ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP 1997/98
Lienz (AUT) Women's 3rd Slalom. 27.Dec.1997
Second win for Ylva Nowen
SkiNet Report by Patrick Lang

Sweden's Ylva Nowen didn't need a long time to confirm that her first success at Val d'Isere, France, wasn't a fluke : in the next-to-last slalom of the year hold at Lienz, south of Austria, the Scandinavian beat by 28/100 of a second the reigning World Champion Deborah Compagnoni from Italy and by 77/100 Slovenia's Urska Hrovat.
America's Kristin Koznick took a strong 4th place at 1.18 second. She finished in front of the defending Overall World Cup Champion Pernilla Wiberg. Australia's Zali Steggall, a winner at Park City, was 6th, a few hundredths ahead of the leader in the Overall World Cup Katja Seizinger from Germany.

Nowen, who will turn 28 on January 5th,charged with great confidence in both runs after having scored strong results since the season's start: 2nd in the parallel race at Tignes, France, in October, she was 2nd again in Park City behind Steggall before her surprising success in Val d'Isere where she achieved an impressive second run moving from 13th to first place. Yet, the fact that only the top-15 were reversed for the second run at Val d'Isere was for sure great advantage for Ylva.
The course was in much better shape for her than for the favorites like her teammate Pernilla Wiberg who crashed out after setting the best time in the opening run.
Still in Lienz, where the best 30 started in the second run in the reverse order, Nowen proved that she had no problem to handle difficult racing conditions and standing up to mental pressure.
Having clocked the fastest time in the morning in front of Compagnoni and Hrovat, the Swede was the last skier to leave the start-house in the afternoon. She negotiated the bad course fearlessly and managed to successfully defend her lead in front of her closest rivals. How tough the race conditions were was made evident by the best times set in the second run by the first starters who had lost more than three seconds in the first run.
Germany's Monika Bergmann, 29th in the morning and second on course afterwards was the fastest in 48.21, more than a second ahead of Nowen.
The tall skier from Froesen, a small place in the middle of Sweden, was herself surprised by her easy success.
"Today I felt more relaxed than ever before," she said afterwards. "In a way I still high from my previous win in Val d'Isere. I had a great time during Christmas break: I was so happy that I didn't train at all as I would have in the previous years. I wanted to relax and enjoy the pause at home. The first races have given me great confidence. They also helped me to be more focused when I prepare my races. For years, I worried about everything and I have worked with a psychologist to improve my mental attitude. It was worth it".
Compagnoni wasn't too surprised by Nowen's latest achievements. The Italian Superstar had the opportunity to train with some of the Swedish skiers last Summer and she had the possibility to observe Nowen's great progression. "She is a strong athlete who just needed more confidence in herself to express her at her best," the double World Champion said. "The way she won in this race proves her class. I lost my best chance in the first run in which I didn't ski aggressively enough. In the second run the conditions were too difficult to make up much time on Nowen. I have tried but too late. At least I proved to myself than I'm more consistent in Slalom than a year ago. I just need a win to be happier".
Another great day also for Kristina Koznick who equaled her excellent performance from Park City despite her start-number 22. This result will help her to improve her standings in the Slalom start list for the coming events. In her second run, she was much faster than most of the established specialists such as the three leaders, Pernilla Wiberg or Zali Steggall. Her ability to master her skis on worn runs should help her to aim for a place on the podium on Sunday.
The other US skiers didn't manage to qualify for the second run. Carrie Scheinberg, 35th in the first run, missed the cut by only 25/100.
Women's 3rd Slalom, December27,1997
Rank Name Nat. Total
 1 NOWEN Ylva  SWE   1:35.42
 2 COMPAGNONI Deborah  ITA   1:35.70
 3 HROVAT Urska  SLO   1:36.19
 4 KOZNICK Kristina  USA   1:36.60
 5 WIBERG Pernilla  SWE   1:36.80
 6 STEGGALL Zali  AUS   1:36.95
 7 SEIZINGER Katja  GER   1:37.01
 8 EGGER Sabine  AUT   1:37.05
 9 PEQUEGNOT Laure  FRA   1:37.25
 10 WACHTER Anita  AUT   1:37.28
 10 DOVZAN Alenka  SLO   1:37.28
 12 GALLIZIO Morena  ITA   1:37.67
 13 PICCARD Leila  FRA   1:37.70
 13 GERG Hilde  GER   1:37.70
 15 PRETNAR Spela  SLO   1:37.71
 16 BAKKE Trine  NOR   1:37.74
 17 GERG Annemarie  GER   1:37.89
 18 MILANI Barbara  ITA   1:37.93
 19 BERGMANN Monika  GER   1:37.94
 20 ANDERSSON Kristina  SWE   1:38.08
 21 ACCOLA Martina  SUI   1:38.12
 22 KOELLERER Karin  AUT   1:38.18
 23 CHAUVET Patricia  FRA   1:38.34
 24 YDESKOG Linda  SWE   1:38.40
 25 BOSCH FORRELLAD Monica  SPA   1:38.55
 26 FLEMMEN Andrine  NOR   1:38.58
 27 NEF Sonja  SUI   1:38.60
 28 TICHY Katerina  CAN   1:38.70

Did not finish 1st run:
RAITA Henna (FIN), ERTL Martina (GER), CARRICK-ANDERSON Emma (GBR), MAGONI Lara (ITA), PLANK Astrid (ITA), FORTKORD Martina (SWE), HAELLDAHL Sandra (SWE), DAEPP Claudia (SUI), ROTEN MEIER Karin (SUI), SITAR Nives (SLO)

Did not finish 2nd run:
RIEGLER Claudia (NZE), NELSON Tasha (USA)

Disqualified 1st run:
SALVENMOSER Ingrid (AUT), PASCAL-SAIONI Christel (FRA)

Did not qualify 2nd run:
GRAU Vicky (AND), WAIDHOFER-DUMMER Carolina (AUT), ROZSA Edith (CAN), KURFUERSTOVA Eva (CZE), VIDAL Vanessa (FRA), SOURD Isabelle (FRA), JACQUEMOD Ingrid (FRA), BRAUNER Sibylle (GER), HALTMAYR Petra (GER), WOLF Stefanie (GER), CERESA Annalisa (ITA), BIAVASCHI Elisabetta (ITA), YAMAKAWA Junko (JPN), GILJARHUS Bente (NOR), GALINDO SANTOLARIA Ana (SPA), LAMBRIGGER Karin (SUI), NEUENSCHWANDER Katrin (SUI), REYMOND Sandra (SUI), OESTER Marlies (SUI), SHEINBERG Carrie (USA), SCHLEPER Sarah (USA), BOKAL Natasa (SLO), KVOPKOVA Maria (SVK)