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Not favorable Women's World Cup Super-G might be rescheduled
Updated: Saturday February 17, 2001 2:19 PM
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) -- A women's super giant slalom was called off Saturday because of steady rain and might be rescheduled, a move that could hurt Janica Kostelic's bid for the overall World Cup title. Kostelic, a Croatian who has swept all seven slaloms this season, is clinging to a slim lead in the race to be overall World Cup champion against two opponents strong in the super-G. "We don't want Janica to have an advantage, but we don't want her to have a disadvantage, either," team director Vedran Pavlek said. The international skiing federation and the skiing teams are still considering whether the super-G can be held next weekend at Lenzerheide, Switzerland. A final decision will be made by Tuesday after an agreement could not be reached Saturday. Pavlek said a slalom that was called off at Maribor, Slovenia, was not rescheduled. He also said the ski federation rejected attempts to hold it later in the same place or reschedule it for Sestriere, Italy. Last year's postponed races were held at the Italian resort in an open weekend before the World Cup, scheduled this year for March 7-10 in Are, Sweden. "This year they don't want to do that, the question is why not?" Pavlek said. Kostelic has 1,072 points overall while Austria's Renate Goetschl is at 1,045 and France's Regine Cavagnoud is at 940. The last two regular World Cup races will be a downhill and super-G next weekend at Lenzerheide. After that, the season ends with the World Cup finals. Goetschl, the defending World Cup champion, and Cavagnoud are among the top three in both disciplines, while Kostelic is strictly a slalom specialist. The 19-year-old Croatian will have a chance to win slaloms Sunday at Garmisch-Partenkirchen and at the World Cup finals but the other four races favor her two rivals. Goetschl closed in on Kostelic by finishing second in Friday's super-G to France's Carole Montillet, who captured her first World Cup victory. She edged the Austrian by .01 seconds on Garmisch-Partenkirchen's Kandahar slope, one of the tour's toughest. Cavagnoud, the world champion, failed to crack the top two in the super-G for the first time this season on the course hardened by artificial snow. She finished fourth, ending her three-race winning streak in the event. Rain began hitting the Kandahar slope early Saturday morning and did not stop during the day. Fog is predicted for Sunday.
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