Aspen, CO – Tina Maze amazes skiing fans at the best of times, and a commanding giant slalom win in Aspen on Saturday placed her at the head of the table for the 2013 Alpine Skiing World Cup.
As rivals like Lindsey Vonn continue to suffer with illness, Tina Maze has now triumphed in two out of the first three races, following the season opener in Soelden two months ago. Her early season dominance now means she enjoys a notable lead in the 2013 Alpine Skiing World Cup standings with 250 points.
Speaking after the race with Reuters , Maze said she felt this season was her best ever chance of becoming world champ:
“I’m extremely happy. After Soelden I have the impression that it is this year or never. It’s a real relief when you’ve worked so hard for five years with a small group and you realize it’s paying off at last. It was close last year already. Now I don’t want to think too far ahead. I just want to ski well and not think that I’m winning just because Lindsey is unwell. I hope to win thanks to my talent and my strengths.”
She later added to the Associated Press :
“The season is long. You need to keep your skiing on a high level for three months.”
In Aspen on Saturday, Maze was the only competitor to break the two-minute barrier. By finishing the Colorado course in a combined time of one minute and 59.39 seconds, Tina Maze beat out Austria’s Kathrin Zettel and Olympic champion Vitkoria Rebensburg. Her victory left her in a formidable position in the 2013 Alpine Skiing World Cup table:
While Zettel was 0.90 seconds adrift and Rebensburg 1.54 seconds behind, defending World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn, who was suffering a stomach bug throughout the weekend’s action, finished a lowly 21st. The official table from the International Ski Federation website does not make pretty reading for the American:
Ski fans, are you impressed at how Tina Mazes continues to amaze us this season?
