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www.worldskinews.com/Beaver
Creek (USA) 03.12.2004
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Men
Downhill - Race report
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BEAVER CREEK,
Miller, Rahlves sensational 1-2 in Beaver
Creek
BEAVER CREEK, Colorado. (Dec. 3) - US
World Cup leader Bode Miller overpowered
a downhill run for his fourth victory
in five races this season Friday and
was joined by Daron Rahlves in an historic
1-2 finish at the Birds of Prey World
Cups. It's the first time ever that
two American captured the two first
places in a World Cup downhill. The
first US skier to win a World Cup downhill
was the 1984 Olympic Champion Billy
D. Johnson in Wengen, in January 1984!
"It was a damn good run - it's
never perfect, but my effort was perfect,"
Miller said after nailing the technical,
testing Bird of Prey course for his
sixteenth World Cup victory. A year
ago, he finished none of his three races
here!
"I was doing things with instinct
and reaction ... a phenomenal feeling.
Standing on a podium with a teammate,
made it special. I won't forget this
race. I'm very proud of my race ...
a great day on a lot of different levels."
With Lindsey Kildow winning the women's
downhill at Canada's Lake Louise, it
marked the first time since March 11,
1995 that two Americans have won World
Cup downhills on the same day. In 1995,
Picabo Street was victorious in Lenzerheide,
Switzerland, and Kyle Rasmussen won
in Kvitfjell, Norway. Street's first
victory that season came at Lake Louise
when she went 1-2 with Hilary Lindh
in a downhill.
Miller - who won the first three World
Cup races of the 2005 season and was
second Thursday in Super-G as the race
got underway - was timed beat his friend
Rahlves by mere 14/100 of a second.
Flag-waving, euphoric trio
When he reached the finish and saw the
timing board with himself and Miller
in the top two spots, Rahlves skied
over to the fencing and took a big U.S.
flag to wave as Miller and Friedman
mobbed him, while the crowd went wild.
"I was flying. I was rolling,"
Miller said. His triumph gives him 480
points with Walchhofer second at 195.
However, Miller said it was almost meaningless
because there are still 35 races remaining.
"It's far too early to think about
the Overall title," he reminded
media members.
He also said the pressures of the week
- promotional appearances, media interviews,
among others - have created a large
burden and were throwing him off his
routine. Thursday, he said, he didn't
get to ride a stationary bike.
"The last couple of days have been
really full. There's been no rest all
day. Thursday I didn't even have a chance
to get on the stationary bike and spin,
the way I usually do," he said,
"to recover from the race, and
I was a little bit concerned with that
today because it was a kind of a tough
hill for me Thursday. I got a little
bit tired and I had chance to spin that
out. My normal routine was interrupted
because I had so many things to do.
"
"Obviously, when that starts to
happen you need to readjust priorities
because racing and things that make
your racing go well can't be pushed
aside to do media things and stuff like
that. That was a little frustrating.
But to come out today and deserve another
press conference is what I'm doing."
Bode himself was a bit surprised by
his skiing. "I was doing things
as I was going down that were on instinct
and on reaction. When you ski that way
and it works, it's really a phenomenal
feeling. Down the pitch, it's a little
but surreal - the gates are going by
and you're doing things just right,
without really having to think about
it at all. It's an awesome feeling.
And the jumps at the bottom - I was
having the time of my life," Miller
said.
Mixed feelings for Daron
Rahlves, 17th a day earlier in the Super-G,
had mixed emotions - happy to
be on the podium with his teammate after
his disappointing Super-G race, bummed
he came so close to winning...but didn't
collect his ninth World Cup victory.
"The Super-G was really frustrating
for me," Rahlves said. "I
tried to channel that frustration into
today. I know have the ability to be
a great skier and sometimes I have a
great day and other days I have a great
day, sometimes back to back... "
"My effort today was outstanding.
I was really happy with that. I was
really focused," he said, noting
a good night's sleep set him up for
the race. "Sixteen-hundredths out,
it was tight, but I gave my best effort
but Bode was faster today, but it's
definitely a huge accomplishment for
us, for our team, and doing it here
in the U.S. is incredible."
"This course is so fun; there are
some big turns - but you've got to put
it down the fall line, and when you
put it down the fall line, when you've
taken that extra risk and when you're
holding on for dear life, that's a wild
ride...and when I make little mistakes
or bobbles like that, that mans I'm
going fast."
When he saw the timing board, "to
see Miller and me made it more of a
1-2 punch, like such a great feeling
- like a cold knockout, the 1-2 punch
on the world today," Rahlves said.
"We have been aiming for this for
a couple of seasons now."
The men run giant slalom Saturday and
the Beaver Creek races conclude Sunday
with a slalom before the men's tour
returns to Europe for the rest of the
winter. Bode Miller will try to remain
a contender also in these last races.
Paul Robbins/USSA
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