Record-Breaking Maze Wins Garmisch Downhill
Tina Maze won the women's downhill here on Saturday to break Hermann Maier's 13-year-old record for the most World Cup points collected in a season.
Maze's tally of 2024 bettered Maier's record of 2000 points, set by the Austrian legend in the 1999-2000 season, for the highest tally of World Cup points having already been confirmed as the season's overall winner.
The 29-year-old Slovenian produced a superb technical display down the 3km Khandahar course, leading at every split, with a winning time of 1min 40.46sec, having finished third in Friday's Super-G on the same piste.
"It's really special to win the downhill," said Maze after her first victory in the discipline this season.
"This season, I had skied well in the downhill, but never managed to cross the finish line with a faultless performance.
"I had a bit of luck to St Moritz, when I won my first downhill (in February 2008), but there was no luck involved today, it's incredible and I'm very happy."
Laurenne Ross of the United States came second at 0.39sec back while local favorite Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who suffered with a stomach bug on Friday, produced a battling display to finish third at 0.50sec.
It was Maze's 20th World Cup podium place of the season and her ninth victory on the circuit having already had her victory as the season's overall World Cup winner confirmed at Meribel last weekend.
With seven races left, Maze can extend her tally further in the Super-G in Sunday's final race here before the World Cup moves onto Ofterschwang, Germany next weekend.
Racing was suspended for 20 minutes after Alice McKennis of the United States suffered a heavy crash on one of the final bends before being evacuated by helicopter to hospital.
Source: Agence France Presse
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