GAP 2011. GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany – Christof Innerhofer snuck into the 2011 world championship super G race a little bit under the radar. Before Wednesday, the Italian’s most decorated moment came after his huge World Cup win on home turf in the Bormio downhill in 2008, which he followed up this season with a third place – his only podium on the World Cup coming into the Champs this season. The only other two podiums he’s notched in his World Cup career include third places in super-combined in Sestriere and in the Are super G in 2009. In the 2009 world championship super G in Val d’Isere, Innerhofer was 0.05 seconds away from a medal, finishing fourth. But he made up for it in a big way on the ominous Kandahar course in Garmisch on Wednesday.

Christof Innerhofer of Italy competes on his way to winning the Men's Super G during the Alpine FIS Ski World Championships on the Kandahar course on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images Europe)

Not only was the 26-year-old the fastest man down the very icy, bumpy and shaded Kandahar, but finishing in 1 minute, 38.31 seconds, he beat his nearest competitor – Austria’s Hannes Reichelt – by 0.60 seconds.

“The race was great. I was in the middle and I said, ‘Hey Christof … Push! This race is every two years.’ I think only to put down the tops and risk all,” Innerhofer said. “I’m so happy because I gave 100 percent not like the last races, 80 or 90 percent. It was really difficult, it was really bumpy, icy, some parts were good visibility, some was not good. The secret was to risk all … and on the difficult parts to ski with your head.”

A guy who clearly knows how to ski with his head rounded out the podium on Wednesday. Proving that his fireball season will blaze strong – right into the medals – World Cup leader Ivica Kostelic came through for the bronze Wednesday, finishing 0.72 seconds off of the winning pace.

In spite of leading the World Cup overall standings by a rather jaw-dropping margin this season (1249 points to runner up Didier Cuche’s 725), the Croatian veteran had never won a super G until a few weeks ago in Kitzbuehel and his only other SG podium came on this very hill at Garmsich during last season’s finals, when he finished second.

“I’m especially proud of that because super G is not really my thing,” Kostelic said. “I expect more experienced guys to be in front today because of these tough conditions. World champs are something else than World Cup. You don’t have to think about your position, your points or the overall. It’s just one race where you have to give your 100 percent and that’s what I did.”

Also, Kostelic, who won gold in the 2003 world champs slalom in St. Moritz and won two silver medals in the Olympic slalom and super-combined races last season, had one aim to fulfill here in Garmisch and now he can check it off of his list.

“One medal was my goal at world championships and I did it so I can be a little more relaxed now,” he said.

Reichelt would fall into the category of a super G specialist. He has five World Cup victories to his name – four in SG and one in giant slalom – but until last season’s second place in the Kvitfjell SG, he had a bit of a dry spell on the World Cup, with no podiums for almost two years. Besides a super G bronze in the Junior World Championships from way back in 2000, the Austrian had never won a medal. He came into Wednesday’s race with a ton of momentum, however, fresh off Saturday’s super G win in Hinterstoder.

“The slopes are really different. The slope here was more icy and bumpy, Hinterstoder was more nice to ski. Here it was a fight from the start to finish,” Reichelt said. “I had so [many] problems. The guy who made so [few] mistakes, he won the race. But the medal today is great for me and great for the team.” (See video with Innerhofer, Reichelt and Kostelic)

With a course set by Switzerland, the DNF list from Wednesday’s race read like a scroll, with 30 racers missing gates or crashing out. This trend kicked off immediately when racer No. 1 Ales Gorza went out at a tricky left-footer over a roll at the midway point. This area of the course accounted for at least half of the Kandahar’s tally of casualties.

“It’s a really tough course and I didn’t handle it very well today,” said Aksel Lund Svindal, who was on the long list of DNFs. “Here there are so many tough gates, the conditions are really tough, too, so … it happens. The downhill is a new event and a new day.”

Perhaps the most exciting run in Wednesday’s race was provided by (surprise!) Bode Miller, who was speeding down his run, leading and gaining speed when he hooked his right pole on the gate going into the roller and that tricky right turn, lost his balance but somehow regained his composure and proceeded to pick up speed, firing down the course with one pole. Although it looked like his one-pole run might be good enough for a medal, Miller stood up for the last split before the finish, dropping his lead and ended up 12th, 2.75 seconds off the winning pace.

“The mistake was on the corridor, and you lose all your speed for the last bit. It’s hard to really put your nose in there and take risks when you have one pole and it’s the first race of the championships,” Miller said. “I got in the back already, I felt out of position. I’ve skied with one pole before but still it’s surprising how awkward it is. You wouldn’t think it would make that much of a difference, but when you start getting up to speed on a spot where the snow is tough and the light is pretty poor, once I made that mistake, obviously I could have tucked to the finish, but my speed was already gone.”

Miller went on to say he was pleased with the icy, bumpy conditions of the Kandahar and gave his compliments to Innerhofer for putting down all he had on it. (See video with Miller here).

“It was challenging but it’s what this course really should be, because it’s world championships and it’s a pretty tame hill besides that,” he said. “Today it was bumpy enough and fast enough, it was challenging. You see a lot of guys making mistakes but you see a guy like Innerhofer ski that way, I mean, he deserves to win it. He was one of the only guys really pushing and taking some risks. I was impressed with the way he skied.”

Didier Cuche, who won gold in the 2009 world champs super G, was fourth Wednesday, 1.03 seconds off the pace. Benjamin Raich was fifth, 1.34 seconds back, Romed Baumann sixth, 1.48 seconds back, Carlo Janka seventh, 1.72 back, Werner Heel eighth, 1.82 seconds back, Peter Fill ninth, 2.03 back, Adrien Theaux 10th, 2.13 back and Michael Walchhofer 11th, 2.20 back.

By Shauna Farnell
FISalpine.com
Wednesday 9 February 2011

Christof Innerhofer of Italy takes the gold medal during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Men's SuperG on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

Christof Innerhofer of Italy celebrates at the flower ceremony after winning the Men's Super G during the Alpine FIS Ski World Championships on the Kandahar course on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images Europe)

Hannes Reichelt of Austria takes the silver medal during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Men's SuperG on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia competes in the Men's Super G during the Alpine FIS Ski World Championships on the Kandahar course on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images Europe)

Peter Fill of Italy competes during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Men's SuperG on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

Bode Miller of the USA during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Men's SuperG on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

Bode Miller of the USA competes during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Men's SuperG on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

Natko Zrncic-Dim of Croatia competes during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Men's SuperG on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

Igor Laikert of Bosnia Herzegovina competes during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Men's SuperG on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe)

First placed Christof Innerhofer (C) of Italy, second placed Hannes Reichelt (L) of Austria and third placed Ivica Kostelic (R) of Croatia celebrates with their medals at the medal plaza following the Men's Super G during the Alpine FIS Ski World Championships on the Kandahar course on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

Christof Innerhofer of Italy celebrates with his gold medal after winning in the Men's Super G during the Alpine FIS Ski World Championships on the Kandahar course on February 9, 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (February 8, 2011 - Photo by Erich Spiess - Pool/GAP2011/Getty Images Europe)