Diary: The stuff of dreams

ByEurosport

Published 24/02/2006 at 16:38 GMT

Julia Mancuso's giant slalom gold medal topped a fairy tale finish for the final event of the women's Alpine Olympic schedule: three racers without a World Cup podium finish to their name this season came good under the heavy snow and fog in Sestrières.

ALPINE SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 2006 Giant Slalom Women Ottosson Poutiainen Mancuso

Image credit: Reuters

Like Ted Ligety's combined win for the American team in first week of the games, Mancuso's victory was as much a surprise as it was a tonic for the ailing USA team.

With the role of US medal hopefuls Lindsey Kildow and Kristina Kosnick in the Games restricted by unfortunate training crashes and injuries, the unheralded Mancuso was able to make a name for herself at the tender age of 21.

"I do not know how it really feels yet. I feel the same, but just really excited," said Mancuso after winning the two-run event by 0.67 seconds.

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ALPINE SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 2006 Giant Slalom Women Julia Mancuso

Image credit: Reuters

"The second run was a bit difficult. It was a little bit slower and harder, more turns. I was aware that some of the girls were having problems but I just knew I just had to ski really solid with no mistakes."

Yet to sink in

Mancuso has never won a World Cup race, although she won two bronze medals - in super-G and giant slalom - in last year's World Championships

"I don't know how different you should feel once you are an Olympic champion, but I am just excited to go and celebrate with my family," the beaming youngster told Eurosport.

Asked about there whereabouts of her trademark silver tiara crown, Mancuso said: "I'll bring it out later... Now I can actually wear it properly - for being the Queen!"

And weren't her family pleased! "I am so proud, I am so happy," said Andrea Mancuso, Julia's mother. "You know, this is something she has been working so hard for, for so, so long. It is just wonderful to see it happen here today."

Energetic April Mancuso praised the strength of sister: "I think the biggest thing is just her mental state. She is so confident but she does not get nervous. I mean, she gets nervous but not to the point that it makes her ski any different than any other time of the day, the week.

ALPINE SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 2006 Giant Slalom Women Ottosson Poutiainen Mancuso

Image credit: Reuters

"She is just ready. She just goes for it. She does not look at it just like her life is over if she did not get it, you know? She just loves it, she loves skiing."

Poutiainen makes history

Silver medallist Tanja Poutiainen made history on Friday by becoming the first Finish racer - male of female - to win an Alpine skiing Olympic medal.

"It was a great race and a great day for me," a delighted Poutiainen told a post-race news conference.

"When I crossed the finish line the first thing I thought of was that I had got an Olympic medal - that is a huge thing for any athlete, especially when it is for the first time.

"That it is also historic, a first medal for Finland, is nice but I hope tomorrow we will get more," she said, referring to compatriot Kalle Palender's campaign in the men's slalom event.

Palander won a slalom gold medal in the 1999 world championships but has never made the podium in an Olympic race. The Finn is second in the men's World Cup slalom standings behind Italy's Giorgio Rocca.

Poutiainen has found it difficult this year to match the heights she reached in the previous season, when she won the slalom World Cup and took two silver medals in the World Championships.

The Finn said her below-par results this year were largely down to inconsistency. "I've had a bit of a fight to get two good runs in the same race and I often didn't make it.

ALPINE SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 2006 Giant Slalom Women Tanja Poutiainen

Image credit: Reuters

"But there are a lot of good girls in slalom and that's sport - I've finished sixth a number of times and that is not bad but obviously not good enough for the podium."

Poutiainen said she had managed to put her World Cup form behind her in order to focus on her Olympic goal.

"After the (World Cup) race at Ofterschwang I had a few easy days at home, with my friends and just relaxing and training. I wanted to make a cut in the season and said to myself 'don't look back, focus on the Olympics' - and that is what happened."

To celebrate, Tanja told Eurosport that she would watch Finland take on Canada in the semi-finals of the ice hockey tournament on Friday night, probably after a few vodkas!

Ottosson: Career pinnacle

Completing the fairy tale Olympic podium was veteran Anna Ottosson, the 29-year-old Swede whose only previous podium finish on the World Cup circuit was a third place in a 1998 giant slalom on home snow in Are.

On Friday, Ottosson was languishing in 13th place after her first run put her 1.15 seconds off the pace set by Mancuso.

ALPINE SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 2006 Giant Slalom Women Anna Ottosson

Image credit: Reuters

"I was so far behind after the first run and I knew that in the second run I just had to attack and take risks," she told Eurosport. "The visibility was bad, so I had to do the best I could and see how far it would take me - and this time it turned out well, which was great!"

Everyone expected a Swede on the podium, but more so triple medallist Anja Paerson than her outsider team-mate. In the end, Paerson - despite sitting pretty in second place after the first run - could only manage a lowly sixth place.

"Of course I'm a little disappointed," Paerson told Eurosport. "I had a good chance of taking a gold medal today and I enjoy winning, but now we just have to be happy for Anna Ottosson.

"It's great for Anna, she's been working really hard. It's her last big event and maybe her last year as a skier as well, so for her, ending her career with this is really nice."

Paerson: Job well done

Paerson admitted that an early mistake in the second run ended her chance to leave the Turin Games with a further medal to go alongside her slalom gold and two bronzes (downhill and combined).

"I was motivated and ready mentally, but on the first steep section something happened and I was suddenly extremely late with my line. I lost all my speed going into the flat part so there was nothing I could do about it."

ALPINE SKIING 2005-2006 Torino 2006 Giant Slalom Women Anja Paerson

Image credit: Reuters

But on the whole, it's a case of job well done for the Swede: "I could have grabbed one more - four medals was my goal - but I am of course very happy with these Games. I think I"ve done a good job."

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