Jean-Baptiste Grange of France clears a pole during the second run of the men's Alpine Ski slalom World Cup race, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, in Levi, Finland. Grange won the race. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Mikko Stig)
. world ski news : Jean-Baptiste Grange in charge for World Cup slalom triumph in Levi - 14 Íîåìâðè 2010 - 14:52
ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. Apparently it was a good decision. Last December French slalom star Jean-Baptiste Grange elected against toughing it out and going for the 2010 Olympics after damaging a ligament in his right knee in a no-fall event during the Beaver Creek giant slalom.
Jean-Baptiste Grange of France clears a pole during the second run of the men's Alpine Ski slalom World Cup race, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, in Levi, Finland. Grange won the race. (AP Photo/Lehtikuva, Mikko Stig)
Jean-Baptiste Grange, of France, reacts after winning an alpine ski, Men's World Cup Slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
He called his season instead and had corrective surgery. Today (Nov. 14) that paid off with a win in the first Men's World Cup race of the season, a slalom at Levi, Finland. It was his second win at Levi. Last time he wound up winning the World Cup slalom title.
Jean-Baptiste Grange, of France, speeds down the course on his way to win an alpine ski, Men's World Cup Slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
Swede Andre Myhrer was second, his sixth Cup slalom podium, and Croate Ivica Kostelic notched his 34th career Cup podium in third.
Sweden's Andre Myhrer speeds down the course to place second in an alpine ski, Men's World Cup Slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
Ivica Kostelic, of Croatia, speeds down the course to place third in an alpine ski, Men's World Cup Slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
It was a good day for ski racing, cloudy but with Arctic light that hardly mattered anyway. No wind and temps below the freezing mark without bitterness. But snow conditions generally described as “grippy” played a significant role catching racers not yet necessarily completely comfortable familiar with their ski set-ups for the season.
The Levi Black course took a toll on the first run with 31 of 80 starters, including seven first seed racers, failing to finish. First run casualties included two previous Levi winners, Benjamin Raich and Reinfried Herbst plus Austrian teammate Marcel Hirscher. Canadian Mike Janyk went down, American Bode Miller hiked after a hip plant and Nolan Kasper went down. Ted Ligety held on to make it to the second run, but well back in the pack.
The U.S. highlight was 23 year old Will Brandenburg - Ski Racing's Jr of the Year 2007 - who stunned unsuspecting viewers when he charged to eighth place after the first run from the 35th start. He couldn't complete the second run and failed to garner his first Cup points, but his speed was noteworthy.
The Canadians fared a bit better with Julien Cousineau taking up eighth in the final tally. Brad Spence finished 16th, two places ahead of Ligety, with Trevor White one spot behind Ligety in 19th. Patrick Biggs got in the points in 22nd place from the 45th start, giving Canada four scoring skiers
SkiRacing.com
Sunday, 14 November, 2010
From left, second placed Andre Myhre, of Sweden, winner Jean-Baptiste Grange, of France, and third placed Ivica Kostelic, of Croatia, celebrate on the podium at the end of an alpine ski, Men's World Cup Slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
Jean-Baptiste Grange, of France, celebrates on the podium after winning an alpine ski, Men's World Cup Slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
RESULTS
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
