South American Cup, Unkovskoy springs a surprise in the giant slalom; Argentina’s Baruzzi Farriol beats Hilzinger at Chapelco

An intense Monday for the leading summer circuits, starting with the Australian New Zealand Cup and the Coronet Peak stage, which, following the slaloms at the weekend, featured only the women’s giant slalom today (two men’s races are scheduled for tomorrow), dominated from start to finish by Arianne Forget.

The 2003-born Canadian, already a four-time winner in the Nor-Am Cup, finished the first run almost two seconds ahead of Victoria Palla, then extended her advantage to a remarkable 2”65 over the same British skier; Amelie Klopfenstein completed the podium (+ 3”21), leaving Molly Butler 16 hundredths off third place. Butler won the overall standings, ahead of the Swiss skier, as there will be no more races this season in the circuit.

French skier Leydet was fifth and New Zealander Speedy sixth, while young Italian Matilde Rava, who is contesting the entire overseas campaign, went out in the 1st run.

In the South American Cup, the third stage got under way at Chapelco, with the women’s giant slalom (no Italian racers competing) going to the most eagerly awaited Argentine: Francesca Baruzzi Farriol, who had already moved into the lead halfway through the race, gained another tenth on Jessica Hilzinger in the 2nd run to beat the German by 61 hundredths. Eliane Stoessel was third at 1”48, ahead of Andorran skier Medina Girones and fellow home competitor Nicole Begue, who had already impressed in the speed events at La Parva and is close to the top of the SAC overall standings, currently led by Czech skier Novakova.

Then came the men’s race on the wide-set course, with a third consecutive victory—following the two giant slaloms won at Cerro Castor in mid-August—that seemed within Nickco Palamaras’ reach: the 22-year-old German, who led after the 1st run, surrendered 1”15 in the decisive run to American Nicholas Unkovskoy, who claimed his first victory at this level by coming back from 4th place. He beat another representative of Germany, Hannes Amman, by 61 hundredths, with Palamaras holding off Swiss skier Eberle (+ 1”05) and Japan’s Aihara (5th at 1”14); Argentina’s Quintero was sixth.

Edoardo Simonelli, the only Italian at the start, did not finish the first run. Two more giant slaloms are scheduled for Tuesday.