Grugger wins World Cup super-G in Val Gardena

VAL GARDENA, Italy, Friday December 16, 11:53 PM (Reuters) - Austrian Johann Grugger won a men's World Cup super-G race on Friday, upsetting the pre-race favourites.

Grugger, who was third in the last two downhill races, continued his fine start to the season, clocking a provisional time of one minute 37.35 seconds to snatch victory.

Canada's Erik Guay was second in 1:37.66 with Ambrosi Hoffmann of Switzerland was third in 1:37.67.

Overall World Cup leader Bode Miller of the United States was down in eighth place, two lower than great rival Hermann Maier of Austria.

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Buechel storms to Val Gardena win

VAL GARDENA, Italy, Saturday December 17 (BBC Sport) - Marco Buechel of Liechtenstein pipped Austria's former world champion Michael Walchhofer to win Saturday's World Cup downhill in Val Gardena, Italy.

The 34-year-old snatched victory by 0.02 seconds to become only the second Liechtenstein skier to win in Val Gardena after Markus Foser in 1993.

Canadian Eric Guay continued his sparkling form to finish third after second place in Friday's super-G.

Britain's Finlay Mickel had to settle for 25th place, 1.79 seconds adrift.

The Saslong Classic had been delayed by snow showers and poor visibility.

Italy's Kristian Ghedina, who had done well in training, finished fourth to miss out on a fifth win in the resort in his final season.

American Bode Miller finished eighth to regain top spot in the overall World Cup standings at the expense of Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, who came 25th.

Val Gardena downhill result:

1. Marco Buechel (Liech) one minute 27.99 seconds
2. Michael Walchhofer (Aut) 1.28.01
3. Eric Guay (Can) 1.28.19
4. Kristian Ghedina (Ita) 1:28.42
5. Fritz Strobl (Aut) 1:28.46
6. Kjetil Andre Aamodt (Nor) 1:28.58
7. Antoine Deneriaz (Fra) 1:28.61
8. Bode Miller (USA) 1:28.73
9. Didier Defago (Swi) 1:28.85
10. Norbert Holzknecht (Aut) 1:28.88

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Kildow wins Val d'Isere downhill

Val d'Isere, France, Saturday December 17 (BBC Sport) - American Lindsey Kildow increased her lead in the women's World Cup downhill standings after winning Saturday's weather-affected race in Val d'Isere.

The 21-year-old took advantage of improving conditions on the Oreiller-Killy piste to claim victory in one minute 21.91 seconds.

Caroline Lalive made it a one-two for the United States in a time of 1:22.29.

Austria's Alexandra Meissnitzer was third quickest in 1:22.30 while Britain's Chemmy Alcott came 32nd.

Heavy overnight snowfall and swirling wind in the French resort brought a 90-minute delay, while further light snowfall saw several early runners crash in poor visibility.

Nine competitors did not complete the course - some crashing spectacularly, including Austrian's Karin Blaser, who damaged her knee.

Others such as Sweden's Anja Paerson, the defending overall World Cup champion, found it difficult to remain on the course.

"I couldn't see the first gate, so I just tried to follow the blue line," Paerson said. "The conditions were not fair. Maybe we should just have raced for prize money and not points."

It was Kildow's second victory in three downhills this season, having also won the second of two races in Lake Louise, Canada, earlier this month.

As well as leading the speed discipline, she is now second (with 322 points) in the overall standings behind Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister (366) in the overall standings.

Germany's Petra Haltmayr finished a surprise fourth ahead of Croatia's gifted all-rounder Janica Kostelic.

Women's Downhill Result:

1. Lindsey Kildow (USA) 1 minute 21.91 seconds
2. Caroline Lalive (USA) 1:22.29
3. Alexandra Meissnitzer (Aus) 1:22.304
Petra Haltmayr (Ger) 1:22.46
5. Janica Kostelic (Cro) 1:22.48
6. Lucia Recchia (Ita) 1:22.53
7. Carole Montillet (Fra) 1:22.53
8. Michaela Dorfmeister (Aut) 1:22.62
9. Franzi Aufdenblatten (Swi) 1:22.65
10. Daniela Ceccarelli (Ita) 1:22.72

World Cup Downhill Standings (after three races):

1. Lindsey Kildow (USA) 245 points
2. Michaela Dorfmeister (Aut) 172
3. Alexandra Meissnitzer (Aut) 170
4. Elena Fanchini (Ita) 136
5. Sylviane Berthod (Swi) 128

World Cup Overall Standings (after eight races):

1. Michaela Dorfmeister (Aut) 366 points
2. Lindsey Kildow (USA) 322
3. Alexandra Meissnitzer (Aut) 320
4. Janica Kostelic (Cro) 303
5. Anja Paerson (Swe) 275

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Blardone sparks Italian 1-2 finish in giant slalom, Miller keeps overall lead

ALTA BADIA, Italy, Sunday December 18, 2005 12:05PM (AP) -- If Italy is looking to stir more interest for the Olympics, maybe this will help: Max Blardone and Davide Simoncelli finished 1-2 in a World Cup giant slalom Sunday in a big lift for the home country.

