98-01-10_Schladming-MSG

ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP 1997/98

Schladming (AUT) Men's 2nd Super-G. 10.Jan.1998


Hermann Maier	Super-G/Podium

Hermann Maier in its own world :5th season's win
The fastest bricklayer on skis is enjoying his new life as a champion : at Schladming, Styria,

Austria's new superstar Hermann Maier has won his fifth World Cup race of the season after an impressive run on the challenging "Planai" course.
Winner on Tuesday in a Giant Slalom hold in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Maier showed again in class in the second Super-G of the winter when he beat by more than a second his teammate Stefan Eberharter and by 1,41 second the Italian Luca Cattaneo.
Two Swede, Frerik Nyberg and Patrick Jaerbyn, a silver medal winner in that event at the World Championships in 1996, were also able to finish ahead of three more Austrians.
Not in the points was the 1992 Olympic Champion Kjetil Aamodt only 36th at more than four seconds. His teammate Lasse Kjus who injured himself at an ankle didn't start.
Daron Ravhles had a promising 20th place.
In the Overall World Cup standings Maier has now increased his lead over three hundred points on his next closest rival, Stefan Eberharter.
It's difficult to believe now that he will loose the Cup in the coming months. Since the season start he came nine times on the podium in the eleven races in which he was classified.
Hermann whose entire family came from his near resort of Flachau to support him was himself surprised by his latest achievement celebrated by thousands of elated fans at the finish line. The 25-year-old athlete who had already won the first Super-G raced in early December in Beaver Creek, Colorado, was not too pleased by his run on the fast course of a length of 1947 meters and a vertical drop of 598 meters.
"I did several mistakes and I did believe I could win with such a lead" said the new skiing Superman who sets new limits to himself and alpine ski racing at each of his competitions. "In fact I didn't have time to inspect the final part of the course so I had to guess some how for the best line.
It's great to win again in front of my fans, it gives me great momentum. I was looking for it and I gave my best to have a good run. I didn't train so much Super-G in the past weeks so I didn't feel overconfident.
I know that I'm living a very special moment of my life. I try to enjoy it as it comes.
I'm not thinking too much about the next competitions or the Olympics. The World Cup season is still long but I know that my chances increase after each win".
Maier aggressive skiing was worth the trip for the spectators or the electricity paid by the TV viewers. Once more he showed his incredible power and his great talent. His feeling for the fastest line which he is the only one to be able to keep thanks to his strong body is absolutely amazing. His is right now moving on the level of some of the greatest heroes from the World Cup history such as the legendary Austrian Franz Klammer, the 1976 Olympic Champion in Innsbruck, or Switzerland's Pirmin Zurbriggen, both former winners on the treacherous "Plainai" course. Some of his friends who suggested he might be even faster without any inspection at all could be right : the intermediate times prove that Hermann was by far the fastest in the lower part which he didn't know.
His teammate Eberharter had not too much to say about his winner. He was just glad to have confirmed his potential in that event and to have taken a solid option on an Olympic qualification.
"I watch Maier on the TV before my start and he was skiing as usual at his limits" he said. "We have to get used to it. Now things look good for me regarding the Olympics. It would be a great result".
This race was also marked by the surprising performances of skiers such as Italy's Luca Cattaneo who conquered his first place on the podium or Fredrik Nyberg, excellent 4th after being 9th in Colorado. Also consistent the young Swiss Didier Cuche 10th.
Another Super-G is planned on Sunday and even more people should attend the competition with the hope to see another storming run from Hermann Maier.

Men's 2nd Super-G, 10.01.1998

Rank	Name	Nat.	Total
1	MAIER Hermann	AUT	1:14.95
2	EBERHARTER Stephan	AUT	1:16.10
3	CATTANEO Luca	ITA	1:16.36
4	NYBERG Fredrik	SWE	1:16.57
5	JAERBYN Patrik	SWE	1:16.85
6	SCHIFFERER Andreas	AUT	1:16.97
7	MADER Guenther	AUT	1:17.01
8	FRANZ Werner	AUT	1:17.13
9	GHEDINA Kristian	ITA	1:17.17
10	CUCHE Didier	SUI	1:17.25
11	MAYER Christian	AUT	1:17.26
12	RUNGGALDIER Peter	ITA	1:17.28
13	FATTORI Alessandro	ITA	1:17.33
13	ACCOLA Paul	SUI	1:17.33
15	KNAUSS Hans	AUT	1:17.51
16	SELETTO Erik	ITA	1:17.52
17	FOURNIER Sebastien	FRA	1:17.57
18	KERNEN Bruno Ii	SUI	1:17.61
19	MARIN-CUDRAZ Frederic	FRA	1:17.82
20	RAHLVES Daron	USA	1:17.83
21	GRUENENFELDER Juerg	SUI	1:18.01
22	ORTLIEB Patrick	AUT	1:18.12
23	PERATHONER Werner	ITA	1:18.13
24	WIRTH Patrick	AUT	1:18.27
25	PAULSEN Lasse	NOR	1:18.38
26	PODIVINSKY Ed	CAN	1:18.39
27	LOCHER Steve	SUI	1:18.40
28	TRINKL Hannes	AUT	1:18.61
28	BURTIN Nicolas	FRA	1:18.61
30	CRETIER Jean-Luc	FRA	1:18.67
31	KNAUSS Bernhard	SLO	1:18.78
32	KRAUSS Stefan	GER	1:18.89
33	DENERIAZ Antoine	FRA	1:18.93
34	BESSE William	SUI	1:18.96
35	KOBLAR Jernej	SLO	1:19.02
36	AAMODT Kjetil Andre	NOR	1:19.07
37	FILISCHKIN Andrej	RUS	1:19.10
38	SIVERTSEN Kenneth	NOR	1:19.17
39	STANKALLA Stefan	GER	1:19.19
40	BARNERSSOI Tobias	GER	1:19.32
41	CAVEGN Franco	SUI	1:19.58
42	PERATHONER Ulrich	ITA	1:19.70
43	FLEISCHER Chad	USA	1:20.01
44	LESKINEN Janne	FIN	1:20.02
45	PRETOT David	FRA	1:20.12
46	KITT A J	USA	1:20.21
47	VALJAEV Roman	RUS	1:20.22
48	BORMOLINI Ivan	ITA	1:20.44
49	SOLBAKKEN Bjarne	NOR	1:20.68
50	GROENVOLD Audun	NOR	1:20.95
51	PICCARD Jeff	FRA	1:21.50
52	SALZGEBER Rainer	AUT	1:21.65
53	VAITKUS Linas	LTU	1:25.02
54	POPOV Lubomir	BUL	1:25.09
55	YUDIN Igor	BLR	1:32.40

