2008–09 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

The 43rd World Cup season began in late October 2008 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded in mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden.

FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2008/09
Discipline	Men	Women
Overall	Aksel Lund Svindal	Lindsey Vonn
Downhill	Michael Walchhofer	Lindsey Vonn
Super-G	Aksel Lund Svindal	Lindsey Vonn
Giant slalom	Didier Cuche	Tanja Poutiainen
Slalom	Jean-Baptiste Grange	Maria Riesch
Super combined	Carlo Janka	Anja Pärson
Nations Cup	Austria	Austria
Nations Cup Overall	Austria
Competition
Locations	18	16
Individual	36	34
Mixed	1	1
Cancelled	1	1
Rescheduled	3	3
←2007/08 2009/10→

2009 World Cup Champions

Aksel Lund Svindal

Lindsey Vonn

Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won the overall title by two points over Benjamin Raich of Austria. Svindal returned from a season-ending injury in December 2007, and also took the season title in super-G. Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. repeated as women's overall champion, taking the title by a substantial 384 points over Maria Riesch of Germany. Vonn also repeated as the season downhill champion, and added the season title in super-G.

Being an odd-numbered year, a break in the World Cup schedule was for the biennial World Championships. The 2009 World Championships were held 2–15 February in Val-d'Isère, Savoie, France.

No pre-Olympic World Cup alpine events were run at Whistler Mountain, Canada, during the 2009 season. In late February 2008, a women's downhill and super-combined were run on Franz's Run, the women's Olympic course. The most recent men's World Cup events on the Dave Murray Downhill course were held in late February 1995. The World Cup races in North America were switched to the early part of the season in the fall of 1995, and the men's speed events at Whistler were canceled three consecutive years (December 1996–98) due to weather issues, which prompted the switch to Lake Louise in Alberta in December 1999.

Calendar

Men

Event key: DH – Downhill, SL – Slalom, GS – Giant slalom, SG – Super giant slalom, KB – Classic Combined, SC – Super combined, PS – Parallel slalom (promo event only)^[1]

