WENGEN, Switzerland - Stephan Eberharter won his second straight downhill Friday and overtook Bode Miller of the United States for the lead in the World Cup overall standings. Daron Rahlves of the United States was second, his fourth top-three finish this season. Bruno Kernen of Switzerland was third.

Austrian star Hermann Maier finished back in the 20s in his first downhill since almost losing a leg in a motorcycle crash in August 2001.

Eberharter was timed on the long and demanding Lauberhorn course in 2 minutes, 27.78 seconds.

Rahlves finished in 2:28.89. He won a downhill in Bormio, Italy, in December and was third in two other downhills this season.

Kernen was timed in 2:29.16, his first top-three finish since placing second in a combined event five years ago.

Miller finished sixth in 2:29,36. He now has 730 points in the overall standings while Eberharter leads with 755.

Eberharter also strengthened his lead in the discipline rankings with 500 points. Rahlves climbed the second with 341.

Eberharter has won every downhill he has completed this season. His only shortcoming came last week in Bormio when the Austrian went off course.

Eberharter also missed another downhill in Val Gardena, Italy, after injuring his knee in a giant slalom in Val d'Isere, France.

Last year, Eberharter led a 1-2-3 Austrian sweep in the Wengen downhill, ahead of Hannes Trinkl and Josef Strobl.

By ERICA BULMAN, Associated Press Writer, 17.01.2003 

Maier's Return Gathers Pace in Wengen

By Julia Ferguson

WENGEN, Switzerland (Reuters) - Triple World Cup ski champion Hermann Maier's painful return to the top of the sport after a motorcycle crash almost cost him a leg gathered pace on Wednesday when he posted a fast time in downhill training.

The double Olympic champion, who made his keenly-anticipated comeback at Adelboden Tuesday after an absence of nearly two years, clocked a time of two minutes 31.88 seconds in the first of two training runs down the classic Lauberhorn course.

Norwegian allrounder Kjetil Andre Aamodt set the pace on a sun-drenched day which most racers used more as a foray to inspect the energy-sapping course rather than to test the limit.

The seven-times Olympic medallist was 2.81 seconds faster than Maier, while Swiss Franco Cavegn placed second ahead of Austrian Peter Rzehak. Maier came 17th among the 69 competitors.

The Swiss resort hosts two downhills and a slalom from Friday to Sunday. The Lauberhorn is the longest downhill course on the World Cup circuit at almost 4.3 kilometers.

"I had real fun today," said the 30-year-old Maier after his first downhill run since the World Cup finals in Aare, Sweden 22 months ago. The Austrian won that race.

The double world champion just missed out qualifying for the second run at Adelboden by five hundredths of a second, or one place.

Maier, whose 41 victories make him the fourth most successful male skier in World Cup history, said Thursday's training would help him decide whether to compete in the forthcoming downhill races.

"My last downhill race was in Aare, which was a long time ago so I've got to make sure that I become accustomed to the speed again," he said.

"I skied without pain and felt better than in the giant slalom because the fewer turns means less pressure on my leg," he said.

FIERCE COMPETITION

Maier reiterated that a possible start at next month's world championships in St Moritz was not an issue for him. Competition is fierce within the Austrian team for one of the four downhill tickets to the world championships.

A top time here at Wengen and next week at Kitzbuehel is imperative to secure a berth in the blue-riband discipline.

The racers said the Wengen course was in excellent condition, but was a stiff challenge.

"It's very exhausting into the finish," said downhill Olympic champion Fritz Strobl of Austria. "I totally messed up the Brueggli and am going to have to practice that some more," he said in reference to the narrow bridge mid-way down.

"It's very, very difficult -- much more so than in the previous years," said downhill world champion Hannes Trinkl of Austria. "The snow is in parts extremely fast."

Downhill World Cup champion Stephan Eberharter, also of the mighty Austrian team, said the stretch into the finish area was tough as the legs were hurting by then after the long run.

"The finish is very hard and icy so you've got to be careful," the winner of four of the season's six downhills said. "It's much more dangerous than in previous years."

Reuters, 17.01.2003