US Olympian Tom Rothrock (Cashmere, WA) posted the second-fastest second run of slalom Sunday and collected the first World Cup top-10 of his career on the sun-splashed - but controversial Ð final day of the Chevy Truck America's Opening weekend. Defending World Cup slalom champ Kalle Palander of Finland won with Chip Knight (Stowe, VT) 17th; World Cup leader Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) didn't finish his first run but maintained his points lead.

Erik Schlopy (Park City, UT), who injured his left knee Saturday in a GS crash at Park City Mountain Resort, watched the first run from a purple lawn chair at the back of the crowd.

The final result - with Palander topping Austrian Rainer Schoenfelder by two-hundredths of a second - was protested by several nations because Schoenfelder received a provisional second first run when he claimed a course worker, who fell near the course had distracted him before he skied off course. The jury gave him a provisional re-run and he tied Palander for the first-run lead; after the race, the jury, which has the final say at any race, decided to disqualify Schoenfelder, who finished his second run two-hundredths behind Palander.

Palander's winning time was 1:35.91 with Manfred Pranger, another Austrian, second (1:36.60) and Giorgio Rocca of Italy moving up to third in 1:37.01. Rothrock was part of a three-way tie for eighth place (1:37.52) with Knight 17th in 1:38.27.

ROTHROCK: "I WASN'T HAPPY WITH MY FIRST RUN..."
"I wanted to have a good second run because I wasn't happy with my first run," said Rothrock. Winning a [Chevy Truck] Super Series slalom Thursday in Winter Park, Colo., gave him added confidence coming into the race. "For the first [World Cup] slalom of the year, I'm pleased...

"I wanted to get a really fast second run in. I wanted a top 10."

The first run had a rhythmical and fairly easy course, he said, but the second run "was like full blast, go-for-it, so that's what I did. It was more my type of course than the first run."

Knight, conceding he was anxious before the race, said, "Coming in here, still trying to get used to my new equipment [Elan skis], fine-tune my technique and my feeling coming into the year. I was working on things this morning, so it felt great to have two pretty solid runs. I know I have a lot more confidence to gain, so this is a great place to start from for the year."

COACH SEES SOLID START FOR ROTHROCK, KNIGHT
"I think both Chip and 'Rotty' were nervous to start the day," said Slalom/GS Head Coach Mike Morin, "and their nerves showed, but in the second run they both did a great job. Tom started to show some of the speed he's got; winning a Super Series is one thing but standing in the start of a World Cup and they both should have gained some confidence from today's race."

Miller, who won Saturday's giant slalom in poor light and gathering snow, failed to finish the first run when he caught an edge on aggressive snow and missed a couple of gates. However, he held onto his World Cup lead despite Palander's victory; after three races, Miller has 200 points to 169 for the Finn.

The men head to Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies for the first speed races of the young World Cup season, downhill and super G next Saturday and Sunday before heading to Colorado for the Chevy Truck Birds of Prey downhill and super G Dec. 6-7.

In the GS race, Dane Spencer (Boise, ID), held off a pair of hard-charging Canadian Francois Bourque to win the Chevy Truck Super Series giant slalom at Park City Mountain Resort. Spencer, who led after the first run, held off Bourque to win. Sweden's Fredrik Nyberg was third, with Park City's Ted Ligety fourth.

Men's Slalom Results

1. Kalle Palander, Finland, 1:35.91
2. Manfred Pranger, Austria, 1:36.60
3. Giorgio Rocca, Italy, 1:37.01

Did not qualify for 2nd run: Jesse Marshall, Pittsfield, Vt.
Did not finish 1st run: Bode Miller, Franconia, NH; Jimmy Cochran, Keene, NH

— Courtesy of US Ski Team