Anna won her first WC-victory!
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, 23rd January
Today Anna Ottosson became the 14th Swedish alpine skier to win a WC-competition when she won the Cortina giant slalom, a long and demanding course.
This win was Sweden's first in a giant slalom since 1992, when Pernilla Wiberg won in Narvik.
Before the season, Anna said that she felt that she has the capacity to win, and today she proved it.
After the first run, Anna had the lead by 0.36 sec. ahead of Birgit Heeb of Lichtenstein. Anna skied brilliantly on the upper and middle parts of the course, but lost a little time on the bottom of the course due to a small mistake that reduced her speed slightly. However Anna was very satisfied with her first run.
After the race, Anna said that while waiting to ski in the 2nd run, she tried to think that the 2nd run was a new run, in a new competition, and didn't think about that she had the best time of the 1st run. And indeed that was a good decision.
In the 2nd run, Anna skied just as brilliant as in the 1st run on the upper and middle parts. She was 1.51 sec. ahead of the leader duo Heeb and Forsythe at the intermediate split. Like in the first run she lost time at the bottom of the course, but when she crossed the finish, the margin was still very big, 0.87 sec.!
Today Anna skied on a new pair of skis. During the week she had used these skis in training, and the training had went very well, so Anna decided to use the skis in the race.
The difference between the skis Anna used in Cortina and the skis she normally uses, is that with the Cortina-skis you get a much better grip on the snow, and they turn more precisely when you ski steep, icy and heavy-packed-snow courses.
Anna said that she will continue skiing on the winning-skis, and also that the victory has done her confidence good. Now she's looking forward to the slalom and GS in Zwiesel next weekend, and says that her goal is to stay on the podium.
Also, I'm sure that it won't take long until Anna reaches the podium for the first time in a slalom, maybe already on Sunday...
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