Kalle Palander
. world ski news : Palander posts first Finnish World Cup win (AP) - 28 January 2003 - 03:21
KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) _ Kalle Palander won a men's slalom Sunday, becoming the first Finnish man to win a World Cup race. The 1999 world slalom gold medalist twisted his way down the Ganslern course in a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 41.75 seconds.
Kalle Palander
"Of course the world title was great but I really wanted a World Cup win, too," Palander said. "It was a long time coming."
Austria's Rainer Schoenfelder was runnerup in 1:42.06, followed by teammate Heinz Schilchegger, third in 1:42.28.
Rainer Schoenfelder
It was the second time this weekend the Austrians were left winless, with American Daron Rahlves claiming the esteemed Hahnenkamm downhill the previous day.
World Cup slalom champion Ivica Kostelic, who has won three races this season, was fourth in 1:42.52. It was only the second time this year he missed the podium.
Austrian Benjamin Raich was fifth in 1:42.59.
Overall leader Bode Miller, who had been hoping to make it an American double, had a disastrous rodeo-like second run.
The American fell onto his hip but bounced back up, then straddled a gate further down. Miller _ who knew his hopes of scoring in the slalom were gone but who still wanted to salvage something from the combined _ hiked back up the slope to rerun the gate, and finished the race 5.07 seconds back.
"I was skiing fast," Miller said. "I was trying to win the slalom. Even if I had slowed down, I still probably would not have slowed down enough to not make mistakes. The course was really unforgiving, really challenging.
"But by the time I got to the finish, I was already over it."
Austrian Michael Walchhofer won the combined, a paper event which adds the times from the weekend's downhill and slalom. Miller was fifth and Stephan Eberharter was sixth.
The winners
Despite earning no points in the slalom, Miller held onto his lead in the overall standings, which he tops with 935 points. Eberharter is second with 905.
Miller has struggled in the slalom this season, failing to finish the first three races of the season often because of equipment problems.
He lost a ski in the slalom in Park City, Utah, when his binding came loose. His boot buckles then popped open in the knock-out slalom in Sestrieres, and he failed to
qualify for the second round. The next week, the American went off course in Kranjska Gora.
Miller enjoyed a short respite in Bormio earlier this month when he managed to finish in second place, but his misfortune resumed last week when his ski splintered in the
opening run in Wengen, where he eventually finished seventh.
Ivica Kostelic continued to lead the slalom rankings with 428 points. Schoenfelder sat second with 314.
AP, 26.01.2003
[xt] ski