. world ski news : North American skiing party - 04 December 2005 - 23:48
Alpine Ski World Cup in BEAVER CREEK and LAKE LOUISE
Rocca wins Beaver Creek Slalom
BEAVER CREEK, 04/12/2005 21:44, AP - Giorgio Rocca of Italy skied a clean second run in icy and snowy conditions Sunday to win the World Cup season's first Slalom, and Ted Ligety of the United States finished a career-best third. Rocca, one of the host country's top medal hopes in Alpine skiing at the Turin Olympics in February, completed two runs on the Birds of Prey course in an unofficial time of 1 minute, 51.72 seconds.
Italy's Giorgio Rocca skis to a win in the men's World Cup slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado December 4, 2005. Rocca won in a time of one minute 51.72 seconds. France's Stephane Tissot placed 2nd and Ted Ligety of the U.S. placed third. (REUTERS / Mike Segar)
But his victory wasn't secure until first-run leader Benjamin Raich of Austria, the Slalom world champion, skied off course late in the second run. Raich was ahead of Rocca's pace at the first time interval.
Stephane Tissot of France, 20th after the first run, had the fastest second run and finished No. 2 in 1:52.58.
The 21-year-old Ligety, who crashed in the first run of Saturday's GS, had never finished better than eighth in a World Cup race before Sunday. He was 12th in the first run but third-fastest in the second and wound up with a combined time of 1:52.60. That was good enough for a spot on the podium because five of the 11 skiers who followed him in the second run failed to finish.
Reigning overall World Cup titlist Bode Miller didn't qualify for the second run. He missed a gate about 20 seconds into his opening run, then hiked back up to where he went off-course and completed the run for practice.
Austrians sweep SuperG, Kildow sixth
LAKE LOUISE, 04/12/2005 21:40, AP - Alexandra Meissnitzer earned her 14th career World Cup victory and led an Austrian podium sweep Sunday in the season's first SuperG race, wrapping up a chilly weekend of competition at Lake Louise.
Meissnitzer, third in Friday's Downhill, won in 1 minute, 21.73 second. Her younger teammate Andrea Fischbacher was one-tenth of a second back at 1:21.83. Michaela Dorfmeister, in her final race on a hill where she enjoyed great success, was third at 1:22.56.
Alexandra Meissnitzer of Austria hits a gate on her way to winning the Lake Louise women's World Cup Super-G skiing race on Sunday December 4, 2005. (AP Photo/Frank Gunn, CP)
Dorfmeister, retiring after this season, was second and third in the two downhill races Friday and Saturday. The Austrian trio is a mix of veteran experience and rising talent. Meissnitzer and Dorfmeister are 32.
Fischbacher, the SuperG Junior World Champion in 2004, is 20 and in her second World Cup season. Her previous best World Cup finish was eighth in the SuperG at Cortina last season.
Kildow edges Berthod for Downhill victory
LAKE LOUISE, 03/12/2005 23:19,(AP) - Lindsey Kildow of the United States edged Sylviane Berthod of Switzerland by three-hundrets of a second Saturday for her second World Cup Downhill victory. Kildow triumphed on the same Lake Louise course where she won her first World Cup race just a year ago.
Fighting swirling winds and whiffs of blowing light snow, Kildow won in 1 minute, 49.51 seconds. Berthod was second in 1:49.54. Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria, second in Friday's Downhill, was third Saturday in 1:49.63.
Kildow finished fifth in Friday's race. Her victory at Lake Louise a year ago was the start of a breakout season, where she finished among the top three seven times.
The 21-year-old Kildow moved with her family to Vail, Colorado, from St. Paul, Minnesota, in the early 1990s to concentrate on her training. She lives in Park City, Utah.
She is the first U.S. woman to earn multiple World Cup Downhill titles since her idol and friend Picabo Street won the final three of her nine career races in 1996.
The winner of Friday's World Cup downhill on the same Lake Louise course, Elena Fanchini of Italy, was seventh Saturday.
American Jonna Mendes escaped a frightening crash with no serious injuries. She lost control and slammed into the fence, her skis pointing to the sky. Later in the finish area, she said she was sore but otherwise all right.
Miller picks up first win of season
BEAVER CREEK, 03/12/2005 23:27,(AP) - Defending overall Alpine World Cup champion Bode Miller picked up his first victory of the season Saturday, leading a 1-2-4 U.S. finish in a GS.
Miller, who tied for the lead after the first run, nearly went down twice in the second, but finished with a total time of 2 minutes, 34.56 seconds.
"I was fully, fully aware of being on the edge the whole time", Miller said, "I was definitely taking a risk, Those are the kind of runs that are fun for me".
Daron Rahlves, who beat Miller in a 1-2 U.S. Downhill Friday, was second today, 0.49 seconds back.
"Today showed what we have in ourselves, hopefully it does send a good message to everybody else and gets them thinking a bit more", Rahlves said, "and that just gives us more power as a team".
Kalle Palander of Finland, tied with Miller after the first run, finished third, 1.23 seconds off the pace.
Erik Schlopy of the United States was fourth, another hundredth of a second behind, despite skiing with his left hand taped up after smashing it into a gate on the opening run.
Fifteen of the 70 starters failed to finish the first run, including Benjamin Raich of Austria, the 2004-05 World Cup GS champion and silver medalist at the World Championships.
General Standing
World cup Leader
Svindal Aksel-Lund
01.01.1982 (Kjeller)
Ski: Atomic
Svindal Aksel-Lund 296
Rahlves Daron 285
Miller Bode 282
Maier Hermann 235
Strobl Fritz 208
Aamodt Kjetil-André 193
Guay Erik 168
Reichelt Hannes 166
Raich Benjamin 155
Buchel Marco 140
World cup Leader
Meissnitzer Alexandra
18.06.1973 (Abtenau)
Ski: Vokl
Meissnitzer Alexandra 210
Dorfmeister Michaela 209
Kildow Lindsey C. 185
Fanchini Elena 147
Fischbacher Andrea 135
Berthod Sylviane 120
Maze Tina 117
Kostelic Janica 114
Goergl Elisabeth 101
Styger Nadia 98
Next Races
04.12.2005 Beaver Creek (USA) SL
04.12.2005 Lake Louise (CAN) SG
09.12.2005 Aspen (USA) SG
10.12.2005 Val D'Isere (FRA) DH
10.12.2005 Aspen (USA) GS
11.12.2005 Val D'Isere (FRA) K
11.12.2005 Aspen (USA) SL