Race	Season	Date	Place	Type	Winner	Second	Third	Details
1338	1	26 October 2008	Sölden	GS 326	Daniel Albrecht	Didier Cuche	Ted Ligety
1339	2	16 November 2008	Levi	SL 382	Jean-Baptiste Grange	Bode Miller	Mario Matt
1340	3	29 November 2008	Lake Louise	DH 388	Peter Fill	Carlo Janka	Hans Olsson
1341	4	30 November 2008		SG 142	Hermann Maier	John Kucera	Didier Cuche
		4 December 2008	Beaver Creek	SC cnx	heavy snowfall; replaced in Val-d'Isère on 12 December 2008[2]
1342	5	5 December 2008		DH 389	Aksel Lund Svindal	Marco Büchel	Erik Guay
1343	6	6 December 2008		SG 143	Aksel Lund Svindal	Hermann Maier	Michael Walchhofer
1344	7	7 December 2008		GS 327	Benjamin Raich	Ted Ligety	Aksel Lund Svindal
1345	8	[nb 1]12 December 2008	Val-d'Isère	SC 101	Benjamin Raich	Jean-Baptiste Grange	Marcel Hirscher	[3]
1346	9	13 December 2008		GS 328	Carlo Janka	Massimiliano Blardone	Gauthier de Tessières
		14 December 2008		SL cnx	high winds; replaced in Alta Badia on 22 December 2008[4]
1347	10	19 December 2008	Val Gardena	SG 144	Werner Heel	Didier Défago	Patrik Järbyn
1348	11	20 December 2008		DH 390	Michael Walchhofer	Bode Miller	Manuel Osborne-Paradis
1349	12	21 December 2008	Alta Badia	GS 329	Daniel Albrecht	Ivica Kostelić	Hannes Reichelt
1350	13	[nb 2]22 December 2008		SL 383	Ivica Kostelić	Jean-Baptiste Grange	Benjamin Raich
1351	14	28 December 2008	Bormio	DH 391	Christof Innerhofer	Klaus Kröll	Michael Walchhofer
Promo event		2 January 2009	Moscow (unofficial)	PS pro	Felix Neureuther	Jean-Baptiste Grange	Bode Miller
1352	15	6 January 2009	Zagreb	SL 384	Jean-Baptiste Grange	Ivica Kostelić	Giuliano Razzoli
1353	16	10 January 2009	Adelboden	GS 330	Benjamin Raich	Massimiliano Blardone	Kjetil Jansrud
1354	17	11 January 2009		SL 385	Reinfried Herbst	Manfred Pranger	Felix Neureuther
1355	18	16 January 2009	Wengen	SC 102	Carlo Janka	Peter Fill	Silvan Zurbriggen
1356	19	17 January 2009		DH 392	Didier Défago	Bode Miller	Marco Sullivan
1357	20	18 January 2009		SL 386	Manfred Pranger	Reinfried Herbst	Ivica Kostelić
1358	21	23 January 2009	Kitzbühel	SG 145	Klaus Kröll	Aksel Lund Svindal	Ambrosi Hoffmann
1359	22	24 January 2009		DH 393	Didier Défago	Michael Walchhofer	Klaus Kröll
1360	23	25 January 2009		SL 387	Julien Lizeroux	Jean-Baptiste Grange	Patrick Thaler
1361	24	25 January 2009		KB 103	Silvan Zurbriggen	Ivica Kostelić	Natko Zrnčić-Dim
1362	25	27 January 2009	Schladming	SL 388	Reinfried Herbst	Manfred Pranger	Ivica Kostelić
		31 January 2009	Garmisch-Partenkirchen	DH cnx	fog at mid-course; replaced in Kvitfjell on 6 March 2009[5]
1363	26	1 February 2009		SL 389	Manfred Mölgg	Giorgio Rocca	Reinfried Herbst
2009 World Championships (2–15 February)
1364	27	21 February 2009	Sestriere	GS 331	Didier Cuche	Stephan Görgl	Benjamin Raich
1365	28	22 February 2009		SC 104	Romed Baumann	Julien Lizeroux	Carlo Janka Christof Innerhofer
1366	29	28 February 2009	Kranjska Gora	GS 332	Ted Ligety	Didier Cuche	Massimiliano Blardone
1367	30	1 March 2009		SL 390	Julien Lizeroux	Giuliano Razzoli	Felix Neureuther
1368	31	[nb 3]6 March 2009	Kvitfjell	DH 394	Manuel Osborne-Paradis	Michael Walchhofer	Aksel Lund Svindal
1369	32	7 March 2009		DH 395	Klaus Kröll	Michael Walchhofer	Manuel Osborne-Paradis
		8 March 2009		SG cnx	snowstorm[6]
1370	33	11 March 2009	Åre	DH 396	Aksel Lund Svindal	Didier Cuche	Hans Olsson
1371	34	12 March 2009		SG 146	Werner Heel	Aksel Lund Svindal	Christof Innerhofer
1372	35	13 March 2009		GS 333	Benjamin Raich	Ted Ligety	Didier Cuche
1373	36	14 March 2009		SL 391	Mario Matt	Julien Lizeroux	Jean-Baptiste Grange

Ladies

Event key: DH – Downhill, SL – Slalom, GS – Giant slalom, SG – Super giant slalom, SC – Super combined^[7]

