Goodwill Games

For Release: Saturday, February 19, 2000

U.S. Women Sweep At Goodwill Games Snowboard SG; Price Wins Men's Event

LAKE PLACID, NY (Feb. 19) - The U.S. made a strong showing Saturday in Super G at the Goodwill Games as the women swept the podium, led by 1997 GS World Champion Sondra Van Ert (Ketchum, ID). Ian Price (Manchester Center, VT) took the victory in the men's competition on the World Cup SG course at Whiteface Mountain.

Van Ert, a member of the U.S. Snowboard Team, was solid all the way down the course and won with a time of 1:49.19, more than four seconds ahead of Rosey Fletcher (Girdwood, AK), who placed second with a time of 1:53.75. U.S. Team racer Stacia Hookum (Edwards, CO) was third in 1:54.00.

Price also went all out and teetered on the edge of control, but held it together to take the win with a 1:42.40. Austrian Alexander Maier was second in 1:43.08 and American Chris Klug (Aspen, CO) came in third, posting a 1:43.55. U.S. Team rider Jeff Archibald (Salt Lake City) and American Peter Thorndike (Meredith, NH) did not finish the race.

The two winners were no strangers to the top step on the SG podium as each was victorious in a December Chevy S-10 U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix SG at Mammoth Mountain, California.

The course crews at Whiteface did an outstanding job buffing out the course after several inches of new snow dropped on it Friday night. It featured a fast top section with some real tight turns and a slower, flatter bottom section. A good wax job was definitely crucial today, especially on the lower sections.

"The snow conditions were challenging," said Van Ert. "With the new snow, there were some piles built up and there were some pretty good ripples trying to knock you off your feet."

A former downhill ski racer, Van Ert felt at home bombing the flatter sections.

"There were some steep turns, alot of flat-a little bit of everything," said Van Ert.

Hookum, who placed third at the Mammoth SG, came out of the start gate first and her time held up until Fletcher dropped into the course 12th.

"What more could you ask for," said Hookum. "The Goodwill Games are going good for the Americans."

"This is the best season I've had in a long time," said Fletcher. "Our team is getting along great and the whole staff is working really hard to make sure all of us are doing the best we can."

The men's race featured 24 riders including Maier, who is the brother of Hermann Maier, the superstar Austrian speed skier.

Klug, who recently won a Grand Prix GS at Breckenridge, Colorado, spoke highly of the course.

"It was a great course, a really good set," said Klug. "Certainly the snow we've gotten in the last couple of days made the conditions challenging. I made a total rookie mistake in the top section, which is frustrating for me, and that kind of threw me off right off the bat."

The snowboard portion of the inaugural Winter Goodwill Games wraps up Sunday with snowboardcross at Whiteface.

WINTER GOODWILL GAMES
Whiteface Mountain, Lake Placid, NY
February 19, 2000
Super G

MEN'S

Ian Price, Manchester Center, VT, 1:42.40
Alexander Maier, Austria, 1:43.08
Chris Klug, Aspen, CO, 1:43.55
Harald Walder, Austria, 1:43.98
Darren Chalmers, Canada, 1:45.50
Maxence Idesheim, France, 1:46.10
Daniel Biveson, Sweden, 1:46.37
Mark Fawcett, Canada, 1:47.06
Jonas Aspman, Sweden, 1:47.23
Georg Rabanser, Italy, 1:47.50
Joel Gariepy, Canada, 1:48.03
Mathieu Morency, Canada, 1:48.13
Lukas Gruener, Austria, 1:48.17
Mathieu Chiquet, France, 1:48.54
Karl Frenademez, Italy, 1:48.57

DNF Jeff Archibald, Salt Lake City
DNF Peter Thorndike, Meredith, NH

WOMEN'S

Sondra Van Ert, Ketchum, ID, 1:49.19
Rosey Fletcher, Girdwood, AK, 1:53.75
Stacia Hookum, Edwards, CO, 1:54.00
D. Mair Unter Der Eggen, Italy, 1:54.52
Nathalie Desmares, France, 1:55.61
Isabel Zedlacher, Austria, 1:55.90
Lidia Trettel, Italy, 1:56.88
Alexa Loo, Canada, 1:58.72
Birgit Herbert, Austria, 1:59.62
Ivana Trudel, Canada, 2:01.59
Helene Cloutier, Canada, 2:03.37
Melissa Barclay, Canada, 2:04.54
Maria Kirchgasser, Austria, 2:06.17
Heidi Krings, Austria, 2:06.99
Evelyn Maier, Austria, 2:08.36

-Victory Bound!-

CONTACTS:

Scott Flanders

U.S. Snowboard Team Bureau

(800) 557-2813

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