SECOND DOWNHLL TRAINING WORLD CUP BANSKO
SkiRacing.com
For the second day straight, Austrian Andrea Fischbacher was the fastest in downhill training in Bansko, Bulgaria, where women's World Cup downhill and super G races are scheduled Friday through Sunday.
Fischbacher was first down the icy, turny course that got the better of a few skiers Thursday, including Lindsey Vonn, who took a spill but is OK save a sore butt, U.S. coach Jim Tracy said.
Swiss racer Fabienne Suter stayed closer to Fischbacher, who beat everyone by more than a second and a half in Wednesday's training. On Thursday, Fischbacher finished in 1 minute, 46.38 seconds and Suter was .14 seconds back. The rest of the field was still more than a second out. Tina Maze was third (1:47.50), Lara Gut fourth (1:47.62) and Maria Riesch fifth (1:48.07).
The course is likely the turniest the women have seen on the World Cup downhill tour, with four big traverses across the fall line that toss them in and out of a series of steep pitches.
Six skiers missed gates in Thursday's training, including Kaylin Richardson and Keely Kelleher while Anja Paerson and Elisabeth Goergl joined Vonn on the DNF squad.
Friday's downhill begins at 5:30 a.m. EST and will be aired live on universalsports.com.
By Shauna Farnell
Thursday's training results:
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time
1 6 55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea 1985 AUT 1:46.38
2 20 515766 SUTER Fabienne 1985 SUI 1:46.52
3 15 565243 MAZE Tina 1983 SLO 1:47.50
4 19 516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI 1:47.62
5 12 206001 RIESCH Maria 1984 GER 1:48.07
6 2 515573 AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi 1981 SUI 1:48.26
7 9 515747 GISIN Dominique 1985 SUI 1:48.32
8 27 195983 ROLLAND Marion 1982 FRA 1:48.42
9 5 296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA 1:48.53
10 16 55069 GOETSCHL Renate 1975 AUT 1:48.65
…
36 47 95050 KIRKOVA Maria 1986 BUL 1:54.88
