Kenyan スキーヤー Simader on 急速な／放蕩な 跡をつける to 2018 Olympic downhill
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) ― Kenyan スキーヤー Sabrina Simader's ambitious path to the 2018 Olympic downhill went through St. Moritz on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old Simader was the only African starter in the women's 最高の-G race at the world ski 選手権s. She placed last of 39 finishers, more than eight seconds behind 支持する／優勝者 Nicole Schmidhofer of Austria.
Still, one month after her World Cup debut in Slovenia ― and one year after her four-race Winter 青年 Olympics program in Norway ― it's a 重要な 行う／開催する／段階 in Simader's 大勝する to 収入 her place in the Olympic 顔触れ next year in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Kenya's Sabrina Simader 速度(を上げる）s 負かす／撃墜する the slope during a women's 最高の-G, at the Alpine Ski World 選手権s, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
The Austrian-based 十代の少年少女's 追求（する），探索（する） is unusual because few racers outside 伝統的な Alpine teams qualify in the more challenging 速度(を上げる） events of downhill and 最高の-G. Simader races all disciplines and 計画（する）s to have a busy program at the two-week worlds in the high-end スイスの 訴える手段／行楽地.
"It's really emotional. I enjoyed it," she said after 完全にするing the race to loud 元気づけるs from the スイスの （人が）群がる and her fan club from Austria waving several Kenyan 旗s. "The 天候 is nice, the slope was 冷静な／正味の. I hope I will be faster next time."
Simader's exuberance was matched by her mother Sarah in the finish area, who trained a camera on the 巨大（な） 審査する broadcasting the second half of a 90-second run 負かす／撃墜する the 1.95-キロメーター (1-1/4 mile) course.
"It's 最高の. It makes me feel very proud," Sarah Simader told The Associated 圧力（をかける）.
Born in Kenya, Sabrina Simader （機の）カム with her mother to Austria and began skiing when she was 3. Her stepfather, Josef, runs a ski 解除する in Hansberg.
"When she turned 13 she won a 地元の 選手権," Simader's 助言者, Armin Kolb, told the AP. "She went to Schladming to ski school with other Austrian racers and really learned ski racing."
Simader has 得点する／非難する／２０d 最高の，を越す-10 finishes in downhill and slalom events at the third-tier FIS (International Ski 連合) race level.
In her World Cup debut in January, in 巨大（な） slalom, she was eight seconds behind first-run leader Mikaela Shiffrin of the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs.
Simader has sponsors 含むing 放送者 Sky and the Planai ski 訴える手段／行楽地 in Austria to help cover costs, 含むing 雇うing her 私的な coach, Christian Reif. She is 適格の for 基金ing from the Kenyan Olympic 委員会, whose 公式の／役人s she met at the 青年 Olympics in Lillehammer.
"Until now, no money is coming," Kolb said.
It has not helped that Kenya's 政府 解散するd the 国家の Olympic 団体／死体 last August 特記する／引用するing corrupt 行為 by team 公式の／役人s linked to the Rio de Janeiro Games.
In her 可決する・採択するd home Austria, one fan is Hannes Reichelt, who trained with Simader in Reiteralm during one of his returns from 傷害.
"She is really funny," Reichelt told the AP. "It's nice to see her on the slopes."
Kenya's Sabrina Simader spee ds 負かす／撃墜する the slope during a women's 最高の-G, at the Alpine Ski World 選手権s, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Sarah Simader, mother of Kenya's Sabrina Simader 元気づけるs at the finish area after her daughter 完全にするd a women's 最高の-G, at the Alpine Ski World 選手権s, in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Graham Dunbar)
