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www.worldskinews.com/Lake
Louise (CAN) 27-28.11.2004
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Men
Super G & Men DH - Race report
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[ Report
] [ Results
] [ SG
Standings ] [ Overall
Standings ]
[ Interview
with Bode Miller ]
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An exciting season start for Miller.
US Aspen, USA, Nov.29th. It's quite an exciting season-start that the World Cup tours are in enjoying this year with Bode Miller's extraordinary achievements on the men's circuit, and with the great battle opposing Anja Paerson from Sweden, Tanja Poutiainen from Finland and Croatia's Janica Kostelic, who achieved once more an impressive comeback during the past weekend, on the women's side.
Bode shocked his rivals
The 27-year-old champion from New Hampshire shocked his rivals last weekend in Canada's Lake Louise in becoming the only fifth racer to celebrate World Cup victories in all five disciplines by winning a downhill and a Super-G. Only Austrian Stephan Eberharter was able to win both Canadian speed events during the same weekend in November 2001. Hermann Maier, apparently a disappointed 2nd in Sunday's race, was unbeaten in Super-G on this slope since 1999! He will for sure try to fight back on his preferred racing course - the Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek where he already won half a dozen times!
Bode Miller is also the first skier to dominate the first three races of a World Cup season - and this in three different specialities.
He seems now able to imitate the five-time Overall World Cup champion Marc Girardelli from Luxembourg and celebrate wins in all five disciplines during the same season, an exploit achieved by the Austrian-born Girardelli in 1989!
Miller, unbeaten so far since Soelden, also prevented the Austrian to become the first alpine country to win a World Cup race this winter - all four women's competitions from Soelden and Aspen were dominated by two Scandinavian and a Croatian! No Austrian reached a women's podium so far.
The big fight has started
The fight between Miller and the Austrian Armada, who clinched all the Overall World Cup titles since 1999 and most of the other specialty standings, promises to be even more dramatic than expected last summer, when the American decided to use Austrian skis to better achieve his potential after a series of bitter defeats in the Overall standings.
The jubilant double World Champion from St Moritz has another reason to be thrilled after his unique hat-trick. He brilliantly confirmed to the stunned ski world that he was right to strongly believe in his potential as an all-rounder since his younger age! “It has been a long and tough personal battle to reach that level,” he explained afterwards.
“Most people didn't believe in my chances to excel in all events and I'm happy to have proven that they were wrong. Fortunately, I'm pretty stubborn and very motivated once I decided to go my own way and follow my instinct. It's also particularly exciting to beat the Austrian on that gliding course which normally doesn't suite my style and my technique.”
His only regret in Lake Louise was that his team-mate Daron Rahlves, one of last season's best speed specialists, missed twice the podium after committing little mistakes on his way down the course.
Bode's next big goal
“It has been our goal for a long time now and I hope we can achieve this goal this week in Beaver Creek in front of our fans,” he added. “It's much more exciting to share the joy of a victory when a friend is also on the podium like in St Moritz where Eric Schlopy was 2nd in giant slalom!”
Miller needs now to remain consistent in the coming weeks and months and accumulate more top-3 finishes, which was not the case in recent seasons.
A year ago, he skied out three days in a row in Beaver Creek, losing precious World Cup points at that occasion. He also failed to finish many other races in the following weeks because of his aggressive style which makes him this attractive and spectacular champion loved by the public. “With these news skis, I don't need to take so many risks anymore, so I really hope to end more races,” he added.
The coming week of racing in Beaver Creek could be crucial for Bode and his rivals. Last year, the American skied out in all three races, losing many precious points while Hermann Maier scored more than 200 points.
The Austrian will definitely try very hard to strike back on this superb hill on which they won so many races. But Bode and Daron are ready to face them.
Patrick Lang
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