Swiss, Austrians Take Swiss SX
Austria's Andreas Steffan and Katharina Gutensohn both took wins in a ski cross World Cup Saturday in Switzerland. For the U.S., Biche Rudigoz (Ketchum, ID) led the way in 19th.
For Steffan it was his first World Cup win in ski cross, his previous best coming in 2008 when he bagged a second place finish in Italy. Gutensohn, who is 43, now has two World Cup ski cross wins. Her last win came in 2005. The top American, Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO), went out in the first round.
Gutensohn is one of many racers who retired from alpine racing to take up ski cross. During her career with the Austrian alpine team, she won four World Cup downhills between 1985 and 1986 and a silver medal at the 1985 World Championships.
Despite Saturday's results, the men's ski cross team has had success this season on the World Cup. 2009 will be characterized as perhaps the most competitive season yet, with more and more former racers vying for a shot at competing in the Olympics next year, when ski cross will make its debut as an official Olympic sport.
Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) was second in January at Flaine, France and he has six top-10 results this season. Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) finished just shy of the podium in this year's X Games, in fourth.
The men will prepare for another competition in the Swiss resort Sunday, which replaces the ski cross canceled in Grindelwald, Switzerland.
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Swiss, Austrians Take Swiss SX
