Weirather claims super-G globe as Vonn crashes in Aspen

Shiffrin may have already locked up overall title if Stuhec doesn't race in Saturday's slalom

Vail’s Lindsey Vonn crashed and did not finish Thursday’s super-G race at the World Cup Finals in Aspen on Thursday, as Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather won the race and the season-long super-G globe.

Weirather beat downhill champion Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia by a third of second to claim the super-G title by a scant five points over Stuhec.

Vonn hit a panel and slid into the safety netting but appeared uninjured as she was able to ski off the course and then wave to fans.

Gunning for her record 78th World Cup win, Vonn has struggled in super-G this season while battling back from various injuries and ailments.

Vonn’s season is now over and she’ll be in training mode for next season’s Olympics in South Korea and her bid to catch Ingemar Stenmark for the all-time World Cup victory record of 86.

Stuhec kept her slim overall title hopes alive with her second-place finish and the 80 points that comes with being runner-up.

Heading into the weekend tech events of slalom and giant slalom, Stuhec now trails Eagle-Vail’s Mikaela Shiffrin by 198 points.

Shiffrin didn’t race in the speed events of downhill and super-G, and just needs to score some points in her specialties of slalom and giant slalom to claim the coveted overall globe that Vonn has previously won four times.

Stuhec reportedly won’t race in Saturday’s slalom, which would mean Shiffrin has already locked up the overall title heading into the weekend.

Here’s the press release from the U.S. Ski Team:

ASPEN, CO (Mar. 16, 2017) – Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) led the way for the U.S. Ski Team in a challenging super G at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals on another sunny, warm, spring-like Colorado day.

“It’s nice to be done with the season and also, it’s nice to be able push one last race and have a good result,” said Ganong, who finished eighth in his final World Cup race of the season and now heads off to Sugarloaf, Maine, for the U.S. Alpine Championships March 25-28.

Austria’s Hannes Reichelt took the men’s victory over Wednesday’s downhill winner Dominik Paris of Italy. Mauro Caviezel of Switzerland and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway tied for third. Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) was 17^th.

In the women’s event, Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein mastered the soft, aggressive snow to take the victory and the overall World Cup super G title. Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec, who led the super G standings heading into Thursday’s race by just 15 points, finished second on the day, as Italy’s Frederica Brignone rounded out the podium in third.

Stuhec now trails Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) by 198 points in the battle for the overall World Cup title with just two races remaining – slalom on Saturday and giant slalom Sunday in Aspen.

Both Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) did not finish the super G. Vonn skied through a gate and crashed, while Ross got knocked off balance in a compression and also crashed. Both were OK and skied to the finish.

“I think I just released the ski a little bit too early, and then once I realized that I didn’t have enough direction, I tried to really hammer on it,” said Vonn, who was working to carry her speed off the top portion f the course. “But I didn’t really have the strength or power to make it back. I almost had it, but I didn’t.”

“I’m not totally sure how I went down,” Ross said. “I think I just hooked up in a transition and high-sided, and landed on my side/bum/head. I slid for a while, but I’m OK.”

Up next, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals continue Friday with the team event, followed by slalom Saturday and giant slalom Sunday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hannes Reichelt of Austria and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein won their respective men and women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals super G races Thursday in Aspen, Colorado.
• With her victory, Weirather moved past Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia to take the overall World Cup super G title, and Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud won the men’s overall World Cup super G title.
• Stuhec trails Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) by 198 points in the battle for the overall World Cup title with two races remaining.
• Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) was the top  American in the men’s race in eighth.
• The Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals continue Friday with the team event.

QUOTES
Travis Ganong
It’s nice to be done with the season and also, it’s nice to be able push one last race and have a good result.

Laurenne Ross
I’m not totally sure how I went down, I think I just hooked up in a transition and high-sided, and landed on my side/bum/head. I slid for a while, but I’m OK.

I think my run was going OK beforehand. I felt like I was arching down the pitch and having some fun.

Lindsey Vonn
I think I just released the ski a little bit too early, and then once I realized that I didn’t have enough direction, I tried to really hammer on it. But I didn’t really have the strength or power to make it back. I almost had it, but I didn’t.

BROADCAST (all times EDT)

Friday, March 17
12:30 p.m. – Team event – NBCSN

Saturday, March 18
11:00 a.m. – Men’s GS – run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
12:00 – Women’s slalom – run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
12:30 p.m. – Men’s GS and women’s slalom – run 1 – NBCSN
1:30 p.m. – Men’s GS – run 2 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
2:30 p.m. – Women’s slalom – run 2 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
6:00 p.m. – Men’s GS and women’s slalom – run 2 – NBCSN

Sunday, March 19
11:00 – Women’s GS – run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
12:00 – Men’s GS – run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
1:00 p.m. – Men and women’s giant slalom – run 2 – NBCSN – LIVE

RESULTS
Men’s super G
Women’s super G