LAKE LOUISE, Alta. (CP) - The Herminator is back.
Austrian superstar Hermann Maier won the World Cup super-giant slalom race at Lake Louise Sunday, leading an Austrian contingent that took the top four spots.

 The Herminator

Michael Walchhofer, who won Saturday's downhill race, was second in Sunday at 1:36.95, 26-100ths of a second behind Maier. Reigning overall champion Stephan Eberharter was third in 1:37.24.

Erik Guay of Mont Tremblant, Que., was sixth in 1:38.04. He finished second in Saturday's downhill, becoming the first Canadian to ever reach the podium at Lake Louise.

The Herminator

Maier, a two-time Olympic gold medallist who placed 10th in the downhill, was in top form from the moment he came out of the starting gates, getting faster as he flew down the course.

"I'm very, very happy with a great performance," Maier said.

The three-time overall World Cup champion has been recovering from a devastating motorcycle accident that almost cost him a leg in 2001.

Canadian Press, 30.11.2003 

Maier Returns with Super-G Win

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Reuters) - Hermann Maier, back to his winning ways after a life-threatening motorcycle accident, led an Austrian sweep of the top four places in the first men's super-G of the Alpine ski World Cup season on Sunday.

Former Olympic and world champion Maier, who almost lost his right leg in the crash two years ago, produced a storming run to beat team mate Michael Walchhofer, Saturday's downhill winner here, into second place by 0.26 seconds.

Michael Walchhofer

"It's unbelievable," beamed a clearly delighted Maier after registering his 43rd career victory. "I am surprised. This is so much more than I expected.

"I was confident today but not (expecting) to win. It's a great day."

Defending overall World Cup champion Stephan Eberharter was third, 0.55 seconds behind Maier's time of one minute 36.69, with Benjamin Raich fourth in 1:37.64.

Stephan Eberharter

Stephan Eberharter

Experienced Norwegian Lasse Kjus was the highest-placed non-Austrian, just ahead of Saturday's runner-up Erik Guay who briefly raised Canadian hopes when he held the early lead.

Lasse Kjus

But there was no denying Maier, who attacked the Olympic course like the "Herminator" of old, clenching his teeth as he pushed out of the start hut and roaring down the sun-kissed Whitehorn Mountain.

When Maier crossed the finished line and saw his time on the scoreboard he immediately thrust his fists into the air and twirled his ski poles in celebration.

BROKEN RIB

The victory opens another chapter in what has become one of the most remarkable comebacks in all of sport.

After nearly 18 months of intensive therapy, a determined Maier finally made his return to the World Cup last January, stunning the ski world by winning an emotional super-G on home snow just 13 days later in front of thousands of fans in Kitzbuehel.

He followed that effort with a silver medal-winning performance in the same event at the world championships at St Moritz but then had to undergo another operation on his reconstructed leg.

This season did not begin well for the 30-year-old Austrian, who broke a rib in a training crash but raced through the pain to finish 16th in the opening giant slalom last month.

"You cannot compare the emotion here to my win in Kitzbuehel in front of my own country," said Maier, who now has three super-G wins at Lake Louise. "This is different but it is still worth a lot.

"It was not a total surprise but I did not count on it. I still felt it would take time to find my form."

It was another disappointing day for American Bode Miller as the overall World Cup leader finished 19th to see his advantage in the standings trimmed to just nine points over Walchhofer.

But the only regret Miller expressed at the end of his run was that he had not been able watch Maier's impressive charge down the course.

"I wish I wasn't a racer today so I could have watched him coming down the mountain," said Miller. "When he skies this way it is really impressive.

"I have to see the video, it must have been something special."

By Steve Keating, Reuters, 30.11.2003

Maier leads Austrian sweep in Lake Louise super-G

LAKE LOUISE, Canada (AFP) - Double Olympic gold medallist Hermann Maier, continuing his return from a career threatening motorcycle crash, captured the first super-G of the alpine World Cup season.

Hermann Maier

Maier clocked 1min 36.69sec on the Whitehorn Mountain course to finish 26-hundredths of a second ahead of fellow Austrian Michael Walchhofer. Stephen Eberharter completed the Austrian sweep in 1:37.24.

"I'm very, very happy," Maier said. "It was a great performance.

"I had a good feeling going into the super-G. I was able to concentrate better. The downhill yesterday was very straight, and the visibility was not so great."

It was the 18th super-G victory of Maier's career, and his first World Cup win since a super-G at Kitzbuhel last season. Maier also won the super-G here in 2000 and 1999.

Maier, who started in the 26th position, benefitted from sunny conditions which helped smooth the 3,136m course after a couple of days of heavy snow.

Maier missed the 2001-2002 season because of a serious motorcycle accident in the summer of 2001 he returned to the circuit last spring.

There was some doubt about whether the three-time World Cup overall champion would be able to return to the World Cup but Maier silenced the sceptics with the victory at Kitzbuhel.

He said he prefers the super-G to downhill.

"You have to ski very smooth on this course. In the downhill you have so much time between gates but in the super-G the gates come faster and I am able to concentrate better," he said.

Walchhofer's runner-up finish followed a victory here on Saturday in the first downhill of the 2003-2004 season.

Walchhofer said winning the downhill gave him added confidence heading into the super-G.

"Today was super conditions," said Walchhofer. "I am not as surprised with my result as I was yesterday. I had a great weekend."

Eberharter, the reigning World Cup overall champion, helped make up for a disappointing 22nd-place finish in the downhill on Saturday, when he was hampered by a late start and blinding fog.

Eberharter likes to kick start each new season with good results at Lake Louise where he won both the downhill and super-G last year.

"It is important to do well not only here but in the beginning of the season," said Eberharter, who has been battling a cold. "It gives me a lot of confidence."

The powerful Austrian team took the top four spots on Sunday and placed six in the top 14.