ST. MORITZ, Switzerland - As expected, an Austrian won the World Championship downhill. Only it wasn't the defending champion. It wasn't the Olympic champion and it wasn't the reigning World Cup downhill champion. It wasn't even the famous comeback star. Michael Walchhofer upstaged all four of his illustrious teammates Saturday, beating the heavy favorites to win the banner event of the championship for his first career victory.

 Michael Walchhofer`s "Free Fall"

Walchhofer, who previously had no star status on the mighty "Wunderteam," bested World Cup overall and downhill champion Stephan Eberharter, the winner of five downhill races this season. He beat Olympic gold medalist Fritz Strobl as well as the masterful Hermann Maier, recently back from a motorcycle crash 18 months ago. And he completely trounced defending champion Hannes Trinkl.

Michael Walchhofer

"All the attention was on Maier and Eberharter, so I could prepare in peace," shrugged the 27-year-old Walchhofer, who actually began his career as a technical skier but switched to downhill when he was unable to adapt to the new generation of short slalom skis. "It's a great honor to be on that team and to be downhill world champion means a lot to me."

Michael Walchhofer

Though never in the limelight, Walchhofer finished runner-up in four downhill races this season on the World Cup circuit. His only win came in a combined event in Kitzbuehel, a paper event which adds the times from the weekend's downhill and slalom.

"I had good results this season in the downhill," Walchhofer said. "I'm happy that after being second so many times, I'm on top now. I knew I belonged at the top. At the finish, I thought I had a good run and that I could be the champion, and that's how it turned out.

"I still don't fully realize what I've done, though, nor what it will mean."

Kjetil-Andre Aamodt

Norwegian veteran Kjetil-Andre Aamodt, clinched the silver for his 12th world championship medal, the most of any man in Alpine skiing history. Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg and Lasse Kjus of Norway both have 11. Including the Olympics, Aamodt now has 19 medals, an all-time high.

Bruno Kernen

Bruno Kernen of Switzerland, who held the lead for almost half an hour, was forced to settle for the bronze. The Swiss skier won the downhill title in Sestriere, Italy to the day in 1997.

Walchhofer covered the steep, 2,989-meter long Corviglia course in one minute, 43.54 seconds, beating Aamodt by 0.51 seconds. Kernen was 0.97 off the pace.

The Americans failed to crack to top-10, missing out on the medals for the first time in four events.

Bode Miller failed to keep up his medal streak, finishing a disappointing 16th.

Miller, who posted a triumphant comeback win in the combined and shared the super-G silver with Maier, had been thinking of skipping the riskier downhill to focus on his stronger events — the giant slalom and slalom.

"It's a great race, you want to be part of it. Anybody can win, maybe I could have nailed it easily, there were little gusts, if you were lucky you get a tail wind," Miller said.

It marked the first time the Americans had not taken a medal in St. Moritz.

Jake Fiala posted the top American result, finishing 12th, trailing by 1.82.

Fiala was the early leader, before the biggest stars came down the hill.  

"I was psyched that I wasn't too far out," he said.

Daron Rahlves was disqualified after missing the last gate. The American lost his balance coming off a jump just before the finish, then lost control, skiing on just one ski. Rahlves would have finished in 16th.

"I was only in it to win," said Rahlves, who won the notorious Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbuehel two weeks ago, and another in Bormio, Italy, last month. "I made a mistake staying too low, looking for as much speed at the top. I had speed but I didn't have direction."

"I lost a lot of ground, I had to go for broke and it was just too much."

Marco Sullivan was 24th.

The mighty "Wunderteam" entered the downhill heavily favored, with only the cream of a deep, talented squad selected.

Kjetil-Andre Aamodt, Michael Walchhofer and Bruno Kernen

Eberharter, super-G champion here, finished fifth.

"Walchhofer went through the decisive spots superbly, no one would have beaten him today," said Eberharter, the World Cup leader this season. "He's a worthy champion. I am not too disappointed, I already have a gold."

Maier, a former two-time Olympic champion and three-time overall World Cup leader only three weeks into a comeback after a motorcycle crash 18 months ago nearly cost him his right leg, finished eighth.

 Swiss Air Force over St. Moritz

"It was a great feeling to come down this course, I am happy," Maier said. "The jumps were very long and that was quite a test for my right foot. I surely didn't have the greatest of runs, but I have to be satisfied that I am already so far after such a short time."

Strobl was 10th and Trinkl 31st.

Austria now has three golds and a silver. The Americans also have four — one gold, two silver and one bronze.

By ERICA BULMAN, Associated Press Writer, 08.02.2003

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