Because it's what we do

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Nov. 27) - One day after finishing a frustrated 32nd in the opening downhill of the season, former super G world champion Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) stepped onto his first podium Sunday, finishing third in a super G at Lake Louise. Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, who won his first World Cup race, an event in which the top three racers were just eight-hundredths of a second apart.

Outdoor Life Network provides weekly World Cup race coverage, with its 10 Weeks to Torino broadcast every Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. This week, OLN also will broadcast Lake Louise coverage Monday at 5 p.m.

“It was such a tough one to suck up [Saturday]. I was as pissed I get,” Rahlves said. “It was a day when you come out and don’t ski to the potential you have at all. My mind was in the wrong spot yesterday. ...Today changed all that around. I’m excited for Beaver Creek” later this week at the VISA Birds of Prey World Cup races Thursday through Sunday.
Svindal was timed in 1:26.04 with Austrian Benjamin Raich second in 1:26.11, one-hundredth of a second ahead of Rahlves. Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH), the reigning World Cup and World Championships SG champion, finished 18th after going down on one hip and rescuing his run on the lower half of the narrow midsection. JJ Johnson (Park City, UT) tied for 35th on the 2.5K course with Steve Nyman (Orem, UT) 38th.

“This definitely puts yesterday behind him. ‘D’ is back to moving forward and heading to a hill he really loves,” DH/SG Head Coach “Johno” McBride said. “It was great for him but a bummer for everybody else, though. I certainly thought we’d do more than what we did; we’re certainly capable of doing better.

“But there’s never a bad time for a podium,” he said.

Rahlves, the 2001 SG world champion who was silver medalist in downhill at the 2005 Worlds (and bronze medalist in giant slalom), said he simply had the wrong mental approach in the first DH of the season. He banished those thoughts after some free-skiing following course inspection before the super G.

“[Saturday] it was all about winning, trying to crush the course instead of getting a good flow and skiing it. I got my mind away from what it takes for me to ski well,” he explained. “I was kinda dragging through the rest of the day, and I said, ‘Well, I’m here. I want to get something done [in SG] - forget about about everything else, try to relax.’

“So, after inspection, I went up for some cruising around. I had fun, and that’s what it takes for me, just getting back to being smooth. I tried to be smart tactically, gave it the gun in some spots, ride a clean ski, give myself some extra room. I had one little slip-up,” Rahlves said, “and I’m mad at that mistake, coming onto the flats down where Phil [McNichol, men’s head coach] is. It was pretty critical and I knew I lost some time there; I was just barely hanging on...

“But to be this close to the win is kinda nice, especially knowing it could have been a better run. I was just so frustrated yesterday.”

McBride said Miller “definitely would have been in the money” if he hadn’t gone down - “he was getting to it...but at least one of the big guns comes out of here putting his ducks in a row. Beaver Creek’s a totally different venue and I’m not worried at all about Birds of Prey. They each like that course, it suits ‘em ...and the other guys will pick it up, too.”

He was especially pleased with Nyman, the former Junior Worlds slalom champ and combined silver medalist, who had battled injuries the last three seasons. He was 14th Saturday in his first World Cup DH and then started 60th and moved up to 38th in the super G.

“Stevie Nyman did a really good job. When he went, things had gotten gnarly,” McBride said, “with the clouds settling in and visibility was terrible. But he dealt with it and he really made a statement this weekend. He’ll be fine and if he can stay healthy, he’s on the move.”

The Birds of Prey races, which jump-start the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s 10 Weeks to Torino series of major snowsport competitions leading to Olympic Team selection, begin Thursday with super G, roll into downhill Friday, giant slalom Saturday and slalom Sunday.

MEN’S ALPINE WORLD CUP
Lake Louise, ALB - Nov. 27, 2005
Men’s Super G
1. Akel Lund Svindal, Norway, 1:26.04
2. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1:26.11
3. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, Calif., 1:26.12
4. Ambrosi Hoffmann, Switzerland, 1:26.35
5. Kjetil Andre Aamodt, Norway, 1:26.36
-
18. Bode Miller, Bretton Woods, N.H., 1:27.35
35T. JJ Johnson, Park City, Utah, 1:29.21
38. Steve Nyman, Orem, Utah 1:29.40
-
DNF: Scott Macartney, Redmond, Wash.

For complete results:
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/610.html?sector=AL&raceid=42570