For the week of December 10 - 16, 2003

Rahlves pulls out
a scrapper run,
wins at Beaver Creek

Fifth World Cup DH victory

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Winning one for the home team, 30-year-old Daron Rahlves captured the fifth World Cup downhill victory of his career Friday in the Birds of Prey downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo.

Rahlves, from Sugar Bowl, Ca., got bumped around through the middle and bottom of what he called a "scrapper run," but he finished in first place by .69 seconds because of a very impressive run on the upper part.

It was the first DH victory by a U.S. man on an American hill since Bill Johnson won at Aspen in 1984. Rahlves said, "I pulled everything, and hammered as hard as I could."

Rahlves, the 2003 Hahnenkamm DH king, said he wanted to win in the U.S. and he also was motivated to do well because of Thursday’s training run injury to good friend Marco Sullivan of Squaw Valley, Ca. (knee).

The winner credited wax technician Willi Wiltz for honing his Atomics. "Great teamwork," said Rahlves. "He got ‘em ready, and I drove ‘em."

Friday’s downhill won by Rahlves was added just 48 hours earlier after the International Ski Federation moved the race from semi-snowless Val d’Isere, France. American Bryon Friedman (23rd, the 2nd American) scored his first World Cup points.

On Saturday in the second Beaver Creek DH, Rahlves was a little unlucky with his 29th starting position because he picked up gusting winds and had to settle for fourth behind Austrian superstar Hermann Maier, who posted his 44th career win.

But Rahlves did break an Austrian stranglehold on the five of the first six positions, and seven of the top nine. Unfortunately, Bode Miller DNFd for the second straight day in the downhill and fell behind in the overall race.

Meanwhile, at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, France’s Carole Montillet won back-to-back downhills Friday and Saturday—and U.S. racer Kirsten Clark placed 3rd and 14th.

Clark, 26, of Raymond, Me., continued her hot skiing with a fourth place in Sunday’s SG won by Austria Renate Goetschl. It was the 28th win of Goetschl’s career.

The men race giant slalom Sunday, Dec. 14 at Val d’Isere.

Here is a wrap-up of last weekend’s men’s and women’s speed races:

Men’s DH Dec. 5 at Beaver Creek: 1—Rahlves 1:39.59. 2—Stephan Eberharter, Aust. and Bjarne Solbakken, Nor. 1:40.28. 23—Bryon Friedman (Utah). 32—Scott Macartney (Wash.). 35—Jake Fiala (Colo.). 37—Wade Bishop (Colo.). DNF—Bode Miller (N.H.) and Kevin Francis.

Men’s DH Dec. 6 at Beaver Creek: 1—Hermann Maier, Aust. 1:39.76. 4—Rahlves 1:41.01. 24—Friedman. 32—Macartney. 40—Fiala. 42—Bishop. 53—Kevin Francis (Ore.). DNF—Bode Miller.

Men’s SG Dec. 7 at Beaver Creek: 1—Solbakken, Nor. 1:13.05. 12—Rahlves. 13—Fiala. 26—Macartney. 37—Dane Spencer (Boise). DNF—Bode Miller and Thomas Vonn (N.Y.).

Men’s World Cup standings: 1—Hermann Maier, Aust., 405. 2—Hans Knauss, Aust. 288. 7—Bode Miller 213. 8—Daron Rahlves 211.

Women’s DH Dec. 5 at Lake Louise: 1—Carole Montillet 1:34.03. 3—Kirsten Clark 1:34.33. 10—Caroline Lalive (Colo.). 16—Jonna Mendes (Ca.). 26—Bryna McCarty (Vt.). 27—Lindsey Kildow (Minn.). 40—Julia Mancuso (Ca.). 47—Libby Ludlow (Wash.). 51—Alison Powers (Colo.). 54—Lauren Van Ness (Colo.).

Women’s DH Dec. 6 at Lake Louise: 1—Carole Montillet 1:24.18. 12—Jonna Mendes. 14—Kirsten Clark. 15—Lindsey Kildow. 26—Bryna McCarty. 29—Alison Powers. 36—Caroline Lalive. 47—Libby Ludlow. 55—Lauren Van Ness.

Women’s SG Dec. 7 at Lake Louise: 1—Renate Goetschl, Aust. 1:14.98. 4—Kirsten Clark 1:15.85. 15—Caroline Lalive. 20—Julia Mancuso. 33—Lindsey Kildow. 36—Jonna Mendes. 42—Bryna McCarty. 46—Libby Ludlow. 49—Lauren Van Ness.

Women’s World Cup standings: 1—Anja Paerson, Swe. 280. 2—Carole Montillet, Fra. 250. 3—Martina Ertl, Germ. 211. 8—Kirsten Clark 138.

 

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