For the week of December 18 - 23, 2002

Eberharter goes down, opening door for Bode

U.S. climbs in World Cup

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Austria’s Stephan Eberharter, 33, went into last weekend’s World Cup races at Val d’Isere, France as the world’s best skier—unbeatable in downhill and super giant slalom, and the reigning Olympic champion in giant slalom.

Eberharter, defending World Cup overall, DH and SG king, won Saturday’s DH, his fifth victory of the young season and 21st World Cup win. He boosted his overall lead after nine races to 548-302 over Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway.

But Eberharter wasn’t fortunate in Sunday’s snowy Val d’Isere GS. He took a bad fall in the first run.

The early diagnosis from the Austrian team was Eberharter tore ligaments in his right knee—possibly ending his season and dealing the Austrian team, already without Hermann Maier, a bad blow.

However, on Sunday the Austrians reported Eberharter sustained a bone contusion with a hematoma and will be sidelined for three weeks.

Still, the door has swung open for Eberharter’s rivals.

It means U.S. skier Bode Miller, 25, who has surprised with excellent results in speed events, is more of a legitimate contender for the overall title. Miller, from Franconia, N.H, was fourth overall last season.

Miller, seventh and eighth in the first two DHs, placed 19th in Saturday’s DH won by Eberharter. Then, in Sunday’s snowy GS, Miller overcame tough conditions and placed second overall to Swiss great Michael Von Gruenigen.

Chip Knight of Stowe was sixth, best World Cup finish of his career, in Monday’s men’s knockout slalom at Sestriere, Italy.

Led by Maine’s Kirsten Clark, the U.S. women continued to impress as a team during three races at Val d’Isere last weekend. Clark, 25, currently is seventh in the overall standings with 277 points, only 44 points fewer than her entire season’s output last winter.

Clark was sixth in Friday’s SG, leading four U.S. women into the top 20. Thursday, Sarah Schleper posted her best giant slalom result in two years, tying for eighth place. Schleper was 11th in Sunday’s knockout SL.

 

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