Race	Season	Date	Place	Type	Winner	Second	Third	Details
1252	1	25 October 2008	Sölden	GS 325	Kathrin Zettel	Tanja Poutiainen	Andrea Fischbacher
1253	2	15 November 2008	Levi	SL 365	Lindsey Vonn	Maria Pietilä-Holmner	Maria Riesch
1254	3	29 November 2008	Aspen	GS 326	Tessa Worley	Tanja Poutiainen	Elisabeth Görgl
1255	4	30 November 2008		SL 366	Šárka Záhrobská	Nicole Hosp	Tanja Poutiainen
1256	5	5 December 2008	Lake Louise	DH 322	Lindsey Vonn	Nadia Fanchini	Maria Riesch
		6 December 2008		DH cnx	heavy snowfall; replaced in Cortina d'Ampezzo on 23 January 2009[8]
1257	6	7 December 2008		SG 158	Nadia Fanchini	Fabienne Suter Andrea Fischbacher
1258	7	13 December 2008	La Molina	GS 327	Tanja Poutiainen	Manuela Mölgg	Nicole Hosp
1259	8	14 December 2008		SL 367	Maria Riesch	Lindsey Vonn	Kathrin Zettel
1260	9	19 December 2008	St. Moritz	SC 082	Anja Pärson	Nicole Hosp	Fabienne Suter
1261	10	20 December 2008		SG 159	Lara Gut	Fabienne Suter	Nadia Fanchini
		21 December 2008		DH cnx	high winds; replaced in Bansko on 27 February 2009[9]
1262	11	28 December 2008	Semmering	GS 328	Kathrin Zettel	Manuela Mölgg	Lara Gut
1263	12	29 December 2008		SL 368	Maria Riesch	Tanja Poutiainen	Lindsey Vonn
1264	13	4 January 2009	Zagreb	SL 369	Maria Riesch	Nicole Gius	Šárka Záhrobská
1265	14	10 January 2009	Maribor	GS 329	Tina Maze	Denise Karbon	Kathrin Hölzl
1266	15	11 January 2009		SL 370	Maria Riesch	Kathrin Zettel	Tanja Poutiainen
1267	16	17 January 2009	Altenmarkt	SC 083	Lindsey Vonn	Kathrin Zettel	Anja Pärson
1268	17	18 January 2009		DH 323	Dominique Gisin Anja Pärson		Lindsey Vonn
		22 January 2009	Cortina d'Ampezzo	SG cnx	blizzard; replaced in Cortina d'Ampezzo on 26 January 2009
		23 January 2009		DH cnx	heavy snowfall
1269	18	24 January 2009		DH 324	Dominique Gisin	Lindsey Vonn	Anja Pärson
1270	19	25 January 2009		GS 330	Kathrin Zettel	Michaela Kirchgasser	Elisabeth Görgl
1271	20	[nb 4]26 January 2009		SG 160	Jessica Lindell-Vikarby	Anna Fenninger	Andrea Dettling
1272	21	30 January 2009	Garmisch-Partenkirchen	SL 371	Lindsey Vonn	Maria Riesch	Maruša Ferk
		31 January 2009		SG cnx	fog: mid-course; replaced in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on 1 February 2009[5]
1273	22	[nb 5]1 February 2009		SG 161	Lindsey Vonn	Anja Pärson	Jessica Lindell-Vikarby
2009 World Championships (2–15 February)
1274	23	20 February 2009	Tarvisio	SC 084	Maria Riesch	Lindsey Vonn	Kathrin Zettel
1275	24	21 February 2009		DH 325	Gina Stechert	Lindsey Vonn	Anja Pärson
1276	25	22 February 2009		SG 162	Lindsey Vonn	Fabienne Suter	Tina Maze
1277	26	[nb 6]27 February 2009	Bansko	DH 326	Fabienne Suter	Andrea Fischbacher	Nadia Fanchini Lindsey Vonn
1278	27	28 February 2009		DH 327	Andrea Fischbacher	Tina Maze	Fabienne Suter
1279	28	1 March 2009		SG 163	Lindsey Vonn	Fabienne Suter	Tina Maze
1280	29	6 March 2009	Ofterschwang	GS 331	Kathrin Zettel	Elisabeth Görgl	Tanja Poutiainen
1281	30	7 March 2009		SL 372	Sandrine Aubert	Frida Hansdotter	Nicole Hosp
1282	31	11 March 2009	Åre	DH 328	Lindsey Vonn	Maria Riesch	Renate Götschl
1283	32	12 March 2009		SG 164	Lindsey Vonn	Nadia Fanchini	Maria Riesch
1284	33	13 March 2009		SL 373	Sandrine Aubert	Fanny Chmelar	Therese Borssén Šárka Záhrobská
1285	34	14 March 2009		GS 332	Tina Maze	Tanja Poutiainen	Manuela Mölgg

Nations team event

Event key: SC – Super combined (super-G + slalom)

