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Beavercreek, CO — December 7, 2003
Bjarne Solbakken of Norway, who came into the weekend with a career-best of seventh place on the World Cup, won his first
World Cup race Sunday, taking the super G concluding the Chevy Truck Birds of Prey weekend. Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) led the U.S. in 12th place
while Jake Fiala (Frisco, CO) earned his best result, too, finishing 13th with Scott Macartney (Redmond, WA) 26th.
ESPN will televise coverage Thursday (Dec. 11) at 3 p.m. EST. Solbakken, who tied for second behind Rahlves Friday in the opening downhill on the icy, hard Birds of Prey run, was timed in 1:13.05 with Hermann Maier, who won Saturday's DH, second at 1:13.44. Hans Knauss, second Saturday in the second DH of the weekend, finished third in the super G (1:13.50). Light snow fell throughout the race and light fog created some visibility problems, but coaches said it was consistent, so no one gained an advantage. Rahlves came down in 1:14.17 with Fiala, the first racer on course and frustrated with his results in the two downhills, tore down the steep top section with the fastest time and held on for the best result of his career, taking 13th place in 1:14.23. Macartney, the reigning Nor Am super G champion but also frustrated in the two DHs, earned his first World Cup points of the season, too, finishing 26th in 1:15.86 despite coming out of the 56th start slot.
Rahlves rushed to the start, rushed down the hill "I was rushing to get to my start. I barely made it," he said, but a brief stall just before he skied 13th gave him time to make it. "I wasn't prepared as I normally am, didn't have time to relax. "It was a ride where I was happy I made it down and didn't crash," Rahlves said. "I was lucky today making it to the finish. It's tough." Fiala, with his father in the stands to watch the action, said, "It was awesome. I skied really well. It was the first time starting 1 in a World Cup super G, and hopefully my last because it would be nice to get a little bit of a course [from a teammate who skied earlier] - but I won the top section, which was pretty cool.
Fiala converted DH frustration into SG aggression He added, "It such a fine line in super G, y'know - pushing the limits with only inspection [i.e., no training run], but not knowing where the bad spots were. Some key turns I would've liked to know about but - " His course report, he said, was to the coaches, identifying two key spots where his teammates needed to carry speed. Downhill/SG Head Coach John McBride - explaining the last-minute shift to one-minute starts was a late decision by the jury "that cost some guys a half-hour in getting ready" - was particularly pleased with Fiala's performance, especially posting the fastest time over an elevator chute of a tart. "It comes right at you, no question, and Jake adapted well. He's been skiing well and he didn't execute as well as he can in the downhills, but today he was right on it," the coach said. "Skiing No. 1, he didn't have a lot of information from us, just from watching the forerunners, but Jake wasn't rattled. He did a superb job, and Scotty Mac, he's gonna stay with us on the World Cup, go to Europe and all. He struggled in the downhills, too, but he went at it."
Macartney: Show respect, but not too much
Men's Head Coach Phil McNichol said he was groping for a way to explain Bode Miller's third consecutive DNF. He came to Beaver as the World Cup points leader after five races, but Miller missed a gate midway through the run after missing another gate Saturday and crashing Friday. "He's skiing really well. I am concerned he's not getting to the finish. He's not a guy I have to worry about confidence with, but she surely is frustrated - I want to help him process his frustration and understand why mistakes occured and what he can do to possibly improve upon his strategy or tactics for the day," McNichol said. The men's tour heads to Val d'Isere, France, where a downhill was canceled because of a lack of snow (Friday's downhill which was moved to Beaver Creek and won by Rahlves) but a giant slalom remains scheduled for next Sunday (Dec. 14). Meanwhile, Beaver Creek will host Chevy Truck Super Series super Gs Monday and Tuesday with many Europeans sticking around to race. McBride said the French and Swiss teams told him they would compete "so it's not going to be easy for the young guys, but they'll get a taste of the World Cup level of skiing, and that's what we want 'em to get, some good experience."
FIS MEN'S ALPINE WORLD CUP
U.S. skiers
12. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, Calif., 1:14.17 WORLD CUP STANDINGS (7 races)
7. Miller, 213
— Courtesy of US Ski Team |
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