Goetschl Wins Women’s World Cup Downhill

Renate Goetschl of Austria won a World Cup downhill Saturday at St. Moritz, Switzerland, after Anja Paerson of Sweden nearly pulled off a big upset.

Paerson, better known as a giant slalom and slalom skier, was competing in her first World Cup downhill. She was ahead until the last few gates, then hit a rut and careened off course.

“I am angry,” Paerson said. “It was a simple mistake and I could have been a bit more careful.”

Goetschl was followed by Germans Hilde Gerg and Maria Riesch. Jonna Mendes was the top American, finishing fifth. Olympic champion Carole Montillet of France, winner of the two previous downhills, was seventh.

Goetschl covered the Corviglia course in 1 minute, 39.78 seconds for her 15th World Cup downhill victory. Gerg was timed in 1:39.95 and Riesch in 1:39.97.

Goetschl won downhills at this resort in 1999 and 2001. However, she was fifth at last year’s world championships on this course.

“I had to put it right with the hill, show it who was boss,” she said.

Paerson leads the overall standings with 510 points. Austria’s Nicole Host is second (320) and Goetschl third (306).

*

France’s Antoine Deneriaz won a World Cup men’s downhill at Val Gardena, Italy.

He was followed by Austrians Michael Walchhofer and Hans Knauss. Daron Rahlves of the United States tied for seventh.

U.S. teammate Bryon Friedman, a World Cup newcomer, was 19th after finishing second in the final training run. Bode Miller, a top contender for the overall title, was 52nd.

Three more Austrians -- Fritz Strobl, Hermann Maier and Stephan Eberharter -- rounded out the top six. Maier still leads the overall standings.

*

Elli Ochowicz and Casey FitzRandolph won 500- and 1,000-meter races in the U.S. Long Track Speedskating Championships at West Allis, Wis.

Ochowicz won the 500 in 39.49 seconds and the 1,000 in 1:19.90. FitzRandolph won the 500 in 36.08 and the 1,000 in 1:11.76.

It was the first of four days of races at the Pettit National Ice Center to crown male and female U.S. champions and select skaters for World Cup international competition.

*

Nathan Roberts of the United States won a World Cup moguls event at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, sending Olympic champion Janne Lahtela of Finland to his first loss this season.

Norway’s Kari Traa won the women’s moguls, beating Shannon Bahrke of the United States.

*

Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic won a cross-country race at Ramsau, Austria, in her return to World Cup skiing six months after giving birth.

Sweden’s Mathias Frederiksson won the men’s 30-kilometer double pursuit, followed by Germany’s Rene Sommerfeldt and Sweden’s Anders Soedergren.

*

Olympic champion Andre Lange broke the course record at Altenberg, Germany, in winning his first doubles event of the World Cup bobsled season.

The German pilot and pusher Kevin Kuske finished the two heats in 1 minute, 51.21 seconds. Countryman Christoph Langen was second at 1:51.44.

Canada’s Pierre Lueders, who took the overall standings lead, was third with Giulio Zardo in 1:51.52. American Todd Hays, with Steve Mesler pushing, finished ninth and fell from a share of first in the standings.

*

Antti Autti of Finland won a men’s snowboard World Cup halfpipe event at Stoneham, Canada, finishing with 42.7 points.

Sergio Berger of Switzerland was second with 40.7 points, followed by Domu Narita of Japan with 40.3 points.

In the women’s competition, Soko Yamaoka of Japan finished first with 38.5 points. Manuela Laura Pesko of Switzerland was second at 37.2, and Lesley McKenna of England was third with 37.

*

France’s Sandrine Bailly won a World Cup biathlon event at Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia, beating Germans Katja Beer and Martina Glagow.

Glagow leads the World Cup standings with 217 points.

He is followed by Norway’s Liv Grete Poiree (205) and Bailly (193).

Boxing

Former World Boxing Organization champion Wladimir Klitschko stopped Danell Nicholson in the fourth round of a non-title heavyweight fight at Kiel, Germany.

The bout was stopped with 1:16 left in the fourth round as Klitschko battered his opponent on the ropes after knocking him down.

The 27-year-old Klitschko is the younger of the two fighting Ukrainian brothers, with brother Vitali also a top contender in the heavyweight division.

Tennis

Fourteen-year-old Donald Young Jr. of Chicago became the first African American to win a singles title in the 57-year history of the Orange Bowl International Championships, outlasting Aljoscho Thron of Germany, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the boys’ 16s final at Key Biscayne, Fla.

Another 14-year-old, Alexa Glatch of Newport Beach, defeated Venezuela’s Laura Vallverdu to give the U.S. a sweep of the Orange Bowl boys’ and girls’ 16-and-under singles titles for the first time since 1980.

Passings

Ray Crowe, the coach of the 1955 Indianapolis Crispus Attucks team featuring Oscar Robertson that became the first all-black school to win the Indiana state high school basketball championship, died at Indianapolis. He was 88. Crowe retired from coaching after the 1957 season with a 193-20 record. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968.