Women's Downhill Training
Switzerland’s Corinne Rey-Bellet, 4th in the last downhill race at Veysonnaz, dominated the timed training runs today on the Arlberg Kandara course which will be used during the World Alpine Ski Championships here in 2001.

Rey-Bellet, 26, beat the overall World Cup leader Alexandra Meissnitzer by over half a second in the first run, and she beat Brigitte Obermoser, another Austrian, by 23/100 in the second trial run in preparation for tomorrow's downhill.

Norway’s Ingeborg Helen Marken and Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg came 3rd best in both the first and the second practice runs. Renate Goetschl (AUT), the leader in the downhill standings, didn’t feel so comfortable on the relatively easy course which was covered by fresh snow. Goetschl only clocked the 13th and the 30th best training times.

Hilde Gerg (GER), the surprise winner in Veysonnaz last month, couldn’t do better than 8th in the second trial. Her teammate, Martina Ertl, who is still fighting for the overall World Cup title against Meissnitzer, skied twice into the top-10. America’s Megan Gerety was 11th and 19th.

Because of heavy snowfall over the past few days, the upper technical part of the course could not be prepared in time for training by the organizers.

"The course is not so challenging because of the fresh snow," said Meissnitzer, who came among the top-3 here twice in 1996 before the course was redesigned. "You have to be really smooth and precise on your skis on the long turns. There is a lot of gliding here, so many skiers have a serious chance to win tomorrow. I aim for a top-5 place."

Rey-Bellet, who was also the fastest racer on the last training run at Veysonnaz, hopes to reach her first podium in tomorrow's downhill. In Switzerland, she crashed in the first race and got 4th in the second one.

"I put too much pressure on myself in Veysonnaz and I have learned my lesson," Rey-Bellet admitted. "I will try to be more relaxed this time. With a good startnumber, I hope to come again among the best five. My goal is to enter the first seed in downhill before the World Championships at Vail."

Rey-Bellet was 19th before this fifth downhill of the season which means that her start-order will be drawn randomly. Only the top 15 skiers can choose their bib number from 1 to 30, the leader having the first choice, followed by her next competitors.

In 1992, Rey-Bellet placed 3rd in a GS race in Crans-Montana in her first World Cup race. Injuries prevented her from reaching her potential in the following years, but she has been consistently strong in downhill, super-G and giant slalom since the season start.

"I went through very difficult times, so I try now to enjoy more what I’m doing," she explained. "It’s important to have fun in the sport. You can’t reach your potential when you’re skiing with too much pressure on your shoulder."

No Swiss skier has won a downhill since Heidi Zurbriggen in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria in 1997, and only Karin Roten has been able to clinch a slalom this season.

A tough program will host the best speed specialists in St Anton: after the downhill which begins at 9:30am (8:30am GMT), the women will have to compete at 1:45pm (12:45pm GMT) in a super-G held on the same course. On Sunday a slalom, which will also count for a combined, will take place next to the downhill run.

It will be an important weekend for the leaders in the overall World Cup standings. Meissnizter will try to reinforce her position against Germany’s Ertl and Gerg, and Sweden’s Wiberg has a chance to move into the top-3.

—Mountain Zone European Correspondent