1 7 192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste 1984 FRA 52.32 54.32 1:46.64 0.00
2 15 501017 MYHRER Andre 1983 SWE 52.84 54.13 1:46.97 1.89
3 3 380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO 53.09 54.52 1:47.61 5.55
4 27 291145 DEVILLE Cristian 1981 ITA 52.76 55.13 1:47.89 7.15
5 10 50624 PRANGER Manfred 1978 AUT 52.82 55.17 1:47.99 7.72
6 4 510890 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan 1981 SUI 52.91 55.20 1:48.11 8.41
7 13 292491 MOELGG Manfred 1982 ITA 53.19 55.15 1:48.34 9.72
8 14 102239 COUSINEAU Julien 1981 CAN 53.43 54.93 1:48.36 9.84
9 23 511127 GINI Marc 1984 SUI 53.88 54.90 1:48.78 12.24
10 1 191459 LIZEROUX Julien 1979 FRA 53.55 55.30 1:48.85 12.64
11 9 501111 HARGIN Mattias 1985 SWE 53.40 55.62 1:49.02 13.61
12 18 192506 MISSILLIER Steve 1984 FRA 53.96 55.16 1:49.12 14.19
13 40 150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE 54.09 55.04 1:49.13 14.24
14 57 202462 DOPFER Fritz 1987 GER 54.39 54.81 1:49.20 14.64
15 26 500656 LARSSON Markus 1979 SWE 53.93 55.28 1:49.21 14.70
16 25 102912 SPENCE Brad 1984 CAN 53.86 55.71 1:49.57 16.76
17 47 150594 TREJBAL Filip 1985 CZE 54.35 55.48 1:49.83 18.25
18 16 534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA 54.44 55.45 1:49.89 18.59
19 50 102922 WHITE Trevor 1984 CAN 54.65 55.30 1:49.95 18.93
20 36 501101 BYGGMARK Jens 1985 SWE 54.26 55.72 1:49.98 19.11
21 63 192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA 54.45 55.56 1:50.01 19.28
22 45 102456 BIGGS Patrick 1982 CAN 54.28 55.77 1:50.05 19.51
22 28 501116 LAHDENPERAE Anton 1985 SWE 54.59 55.46 1:50.05 19.51
24 41 192943 OBERT Anthony 1985 FRA 54.54 55.52 1:50.06 19.56
25 51 50931 BECHTER Patrick 1982 AUT 54.33 55.78 1:50.11 19.85
26 17 560355 VALENCIC Mitja 1978 SLO 54.42 55.75 1:50.17 20.19
27 30 50981 HOERL Wolfgang 1983 AUT 54.36 56.41 1:50.77 23.62
28 55 421669 HAUGEN Leif Kristian 1987 NOR 54.38 1:13.42 2:07.80 121.04
Disqualified 1st run
39 180251 PALANDER Kalle 1977 FIN
Did not qualify 1st run
80 151024 KOTZMANN Adam 1993 CZE
79 180703 PALONIEMI Santeri 1993 FIN
77 90131 GEORGIEV Georgi 1987 BUL
70 480736 KHOROSHILOV Alexander 1984 RUS
66 380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko 1986 CRO
62 560371 DRAGSIC Mitja 1979 SLO
60 930105 GRANSTROM Colby 1990 USA
52 511896 MURISIER Justin 1992 SUI
49 293797 GROSS Stefano 1986 ITA
46 290732 THALER Patrick 1978 ITA
42 51395 DIGRUBER Marc 1988 AUT
38 102727 STUTZ Paul 1983 CAN
37 561148 SKUBE Matic 1988 SLO
33 421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR
31 560425 VAJDIC Bernard 1980 SLO
29 50707 MATT Mario 1979 AUT
20 910000 IMBODEN Urs 1975 MDA
19 421400 MYHRE Lars Elton 1984 NOR
2 201702 NEUREUTHER Felix 1984 GER
Did not finish 2nd run
35 530165 BRANDENBURG Will 1987 USA
22 301312 SASAKI Akira 1981 JPN
Did not finish 1st run
78 180567 RASANEN Joonas 1989 FIN
76 180570 ROMAR Andreas 1989 FIN
75 561117 KUERNER Miha 1987 SLO
74 180534 SANDELL Marcus 1987 FIN
73 501401 SAXVALL Per 1989 SWE
72 534959 JITLOFF Tim 1985 USA
71 102403 SEMPLE Ryan 1982 CAN
69 700830 ZAMPA Adam 1990 SVK
68 220083 BAXTER Noel 1981 GBR
67 990048 BORSOTTI Giovanni 1990 ITA
65 180627 MALMSTROM Victor 1991 FIN
64 380290 SAMSAL Dalibor 1985 CRO
61 500909 ANDERSSON Oscar 1982 SWE
59 193967 MUFFAT JEANDET Victor 1989 FRA
58 150495 VRABLIK Martin 1982 CZE
56 194364 PINTURAULT Alexis 1991 FRA
54 532138 KASPER Nolan 1989 USA
53 250127 BJORGVINSSON Bjorgvin 1980 ISL
48 291318 TONETTI Riccardo 1989 ITA
44 193347 TISSOT Maxime 1986 FRA
43 511174 VOGEL Markus 1984 SUI
34 50824 DREIER Christoph 1981 AUT
32 532431 MILLER Bode 1977 USA
24 301709 YUASA Naoki 1983 JPN
21 501223 BAECK Axel 1987 SWE
12 293098 RAZZOLI Giuliano 1984 ITA
11 53831 HIRSCHER Marcel 1989 AUT
8 102435 JANYK Michael 1982 CAN
6 50605 HERBST Reinfried 1978 AUT
5 50625 RAICH Benjamin 1978 AUT