Men's Slalom in Zagreb (CRO) 2008

Ski2b Redaktion 17.02.2008 14:11 Uhr

08:01:

It's a premiere in the men's World Cup in Sljeme close to Zagreb. Who is going to take away the first title? The first run starts at 10:15 am CET.



09:49:

Welcome to Zagreb! It's the first time that the men ski a slalom here.



09:51 - Kostelic, Ivica (CRO):

It's all set up for the local hero Ivica Kostelic in Sljeme. He grew up here and will get all the support of the crowds along the course.



09:55:

Including the competition today, there are three slalom races left for the men: Zagreb (CRO), Kranjska-Gora (SLO) and the World Cup final in Bormio (ITA).



09:57 - Grange, Jean-Baptiste (FRA):

With only rank 25 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Jean Baptiste Grange's leap in the slalom World Cup ranking was reduced a little. He is still 91 points ahead of Manfred Moelgg though.



09:58 - Mölgg, Manfred (ITA):

Manfred Moelgg is still waiting for his first slalom victory in this winter. Maybe here in Zagreb? This course is not as steep as the competitions are usually.



10:00 - Neureuther, Felix (GER):

Felix Neureuther hasn't won yet either. He has bib 7 today and is the only German athlete in the competition.



10:02 - Raich, Benjamin (AUT):

The best Austrian slalom skier at the moment is Benjamin Raich. He will open the race in a few minutes.



10:09:

There are a lot of favorites in the men's slalom races these days, so that we are looking forward to an exciting race. Jens Byggmark, Reinfried Herbst or Julien Lizeroux are among them, too.



10:13:

The conditions in Sljeme are great again. It was cold during the night, and the temperatures are still around -9 degress. The sun is shining and the fans are creating a warm atmosphere.



10:16 - Raich, Benjamin (AUT):

Start! Benjamin Raich is on the track.



10:19 - Raich, Benjamin (AUT):

Raich begins well, no visible mistakes until the final section. No major difficulties there either, that was a good run of the Austrian.



10:22 - Matt, Mario (AUT):

Mario Matt is next. His beginning is even better than Raichs, he is 0.24 seconds ahead at the intermediate! His favorite part is the flat passage, where he extends his leap again. In the end he is 0.83 seconds ahead of his teammate - impressive!



10:23 - Grange, Jean-Baptiste (FRA):

Slalom World Cup leader Jean-Baptiste Grange is next. He is having slight difficulties in the beginning, is 0.16 seconds behind Matt there. More problems in the final passage, and he falls back behind Raich.



10:24 - Mölgg, Manfred (ITA):

Manfred Moelgg hits the transition to the steep part well. He attacks - and hits a ripple. Moelgg keeps his balance, but is 1.38 seconds behind Matt.



10:26 - Byggmark, Jens (SWE):

Jens Byggmark attacks as usual. He risks a lot - and loses. The Swede skies out after missing a gate.



10:26 - Lizeroux, Julien (FRA):

Julien Lizeroux begins well, but is having a few difficulties in the final passage. He comes in 4th.



10:27 - Neureuther, Felix (GER):

Felix Neureuther is next. Only 0.15 seconds behind after the first part! But he, too, loses time in the middle section. Still he is 3rd, behind Raich.



10:29 - Herbst, Reinfried (AUT):

Reinfried Herbst won the last slalom in Garmisch. Big mistake in the steep part! But he catches up again - and is 2nd in the finish! That was a strong performance in the final passage.



10:30 - Vajdic, Bernard (SLO):

Bernard Vajdic's run isn't free of mistakes. He is 6th in the finish.



10:31 - Deville, Cristian (ITA):

Cristian Deville is on a good run in the upper part. He keeps going - and is 3rd after crossing the finishing line.



10:34 - Schönfelder, Rainer (AUT):

Rainer Schoenfelder slips - that costs time. His margin grows, and he is 11th in the finish.



10:35 - Ligety, Ted (USA):

Ted Ligety attacks! A risky run - and he's 0.01 seconds behind only at the time measurement! He is ahead even after the middle part, but makes a big mistake in the final passage then. The American barely avoids a drop-out.



10:36 - Larsson, Markus (SWE):

Markus Larsson is next. He begins well, but loses time then. He is currently 12th.



10:36 - Kostelic, Ivica (CRO):

Now it's getting loud: the local hero is preparing to start.



10:37 - Kostelic, Ivica (CRO):

Not the best beginning for Ivica Kostelic, he is 0.27 seconds behind at the intermediate. His middle part is better, the margin does not grow too much there. A great performance then in the final section - Kostelic is 0.03 seconds behind Matt only! That's going to be an exciting final run.



10:44 - Gini, Marc (SUI):

Marc Gini is a little far off the gates, it's the 7th position for him in the finish.



10:44 - Albrecht, Daniel (SUI):

Daniel Albrecht slips a lot, and his margin grows. He is 12th currently.