"This is another good sign for Turin," retired Italian skiing great Alberto Tomba said.

The Americans hardly fared as well. Bode Miller fell and did not finish his first run but kept his lead in the overall and giant slalom standings. Teammate Daron Rahlves finished fourth, losing time with a slight error at the beginning of his second run.

Following Giorgio Rocca's two slalom wins and Elena Fannchini's downhill victory, Italy is tied with the United States with four World Cup wins this season. Only Austria has more (eight).

Blardone pleaded with Italians to show more interest in the Feb. 10-26 Turin Games, which have been marked by low domestic ticket sales and only scant awareness outside the city.

"We're really putting our hearts into this and I hope this creates some attention," Blardone said.

Blardone won a World Cup race for the second time, finishing in a combined time of 2 minutes, 27.14 seconds over the steep and twisty Gran Risa course. Simoncelli, who led after the first run, finished 0.20 seconds back.

Canada's Francois Bourque had the fastest second run for third place, matching the best result of his career.

Miller leads the overall standings with 442 points, 17 more than Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, who finished 23rd. Austria's Michael Walchhofer also fell in the opening run to drop from second to third overall, 22 points back.

Simoncelli was ahead of Blardone at the final split time before committing a small error.

"Max skied great, I don't think I gave him the race," Simoncelli said. "He won the dinner we bet on up at the start."

It was Simoncelli's fourth top-three finish at Gran Risa, including a victory in 2003.

Blardone had never finished higher than fifth on this course. The first win of his career was in the giant slalom at Adelboden, Switzerland, last season.

"It's great to win at home," Blardone said. "I gave everything I had. I risked a lot in the second run."

Miller, who won at this site in 2002, made errors throughout his only run. He still had good split times but fell after going over a small bump three gates from the finish. Miller tried desperately to regain his balance, but failed when one of his skis came loose.

"I knew I could get my feet around the gate, so I flipped my feet around," he said. "But then I couldn't see the ground. The visibility wasn't great, so when I landed I couldn't see where I was and just snapped out."

It was the same spot where Miller went out in the second run a year ago, and he said he expected "better tactics" from himself.

"It's not a hard gate at all -- you just can't see it -- so you have to know where you're going," Miller said. "I thought I knew, but I wasn't right."

The bump was added to the Gran Risa before last season's race; it was not there when Miller won in 2002.

"Flat light on a hill like this makes it tough, for me anyway," said Miller, referring to the overcast conditions during the first run. The sun came out for the second run.

Another Italian, Kristian Ghedina, finished fourth in Saturday's downhill. The 36-year-old Ghedina plans to retire at the end of the season. The last of his 13 World Cup wins came four years ago.

Ghedina won a bronze medal at the 1997 world championships on the downhill course in Sestriere. Having never won a medal in four Olympics, he is eager for one last chance.

"It's not my favorite course, it's not adapted to my characteristics," he said. "But I can do well."

Associated Press

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Dorfmeister extends World Cup lead

VAL D'ISERE, France, Sunday, December 18, 2005 (Reuters) - Michaela Dorfmeister, who angrily criticized organizers for allowing racing the previous day, scored her first win of the season in an Alpine ski super-G on in Val d'Isere on Sunday to extend her lead in the overall World Cup standings.

This time conditions were perfect and Dorfmeister, eighth on Saturday, clocked one minute 17.59 seconds for the 22nd win of her career, her eighth in super-G

She said afterwards:"This is certainly my most important victory."

Dorfmeister added: "This is a measure of revenge after what happened yesterday. At least we could get back to proper skiing. I did pretty well. It felt very easy."

Her team mate Alexandra Meissnitzer, who came third in Saturday's downhill, was second, 0.49 seconds behind, with Canadian Emily Brydon earning her first podium place of the season in third, with 1:18.15.

"I had a good run, especially on the upper part of the course, but Michaela was just too strong," Meissnitzer said.

Brydon set the early pace and then nervously waited for the favorites to ski down.

"I needed this," said Brydon, who had been struggling with her form.

"Things went my way. I was actually more nervous while waiting than during my run".

The 32-year-old Dorfmeister, who had been close to victory earlier this season, with four podium finishes, will be one to watch in the speed events of the Turin Games in February, where she will chase an elusive Olympic gold medal.

"I'm skiing really well and having a lot of fun," said the Austrian, who has suggested she will retire at the end of the season.

American Lindsey Kildow, who won Saturday's downhill, finished joint fourth with Switzerland's Fraenzi Aufdenblatten in the final race of the early-season classic meeting, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

"It was a pretty open race but Michaela and Alexandra are just too good in super-G," said Kildow.

"It's amazing how strong they are. Considering that, I'm rather happy with my performance. I'm just a few hundredths of a second from the podium."

France's Carole Montillet, the Olympic downhill champion who had placed sixth on Saturday, frustrated her home fans in this picturesque French Alpine resort by finishing 10th.

Ingrid Jacquemod, who comes from Val d'Isere and was the only Frenchwoman to win a World Cup race last season, ended up a disappointing 14th.

REUTERS