something to be long lasting, I'm not sure this is the right occasion to say it.

Anna Fenninger the Quick-change artist

Sadly she forgot how to put on her boots and needed help

The aMAZEing Tina the illusionist

Last season she flew on her skiis, for the next season she'll push it a step further.

The Italian team in the cage with lions and tigers

Well, not really a scary wild beast... it was Alonso, a fox.

Little Miss Sunshine (aka Mikaela Shiffrin) applied as comician