By Bob Barnett
SAN SICARIO, Italy – Kelly Vanderbeek can claim to have come closer to a medal than any other Canadian alpine skier at the Torino Olympics, but she’s the third Canadian to finish in the most frustrating position of all: fourth.
Vanderbeek set the early fast time in today’s super G, but could only watch as first Croatia’s Janica Kostelic and then Austrians Alexandra Meissnitzer and Michaela Dorfmeister posted better times and claimed all the medals.
Dorfmeister won her second gold medal of these Games in one minute, 32. 47 seconds. Kostelic claimed the silver in 1:32.74 and Meissnitzer the bronze in 1:33.06.
Kitchener, Ontario’s Vanderbeek finished .03 seconds behind Meissnitzer.
“I skied well and I had a solid run from top to bottom,” Vanderbeek said. “It took me a while to trust my skis, though. I’ve skied well this whole Olympics, except for the downhill.”
On Saturday Canadian Erik Guay came within .10 seconds of the bronze medal in the men’s super G. Also today, Francois Bourque finished fourth in the men’s giant slalom, .76 seconds short of the bronze medal.
The women’s super G was delayed a day by a snowstorm that dropped more than 20 cm of snow. Today’s start was moved back until 2:45 in the afternoon to allow course workers to remove the snow.
“The race was very late,” Dorfmeister said. “The sun had been shining on the snow all day so it was very soft.
“I was happy to get going and from the first turn I had a good feeling.”
Dorfmeister, who will retire at the end of the World Cup season next month, also won the gold medal in the women’s downhill.
As for the other Canadians, Emily Brydon was ninth, Genevieve Simard 20 th and Sherry Lawrence 34 th .
