For the week of Nov 26 - Dec 2, 2003

Bode grabs GS
victory at Park City

First Yank stateside win since 1984

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World Cup leader and reigning world giant slalom champion Bode Miller has ended what he called an "embarrassing," victory drought by American men in World Cup races on U.S. soil.

Miller, 26, of New Hampshire, won Saturday’s Chevy Truck America’s Opening giant slalom at Park City, Utah by .86 seconds over Andreas Schifferer of Austria. It was the eighth World Cup win in Miller’s career—fifth in GS.

It was the first American victory stateside since March 1984 when Bill Johnson won a Aspen downhill.

World championships bronze medalist Erik Schlopy of Park City injured his left knee (ACL) during the first run of Saturday’s men’s giant slalom. Schlopy was leading the race at the time of the injury.

Schlopy and Miller are friends, having shared an apartment in Austria for five years. When Schlopy went down, Miller picked up the pace in the second run and put out maximum effort despite the ruts and flat light.

The victory kept Miller atop the World Cup standings with 200 points. Boise’s Dane Spencer was 13th in the giant slalom. It was only the second top-15 of Spencer’s career.

Miller had won the GS opener of the 2003-04 World Cup alpine ski racing season Oct. 26 on the Rettenbach Glacier at Soelden, Austria.

Sunday, U.S. Olympian Tom Rothrock of Washington State posted the second-fastest second run and tied for eighth place in the World Cup slalom. It was Rothrock’s first World Cup top-10. The winner was Kalle Palander of Finland.

Miller DNFd the slalom.

The World Cup women take to the Park City hill Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28-29 for GS and SL. The men head to Lake Louise, Alberta, for the first speed races Dec. 6-7.

 

Crists race in freestyle

Ketchum brothers Zach and Reggie Crist, who started on the U.S. Alpine Ski Team, are racing on the World Cup freestyle circuit this winter.

On Sunday in the FIS Freestyle World Cup at Saas-Fee, Switz., Zach Crist was the top American in 11th place of the ski cross final won by Patrick Schmid of Switzerland. And Reggie was 48th in the same event.

In snowboarding, former Wood River High School student Aprilia Hagglof of Sweden placed second overall in Thursday’s Continental Cup parallel giant slalom debut at Copper, Colo. Graham Watanabe of Ketchum was 16th in the men’s PGS race.

 

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