10:46 - Miller, Bode (USA):

Bode Miller is on full attack, as always. Completely out of balance, but he stays on the course. Again a mistake in the final part: Miller is 14th.



10:46 - Myhrer, Andre (SWE):

Andre Myhrer shows a furious beginning, is 0.22 seconds ahead! But then he hits a ripple and falls - drop-out!



10:48 - Rocca, Giorgio (ITA):

Giorgio Rocca is on a solid run in the beginning. Then he speeds up - and is 0.17 seconds behind only! 3rd position so far.



10:49 - Thaler, Patrick (ITA):

The next Italian: Patrick Thaler. He does not hit the final passage as well as his teammate Rocca, but is still 10th in the finish.



10:50 - Berthod, Marc (SUI):

A good beginning, Marc Berthod is 0.03 seconds ahead of Matt at the first intermediate! He does not lose much time on the rest of the course either - the Swiss is 3rd, only 0.09 seconds behind the Austrian. What an exciting final run this will be!



10:51 - Janyk, Michael (CAN):

Michael Janyk drops out.



10:53 - Cochran, Jimmy (USA):

Jimmy Cochran risks a lot - and is rewarded with the 6th position, half a second behind the leader.



10:54 - Sasaki, Akira (JPN):

Akira Sasaki is strong in the upper part, too. Not too much risk in the steep part - it pays off. Sasaki is 5th.



10:55 - Brolenius, Johan (SWE):

Johan Brolenius is next. The view is getting better on the course. Brolenius can't profit though, he is 11th.



10:56 - Minagawa, Kentaro (JPN):

Kentaro Minagawa is having difficulties, especially in the final section. Still he is ahead of Miller and Schoenfelder in the finish.



10:58 - Lahdenperae, Anton (SWE):

Anton Lahdenperae is too late at the gates. His margin is big in the finish: 23rd.



10:59 - Dragsic, Mitja (SLO):

Mitja Dragsic with mistakes in the upper part, but still he is in front there! After another mistake in the final section he loses this lead, but is 9th still.



11:01 - Hargin, Mattias (SWE):

Another great run - Mattias Hargin comes in 7th! The top 15 athletes are all within one second - what a close race!



11:02 - Missilier, Steve (FRA):

Steve Missilier is on a good run as well - but then he is having difficulties in the final part. Rank 21 only.



11:06:

Peter Fill and Marcel Hirscher drop out.



11:09 - Koll, Alexander (AUT):

Alexander Koll loses almost a second in the first part already. After more mistakes on the whole course he takes over the last position.



11:10 - Kelley, Tim (USA):

Tim Kelley does better: 1.6 seconds behind, that's position 24.



11:11 - Hörl, Wolfgang (AUT):

Wolfgang Hoerl is next. A few difficulties in the steep section, but he does not lose too much time. Right before the finish then a mistake, and he is 21st. Much more was possible there!



11:12 - Albrecht, Kilian (BUL):

Kilian Albrecht shows his best run in a long time - rank 13!



11:14 - Yuasa, Naoki (JPN):

Another surprise: Naoki Yuasa attacks in the final section and is 9th currently! The course is prepared extremely well, even now, fast runs are possible still.



11:15 - Viletta, Sandro (SUI):

And there's another good run: Sandro Viletta is 0.8 seconds behind in the finish and on the 11th position. He kicks Schoenfelder out of the top 30!



11:18 - Stutz, Paul (CAN):

Paul Stutz was on a good run as well until he hit a ripple and missed a gate.



11:18 - Marshall, Cody (USA):

Cody Marshall kicks Bode Miller out of the top 30! He is 18th.



11:24 - Hansson, Martin (SWE):

Martin Hansson loses 1.26 seconds on Matt on the course and is 24th. Is that enough to reach the final run?



11:29 - Valencic, Mitja (SLO):

Mitja Valencic makes use of the good contitions. Without the mistake in the final section there would have been more possible for him than rank 21.



11:29 - Omminger, Andreas (AUT):

Andreas Omminger instead won't reach the final run. He is 34th.



11:45:

That was our liveticker coverage of the men's first slalom run in Zagreb, Croatia.



11:45:

Tune in again for the second run, which is scheduled for 1.15 p.m. CET!



13:03:

Welcome back to the second run in Sljeme.



13:04:

This second slalom run is especially exciting: Manfred Moelgg on rank 30 is only 1.38 seconds behind the leader Mario Matt. With a good run, anyone in the top 30 can win the race!



13:10:

The conditions in Zagreb have not changed much. The temperatures are still below 0 and the sun is shining.



13:16 - Mölgg, Manfred (ITA):

Start! Manfred Moelgg is on the course.



13:18 - Mölgg, Manfred (ITA):

The Italian attacks - and slips once badly. He stays on the course though: 1:52,87 is the first overall time.



