ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP 1997/98
Crans Montana (SUI) Women's Downhill. 13.Mar.1998
KtjaSeizinger Golden Girl Seizinger Wraps Up Overall World Cup Title

Crans-Montana, Switzerland, March 13--Triple Olympic champion Katja Seizinger of Germany has clinched her second overall World Cup title after the women's downhill and super-G races at the World Cup finals were cancelled due to weather. None of her closest rivals would have a chance of catching her in the two remaining events, a giant slalom and a slalom. Only six downhill races and six super-G events took place on the World Cup circuit this season, and Seizinger won eight of them.
The women's downhill, which had been slated for Friday morning, was called after Picabo Street, who skied second, had a frightening crash and broke her femur in four places. Both the women's and men's super-G races, scheduled for Friday afternoon, were then also called off.
Crans-Montana Picabo Street injured in canceled race
PicavoStreet Super-G Olympic Champion Picabo Street injured herself badly in the first women's event of the World Cup Finals in Crans-Montana which took place on Friday the 13th . The 1996 Downhill World Champion broke four times her left femur in crashing in the upper part of the National Downhill course on Friday afternoon.
She had to be transported by helicopter to the nearby hospital in Sion where she underwent surgery in the evening. The race was finally canceled after a 30 minutes hold.
Only one skier, Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister had finished her run. It seems that Picabo didn't injured also the ligaments of her left knee which she tore on December 4th 1996.
It was her second crash in a row. Six weeks ago, the American lost a ski at high speed on the Downhill course in Sweden's Are but without any serious consequences. This time, she fell on her back after a jump and hit violently the nets. None of the two planned women's race could be run today : the Super-G too had to be canceled. Only six Downhill races and six Super-G events took place this season and Germany's Katja Seizinger won eight of them. The triple Olympic Champion definitely clinches her second Overall title after these cancellations.　None of her closest rivals is now able to catch her in the last two remaining events, a Giant Slalom and a Slalom.
Women's Downhill Final Standings
1 Katja Seizinger GER 520
2 Renate Goetschl AUT 392
3 Isolde Kostner ITA 292
4 Melanie Suchet FRA 237
5 Hilde Gerg GER 224
6 Florence Masnada FRA 216
7 Heidi Zurbriggen SUI 185
8 Alexandra Meissnitzer AUT 168
9 Regine Cavagnoud FRA 167
10 Brigitte Obermoser AUT 150
11 Carole Montillet FRA 139
12 Bibiana Perez ITA 136
13 Ingeborg Helen Marken NOR 135
14 Katharina Gutensohn GER 130
15 Stefanie Schuster AUT 123
16 Michaela Dorfmeister AUT 112
17 Picabo Street USA 102
18 Alessandra Merlin ITA 89
19 Regina Haeusl GER 81
20 Leatitia Dalloz FRA 74
21 Martina Ertl GER 68
22 Melanie Turgeon CAN 65
23 Catherine Borghi SUI 56
24 Spela Bracun SLO 53
25 Warwara Zelenskaja RUS 43
26 Sylviane Berthod SUI 34
26 Mojca Suhadolc SLO 34
28 Svetlana Gladishiva RUS 33
29 Pernilla Wiberg SWE 29
30 Trude Gimle NOR 28
31 Barbara Merlin ITA 27
32 Patrizia Bassis ITA 25
33 Kate Pace Lindsay CAN 23
33 Miriam Vogt GER 23
35 Sibylle Brauner GER 20
36 Elena Tagliabue ITA 16
36 Daniela Ceccarelli ITA 16
38 Tanja Schneider AUT 15
39 Kristine Kristiansen NOR 11
40 Kirsten L Clark USA 10
41 Grete Stroem NOR 8
42 Marianne Brechu FRA 7
43 Elena Bresciani ITA 4
44 Kathleen Monahan USA 3
44 Corinne Rey Bellet SUI 3
46 Elisabeth Brandner GER 2
47 Jennifer Mickelson CAN 1
47 Marianna Salchinger AUT 1