Race	Season	Date	Place	Type	Winner	Second	Third	Details
3	1	15 March 2009	Åre	SC 003	Italy Nadia Fanchini Nicole Gius Daniela Merighetti Peter Fill Werner Heel Manfred Mölgg	Austria Andrea Fischbacher Elisabeth Görgl Kathrin Zettel Marcel Hirscher Mario Matt Hannes Reichelt	Switzerland Sandra Gini Lara Gut Fabienne Suter Marc Berthod Didier Cuche Carlo Janka

Men's standings

Overall Rank after all 36 races Points 1 Aksel Lund Svindal 1009 2 Benjamin Raich 1007 3    Didier Cuche 919 4 Ivica Kostelić 891 5 Jean-Baptiste Grange 887

Downhill Rank after all 9 races Points 1 Michael Walchhofer 470 2 Klaus Kröll 424 3    Didier Défago 363 4 Aksel Lund Svindal 323 5 Manuel Osborne-Paradis 323

Super-G Rank after all 5 races Points 1 Aksel Lund Svindal 292 2 Werner Heel 256 3    Didier Défago 242 4 Hermann Maier 231 5 Christof Innerhofer 168

Giant slalom Rank after all 8 races Points 1    Didier Cuche 474 2 Benjamin Raich 462 3 Ted Ligety 421 4 Massimiliano Blardone 325 5 Aksel Lund Svindal 260

Slalom Rank after all 10 races Points 1 Jean-Baptiste Grange 541 2 Ivica Kostelić 454 3 Julien Lizeroux 419 4 Manfred Pranger 415 5 Reinfried Herbst 396

Super combined Rank after all 4 races Points 1    Carlo Janka 242 2    Silvan Zurbriggen 231 3 Romed Baumann 169 4 Ivica Kostelić 166 5 Benjamin Raich 165

Ladies' standings

Overall Rank after all 34 races Points 1 Lindsey Vonn 1788 2 Maria Riesch 1404 3 Anja Pärson 1059 4 Kathrin Zettel 1046 5 Tanja Poutiainen 914

Downhill Rank after all 7 races Points 1 Lindsey Vonn 502 2 Andrea Fischbacher 326 3 Maria Riesch 292 4    Dominique Gisin 291 5 Nadia Fanchini 276

Super-G Rank after all 7 races Points 1 Lindsey Vonn 461 2 Nadia Fanchini 416 3    Fabienne Suter 408 4 Anja Pärson 251 5    Andrea Dettling 221

Giant slalom Rank after all 8 races Points 1 Tanja Poutiainen 508 2 Kathrin Zettel 501 3 Tina Maze 368 4 Elisabeth Görgl 318 5 Denise Karbon 282

Slalom Rank after all 9 races Points 1 Maria Riesch 670 2 Šárka Záhrobská 459 3 Lindsey Vonn 440 4 Tanja Poutiainen 406 5 Sandrine Aubert 325

Super combined Rank after all 3 races Points 1 Anja Pärson 205 2 Lindsey Vonn 180 3 Kathrin Zettel 162 4 Maria Riesch 150 5 Elisabeth Görgl 113

Nations Cup

Overall Rank after all 70 races Points 1 Austria 10740 2    Switzerland 7786 3 Italy 5974 4 France 4490 5 United States 4158

Men Rank after all 36 races Points 1 Austria 5982 2    Switzerland 4238 3 Italy 3426 4 France 2681 5 United States 1881

Ladies Rank after all 34 races Points 1 Austria 4758 2    Switzerland 3548 3 Germany 2550 4 Italy 2548 5 Sweden 2441

Footnotes

1. Super combined from Beaver Creek was rescheduled to Val-d'Isère on 12 December 2008
2. Slalom from Val-d'Isère was rescheduled to Alta Badia on 22 December 2008
3. Downhill from Garmisch-Partenkirchen was rescheduled to Kvitfjell on 6 March 2009
4. Super giant slalom from Cortina d'Ampezzo was rescheduled from 22 to 26 February 2009
5. Super giant slalom from Garmisch-Partenkirchen was rescheduled from 31 January 2009 to 1 February 2009
6. Downhill from St. Moritz was rescheduled to Bansko to 27 February 2009