| RAHLVES Daron (USA) |
12.Jun.1973. Walnut Creek,CA.
Hometown: Sugar Bowl,CA
175cm 80kg
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SKI: Atomic
BOOTS: Atomic
BINDING: Atomic
2006 Ritred
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| Val Gardena 2000 |
Kvitfjell 2000 |
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| Lake Louise 01, SG |
St.Anton WM 01, SG/ 1st |
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| Kitzbuhel 03 DH/ 1st |
Kvitfjell 03 DH/3rd |
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| Kitzbuhel 04 Super-G / 1st |
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| Sestriere 04Final DH/ 1st |
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| Bormio WM05 Downhill / 2nd |
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| Bormio WM05 Giant Slalom / 3rd |
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World Cup Ranking
General
1995/59th, 1996/58th, 1997/47th, 1998/57th, 1999/53rd, 2000/20th,
2001/29th, 2002/34th, 2003/6th, 2004/5th, 2005/5th, 2006/4th.
Special
1999 SG/19th, DH/32nd, 2000 DH/10th, SG/10th,
2001 DH/15th, SG/17th, GS/38th, 2002 DH/19th, SG/12th, GS/45th,
2003 DH/2nd. 2004 DH/2nd, SG/2nd. 2005 DH/4th, GS/12th, SG/3rd.
2006 DH/3rd, GS/11th, SG/3rd.
World Championshipa
1996 Sierra Nevada. SG/22nd.
1997 Sestriere. DH/31st.
1999 Vail. SG/13th, DH/DNF.
2001 St.Anton. SG/1st, DH/5th.
2003 St.Moritz. SG/22nd, DH/DNF.
2005 Bormio. DH/2nd, GS/3rd, SG/10th.
Olympic Games
1998 Nagano. SG/8th, GS/20th.
2002 Salt Lake City. DH/16th, SG/8th.
2006 Torino. DH/10th, SG/9th,
World Cup - 12 w. (9 DH, 3 SG)
| 1. |
DH: |
Kvitfjell 00-I+II, Bormio 03-I, Kitzbuhel 03, Beaver Creek 04-I, Sestriere
04,
Beaver Creek 06, Bormio 06, Wengen 06, |
| SG: |
Kitzbuhel 04, Kvitfjel 04, Lenzerheide 05, |
| 2. |
DH: |
Beaver Creek 05, |
| SG: |
Kitzbuhel 05, Are 06, |
| GS: |
Beaver Creek 06, |
| 3. |
DH: |
Kitzbuhel 01, Beaver Creek 03, Bormio 03-II, Kvitfjell 03, Kitzbuhel 04-I,
06, |
| SG: |
Kvitfjell 05, lake Louise 06, |
| 4. |
DH: |
Beaver Creek 04-II, Lake Louise 05, |
| SG: |
Kvitfjell 95, Kitzbuhel 01, 02, Val Gardena 04, |
| GS: |
Alta Badia 06, |
| 5. |
DH: |
Lake Louise 05, Chamonix 05, Garmisch 05-I+II, Kvitfjell 05, |
| SG: |
Valloire 96, Kvitfjell 00, Lake Louise 05, Beaver Creek 06, |
| GS: |
Flachau 05, Kranjska Gora 05, |
| 6. |
DH: |
Bormio 02, 05, Lenzerheide 05, |
| SG: |
Valloire 96, Vail 97, Bormio 00, 02-I, Garmisch 05, Kitzbuhel 06, |
| GS: |
Are 06. |
| 7. |
DH: |
Val Gardena 04, Val d'Isere 05, Are 06, |
| SG: |
Kvitfjell 97, Garmisch 98, |
| 8. |
SG: |
Garmisch 97-I , Lake Louise 00, |
| GS: |
Alta Badia 05, |
| 9. |
DH: |
Bormio 00, Kvitfjell 01, Wengen 02, |
| SG: |
Garmisch 02-I, |
| 10. |
SG: |
Schladming 98-II, Kvitfjell 98, Kitzbuhel 00, Bormio 00, Lake Louise 04,
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Daron Rahlves, who had not scored in the
top-15 before this season, realized an absolutely
incredible goal by winning the men's downhill
in Kvitfjell, Norway. Rahlves was relaxed
and confident before, relaxed and aggressive
during, and relaxed and happy after his win
on the very same course that brought Olympic
gold to Tommy Moe in February, 1994.
The 26-year-old American had the perfect attitude as he achieved his most
outstanding performance thus far. He finished ahead of established speed
veterans Switzerland's Didier Cuche by 9/100 of a second and Hermann "The
Herminator" Maier by 26/100. Kyle Rasmussen was the last US man to
win a World Cup race on the treacherous and windy "Olympiabakke"
piste back in March 1995.
Today's race was one of the most dramatic downhill races of the season and not only because the Austrian team was not able to dominate in its usual powerful way one after the other, the favorites took over the lead.
"There are still some
top-guns at the
start and the racing conditions
are changing
too fast to be sure of
anything for the moment,"
Cuche told those who came
to congratulate
him in the finish area.
In fact, he was quite
nervous and tense while
waiting. "Let's
see if Daron Rahlves can
confirm his great
times from the training
runs," he added.
Right he was starting with bib No. 24, Rahlves cruised like a rocket on
the challenging downhill which had to be shortened by 15 seconds because
of heavy snowfalls during the night. The start of the competition also
had to be delayed three hours. But the course was difficult as usual with
its numerous bumps and ruts, its jumps, and its narrow turns.
"I felt it could be
my day," said
Rahlves. "It was up
in the air I like
this course a lot and I
felt really sure
of myself after my strong
training runs,"
he explained to the journalists
while being
congratulated by athletes
from the other
teams.
After clocking the fastest time at the first part of the course, Rahlves
kept pushing himself forward, even when he was almost blown out of the
course in a tricky right turn situated just before the second time check.
"It was windy and
the course was rough
but I was incredibly relaxed
and confident,"
Rahlves explained. "I
felt comfortable
on my way down even in
that tough turn where
the wind almost blew me
out of the course.
I made as many mistakes
as the other skiers
I guess, but I never gave
up. It was my day.
I'm so happy."
In a reckless and dynamic run, he showed bravado in taking more risks in the last "S" leading to the huge jump before the arrival schuss. Rahlves was able to maintain the momentum he set early in his run and ski almost as fast as established and powerful speed specialists such as Cuche, Maier and Fritz Strobl through the lower part of the course.
Rahlves lifted his arms up in the air when he saw that he set a new best
time beating Cuche's mark by the length of a ski. Five years after finishing
4th here in a super G, his best result on the World Cup tour before now,
the skier from California won his first-ever World Cup race in front of
some of the finest skiers on the tour. He was more than happy and not so
surprised.
Patrick Lang |
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Biorama Basel |
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