HAFJELL, Norway (AP) _ Hans Knauss led an Austrian 1-2 finish in the final men's World Cup giant slalom of the season Saturday, and Swiss veteran Michael von Gruenigen clinched the GS title by finishing third. Knauss had a two-run time of 2 minutes, 20.83 seconds on the Olympia course that was used for Alpine competition
during the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

Benjamin Raich, the 2001 World Cup slalom champion, was 0.54 behind, while von Gruenigen was 0.62 back.
American Bode Miller, who trailed von Gruenigen by 97 points in the standings prior to Saturday's race and needed a win to keep alive his slim chances of capturing the
title, rallied from 17th place in the first run to finish joint sixth with Finland's Kalle Palander. They were 0.90 behind.
Von Gruenigen, who turns 34 next month, has 23 World Cup wins to his credit and is a two-time world GS champion, but failed to win Olympic gold during his career that began in 1989.

"It was a very emotional day for me," von Gruenigen said. "I felt very nervous in the morning. I knew this was my last race and I wanted to finish well. I'm proud of
myself. It's a good way to end my career on top."
Although all-time leader Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden has twice as many career GS wins (46), von Gruenigen arguably was the discipline's steadiest racer. He has finished every major GS _ Olympics, World Championships and World Cup _ since skiing out in the first run after clocking the fastest intermediate time on the
very same course at the 1994 Winter Olympics. He'll return for one more race Sunday, a slalom, "but it's just to be there and not fighting for first or
second," he said.
Erik Schlopy was the top American, tying for fourth with Heinz Schilchegger of Austria, 0.82 behind.

Von Gruenigen topped the final GS standings with 542 points; Miller had 425 and Knauss was third with 365.
Two-time defending champion Stephan Eberharter of Austria, who placed 20th and out of the points, leads the overall standings with 1,333 points. Miller is second with 1,100.
American Daron Rahlves, who injured his left wrist after a fall in the super-G Thursday, did not start. 

AP, 15.03.2003 

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