Did not start:
BRUGGE Jesper (SWE), GRANDI Thomas (CAN), KJUS Lasse (NOR)

Did not finish:
DUVILLARD Adrien (FRA), MOE Tommy (USA), MOSKOWITZ Aaron (ISR), PEN Peter (SLO), PUCKETT Christopher (USA), RASMUSSEN Kyle (USA), ZAKOURIL Borek (CZE), BREZAVSEK Ales (SLO), BRUNNER Michael (GER), CRIST Zachary (USA), GALLI Lorenzo (ITA), HASLER Juergen (LIE), LOPEZ Santi (AND), STOESSEL Rene (SUI)

Men's 3rd Super-G, 11.01.1998

Rank	Name	Nat.	Total
1	MAIER Hermann	AUT	1:14.84
2	SCHIFFERER Andreas	AUT	1:16.03
3	EBERHARTER Stephan	AUT	1:16.14
4	RUNGGALDIER Peter	ITA	1:16.54
4	SALZGEBER Rainer	AUT	1:16.54
6	JAERBYN Patrik	SWE	1:16.65
7	ACCOLA Paul	SUI	1:16.68
8	FATTORI Alessandro	ITA	1:16.90
9	CUCHE Didier	SUI	1:17.14
10	RAHLVES Daron	USA	1:17.29
11	KERNEN Bruno Ii	SUI	1:17.46
12	PODIVINSKY Ed	CAN	1:17.57
12	CATTANEO Luca	ITA	1:17.57
14	GHEDINA Kristian	ITA	1:17.60
15	MADER Guenther	AUT	1:17.70
16	PERATHONER Werner	ITA	1:17.71
17	BARNERSSOI Tobias	GER	1:17.74
18	LOCHER Steve	SUI	1:17.92
19	NYBERG Fredrik	SWE	1:17.93
20	FOURNIER Sebastien	FRA	1:18.03
21	TRINKL Hannes	AUT	1:18.15
22	CRETIER Jean-Luc	FRA	1:18.22
23	SELETTO Erik	ITA	1:18.31
24	BORMOLINI Ivan	ITA	1:18.42
25	GALLI Lorenzo	ITA	1:18.44
26	AAMODT Kjetil Andre	NOR	1:18.47
27	PAULSEN Lasse	NOR	1:18.58
28	KRAUSS Stefan	GER	1:18.77
29	KOBLAR Jernej	SLO	1:18.88
30	DUVILLARD Adrien	FRA	1:18.92
31	SIVERTSEN Kenneth	NOR	1:18.93
32	BREZAVSEK Ales	SLO	1:18.95
33	MARIN-CUDRAZ Frederic	FRA	1:18.98
34	BRUGGE Jesper	SWE	1:19.02
35	CAVEGN Franco	SUI	1:19.04
36	STANKALLA Stefan	GER	1:19.19
37	STROBL Fritz	AUT	1:19.28
38	STOESSEL Rene	SUI	1:19.31
39	BRUNNER Michael	GER	1:19.54
40	LESKINEN Janne	FIN	1:19.64
41	MOE Tommy	USA	1:19.84
42	PICCARD Jeff	FRA	1:19.96
43	VALJAEV Roman	RUS	1:20.05
44	KITT A J	USA	1:21.17
45	VAITKUS Linas	LTU	1:24.06

Did not start:
YUDIN Igor (BLR), POPOV Lubomir (BUL)

Did not finish:
BESSE William (SUI), DENERIAZ Antoine (FRA), FILISCHKIN Andrej (RUS), KJUS Lasse (NOR), MOSKOWITZ Aaron (ISR), PUCKETT Christopher (USA), RASMUSSEN Kyle (USA), CRIST Zachary (USA), FLEISCHER Chad (USA), FRANZ Werner (AUT), HASLER Juergen (LIE), KNAUSS Hans (AUT), MAYER Christian (AUT), RAUTER Miran (SLO)

Disqualified:
BURTIN Nicolas (FRA), GRUENENFELDER Juerg (SUI), ORTLIEB Patrick (AUT), PRETOT David (FRA)