13:19 - Missilier, Steve (FRA):

Steve Missilier tries to take a relaxed run. He is ahead of Moelgg after a clear run in the middle part, and keeps a tiny leap until the finish!



13:26 - Hörl, Wolfgang (AUT):

Wolfgang Hoerl is the first Austrian in the second run. He is too passive today, and comes in on the 3rd position.



13:26 - Albrecht, Daniel (SUI):

Daniel Albrecht goes for a safe run, but then he misses a gate and has to step back again.



13:27 - Hansson, Martin (SWE):

Martin Hansson slips and is not close enough to the gates. He is 4th currently.



13:28 - Ligety, Ted (USA):

Ted Ligety hits a ripple in the first part already, but can continue his run. A little further down the hill then, he does the drop-out.



13:29 - Lizeroux, Julien (FRA):

That's a good run of Julien Lizeroux! Safe on his skis and in a good rythm - the French is the new leader!



13:30 - Vajdic, Bernard (SLO):

Bernard Vajdic is behind Lizeroux at the first intermediate already. Still he is 2nd in the finish.



13:31 - Valencic, Mitja (SLO):

Another Slovenian skier is next, Mitja Valencic. He is not too close to the gates in the flat section, it's the 5th position for him at the moment.



13:33 - Jansrud, Kjetil (NOR):

Kjetil Jansrud misses the transition from flat to steep and loses a lot of time there.



13:33 - Thaler, Patrick (ITA):

Patrick Thaler attacks, but can't beat the ones in front. He is 5th.



13:35 - Grange, Jean-Baptiste (FRA):

Jean-Baptiste Grange wants to shock the others with an aggressive second run. He begins well, but then he misses a gate in the middle part! Drop-out!



13:36 - Marshall, Cody (USA):

Cody Marshall was surprisingly strong in the first run. He can't repeat this now though and is currently 9th.



13:36 - Gini, Marc (SUI):

Marc Gini is having difficulties in the final passage. He is 10th in the finish.



13:37 - Brolenius, Johan (SWE):

A good run for Johan Brolenius, who is close to the gates especially in the final section. 0.09 seconds behind!



13:45 - Albrecht, Kilian (BUL):

Kilian Albrecht comes in on the 9th position



13:46 - Neureuther, Felix (GER):

Felix Neureuther is next. Not optimal in the entrance to the steep section, but the German does not lose too much time. Slight difficulties in the final part - Neureuther is 2nd!



13:47 - Raich, Benjamin (AUT):

Benni Raich risks a lot - and slips badly. He is over 3 seconds behind in the finish.



13:48 - Dragsic, Mitja (SLO):

Mitja Dragsic is fast! Even though he is having difficulties in the middle part, he takes over the lead!



13:49 - Viletta, Sandro (SUI):

Sandro Viletta does a good carving in the first part. He does not make visible big mistakes, but nevertheless loses time.



13:49 - Deville, Cristian (ITA):

Cristian Deville loses his rythm in the middle of the run. It costs time to find it again, so that the Italian is 9th at the moment.



13:50 - Yuasa, Naoki (JPN):

Naoki Yuasa has lost his leap at the first intermediate already. He is 9th in the finish.



13:57 - Cochran, Jimmy (USA):

Jimmy Cochran risks a lot, but can't take over the lead.



13:58 - Hargin, Mattias (SWE):

Mattias Hargin shows one of his wild and risky runs. He hits a few ripples though and is 18th only.



13:58 - Herbst, Reinfried (AUT):

Reinfried Herbst is the new leader! A relaxex and well-balanced run of the Austrian.



14:00 - Sasaki, Akira (JPN):

Akira Sasaki is strong in the middle part, but can't kick Herbst off the lead. He is 3rd.



14:00 - Rocca, Giorgio (ITA):

Giorgio Rocca takes over the 2nd position! A good result for the Italian, and a good run as well.



14:01 - Berthod, Marc (SUI):

Marc Berthod is too late at the gates. A mistake in the final section - and Berthod is 4th only.



14:01 - Kostelic, Ivica (CRO):

It is getting loud - Ivica Kostelic is on the course! The crowd is cheering, especially as the Croatian crosses the finishing line on the first position!



14:03 - Matt, Mario (AUT):

Mario Matt is the last one to ski in this second run. He begins well, extends his leap on Kostelic!



14:04 - Matt, Mario (AUT):

...and he keeps this leap until the finishing line - Mario Matt wins the slalom in Zagreb!



14:05:

Mario Matt is the winner in the World Cup slalom of Zagreb, Croatia. Local hero Ivica Kostelic is 2nd, Reinfried Herbst 3rd. Congratulations!



14:09:

That was the liveticker coverage of the men's slalom premiere in Zagreb.



14:10:

The men are now travelling to Canada to compete in the Super-G Worldcup in Vancouver on Thursday, February 21st. The race is scheduled for 7.45 p.m. CET - stay tuned!