Super G victory pretty special: Feasey
NEW Zealand skier Willis Feasey got the Winter Games off to a rousing start with victory in the super G at Coronet Peak on Saturday.
While Feasey won both men’s races in the FIS Continental Cup event that started the Games, Canadian star Candace Crawford claimed backtoback victories in the women’s cup.
The pair each made the best of a tight, technical course that got the better of several other competitors.
The course was set on the Hurdle run, which, with its steep pitch and natural rollers, gave racers every opportunity to put the hammer down and post fast times.
“It was a really fun slope,’’ Feasey said.
‘‘It’s such a good race hill. Coronet Peak really turned it on. It’s pretty special to win both races here today.
“It feels really good to get that result. A wee bit unexpected.’’
Feasey spent 10 years training on the hill as a member of the national team before taking up a building apprenticeship earlier this year.
The 2018 Olympian was very pleased to find himself in the top spot, one day shy of his 30th birthday.
“The top section felt really good. There’s a big cranking turn right at the top and I managed to nail that and carry quite a lot of speed into the pitch.’’
Feasey proved he can still be competitive against strong international racers such as Slovakian Adam Zampa, who finished second, 0.24sec behind Feasey in race one and 0.58sec in race two.
Teo Zampa, youngest of the three Zampa brothers, was third in race one, 0.32sec off the lead. In race two, American Garret Driller rounded out the podium, 1.10sec behind Feasey.
Crawford was also pleased to be showing good earlyseason form to win the women’s races.
‘‘I don’t normally start until OctoberNovember so it’s good to get a few races under the belt prior to the northern hemisphere season, starting to build confidence and figure out a few things,’’ Crawford said.
“This morning, we had a few delays to the start but you just had to stay relaxed and go with the flow. The snow was a little soft because the sun had been on it all morning.
‘‘You just had to really go for it even if it didn’t feel that good.”
Crawford finished race one 1.67sec ahead of Rebeka Jancova, of Slovakia, and 3.21sec ahead of Charlotte Henriksson, of Finland.
In race two, American Ava Sunshine was 0.30sec off the lead with New Zealand skier Alice Robinson 0.32sec back in third.
Top seed and hometown hero Robinson did not quite find the form that she would have hoped for from her world ranking of 17 in the super G discipline, posting a DNF on run one but making the podium on race two.
“I just got late and couldn’t make the gate,” Robinson explained after race one.
“You’ve got to be tactical. The course is very tight, like a GS course. I tried to be clean and fast but it wasn’t the right goal for the course, I don’t think.”
Race one doubled as the New Zealand super G open and junior championships.
Michol Hinton won both the women’s titles, while Keir Roberts was crowned junior men’s champion.
µ The giant slalom was postponed yesterday due to poor visibility on course.
Races will now be held today and tomorrow.