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www.worldskinews.com/Chamonix
(FRA) 08.01.2005
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Men
Downhill - Race report
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| [ Evergreen
Ghedina still shines at 35 ] |
Evergreen Ghedina
still shines at 35
Chamonix, France, Jan 8th. Italy's Kristian
Ghedina, a well respected veteran of
the men's Alpine skiing circuit at 35,
became on Saturday the oldest skier
on the podium at a World Cup downhill.
After finishing 2nd, only 11/100 of
a second behind Austrian winner Johann
Grugger, the champion from Cortina d'Ampezzo
confirmed he had made the right choice
to continue skiing until the Turin Olympics
on home snow next year.
"I feel good and motivated and
by finishing in the top-15 twice this
season, I knew I had what it takes to
make it back on a podium," said
Ghedina, who won the last of his 12
World Cup downhills three years ago.
"But it's still funny to be on
the podium behind such a young guy,"
he added.
Grugger, who won his second consecutive
race in France, is 12 years younger
than “Ghedo”, whose career
has almost been over twice before.
The first time was in spring 1991 when
a dramatic car crash almost forced him
to call it quits. He remained unconscious
for three days and needed several years
until recovering most of his old form.
In came back in 1995, battling until
the last race with France's Luc Alphand
for the downhill World Cup title. In
1996, he was 2nd at the Worlds in Spain's
Sierra Nevada before crowning his career
with his superb triumph in Kitzbühel!
Spread Eagle in Kitzbühel
The second occasion was last year, when
he aiming to stop after the classic
Kitzbühel downhill on the Streif
piste, a race in which he was the first
Italian winner in 1998. He bade farewell
to the Austrian resort in his usual
spectacular fashion, attempting a spread
eagle at full speed in the finishing
stretch, gaining wild applause from
the enchanted and thrilled crowd.
However, his sixth-place finish changed
his mind about retiring. “It was
so much fun and I felt so excited about
this that I decided to go on for a while,
I felt too young to leave the scene,”
he explained afterwards. “I realize
I would be missing it a lot staying
at home!”
Ghedina was unwittingly in the spotlight
last month after a deer ran by his side
for a while in Val Gardena and since
then he has carried a small stuffed
deer as a lucky charm. It has obviously
brought him luck in Chamonix.
Now the Italian, who has taken part
in more World Cup donwhills than any
other skier, will tackle his 153rd next
week in Wengen, a resort where he won
twice in 1995 and 1997. “I feel
at home there on the Lauberhorn course,
and it's really a special feeling for
me to ski there since I still own the
record I set in 1997,” he said.
“It's a long course and I may be
a little tired at the end but it's worth
racing there. You have the feeling to
fly down the Lauberhorn course, it's
a very special place.”
“The scenery is so spectacular
with these high and majestic peaks with
dominate the valley. I'm staying since
15 years in the same room at the Falken
Hotel where I feel at home. It's great
to be in good shape now with so many
exciting events waiting on me. I'm so
happy that the two next medals events
take place in Italy - I have an excellent
reason to keep on racing!”
Patrick Lang
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