ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP 1997/98
Crans Montana (SUI). Alpine Ski World Cup Finals
morgenRot
A red sky in the morning is the shepherd's warning.
World Cup Finals in Crans-Montana
Report by Patrick Lang

The 1997/98 World Cup is ending this week in Switzerland's Crans-Montana, one of the most prestigious ski resorts of the country which already hosted the 1992 Finals as well as the 1987 Ski World Championships.
Only the best 25 skiers in each of the four alpine specialties as well as the new Olympic Champions and the Junior World Champions are qualified for these Finals which start on Thursday with the Downhill races.
The Super-G events will take place on Friday followed over the week-end by the technical competitions.
Most of the World Cup Trophies have already been awarded in the past weeks : Germany's Katja Seizinger and Austria's Hermann Maier are sure to get the Overall World Cup titles on Sunday.
Seizinger and Andreas Schifferer from Austria are the winners in the Downhill standings. Katja and Hermann have already clinched the Super-G title last week even without racing in France and Norway.
"The Herminator" will also fight for the GS World Cup on Saturday against Switzerland's Michael von Grunigen hoping to allow Austria's men's team to win all World Cup trophies this season. It's the only race in which the 25-year-old skier plans to compete this week. Strong pains at his back already prevented him to race last week in Norway.
The Slalom men's title is still open between last year's winner Thomas Sykora and Thomas Stangassinger while America's Kristina Koznick and Sweden's Ylva Nowen are fighting for the women's title.
Germany's Martina Ertl and Italy's Deborah Compagnoni will be battling for the women's Giant Slalom title on Sunday.
Katja Seizinger, who has won four of the six Downhill races run this season will again be the skier to beat on Thursday. The double Olympic Champion in that event set the second fastest time in the last training run held on Tuesday, 10/100 behind Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister.
Among the other favorites are her teammates Renate Goetschl, who crashed in Nagano, and Alexandra Meissnitzer, winner of two Olympic medals in Japan.
America's Picabo Street, 17th in the final training run, aims for another top-5 place to reinforce her position on the first seed next season.
In the men's event, the French will challenge once more the strong Austrian team which has won 23 World Cup events this winter including six of the ten Downhills.
Nicolas Burtin, winner last week in Kvitfjell and Jean Luc Cretier, the new Olympic Champion clocked fast times during the trainings runs on Wednesday.
Austria's Werner Franz, who has accumulated top-3 finished in his career without a win and Switzerland's Didier Cuche, the winner in Kitzbuhel (Austria) in January were the fastest skiers on the demanding "National" course.
Very motivated also Josef Strobl and Stephan Eberharter, both from Austria who aim to rush out of the shadow of Hermann Maier, the great dominator of the season.
No American downhiller is qualified for this first event but two Canadians will be racing : Brian Stemmle and Luke Sauder. Ed Podivinsky missed the cut by two points in Norway last week.
Men'sOverall-1998 Women'sOverall-1998
World Cup 1997/98 Men's Overall Winner
1st Hermann maier,
2nd Andreas Scifferer
3rd Tomas Sykora - All Austria		 Women's World Cup winner
1st Ktja seizinger,
2nd Martina Ertl
3rd Hirde Gerg - All Germany
Men's Overall Final Standings
1 Hermann Maier AUT 1685
2 Andreas Schifferer AUT 1114
3 Stephan Eberharter AUT 1030
4 Kjetil Andre Aamodt NOR 901
5 Hans Knauss AUT 888
6 Michael Von Gruenigen SUI 746
7 Josef Strobl AUT 697
8 Didier Cuche SUI 636
9 Christian Mayer AUT 590
10 Lasse Kjus NOR 578
11 Kristian Ghedina ITA 544
12 Thomas Stangassinger AUT 539
13 Thomas Sykora AUT 521
14 Werner Franz AUT 511
15 Alberto Tomba ITA 506
16 Nicolas Burtin FRA 489
17 Paul Accola SUI 471
18 Jean-Luc Cretier FRA 448
19 Hans Petter Buraas NOR 443
20 Werner Perathoner ITA 373
21 Hannes Trinkl AUT 372
22 Jure Kosir SLO 369
23 Bruno Kernen SUI 363
24 Finn Christian Jagge NOR 353
25 Guenther Mader AUT 346
26 Steve Locher SUI 338
27 Fredrik Nyberg SWE 322
28 Kiminobu Kimura JPN 321
29 Fritz Strobl AUT 314
30 Peter Runggaldier ITA 313
31 Rainer Salzgeber AUT 311
32 Luca Cattaneo ITA 302
32 Joel Chenal FRA 302
34 Ole Christian Furuseth NOR 296
35 Thomas Grandi CAN 291
36 Patrik Jaerbyn SWE 289
37 Urs Kaelin SUI 277
38 Tom Stiansen NOR 238
39 Marco Buechel LIE 220
40 Heinz Schilchegger AUT 218
41 Siegfried Voglreiter AUT 205
42 Pierrick Bourgeat FRA 189
43 Ed Podivinsky CAN 186
44 Andrej Miklavc SLO 184
45 Christian Greber AUT 181
46 Fabrizio Tescari ITA 175
46 Roland Assinger AUT 175
48 Sebastien Amiez FRA 163
49 Kristinn Bjornsson ISL 160
50 Alois Vogl GER 158
51 Franco Cavegn SUI 151
52 Martin Hansson SWE 150
53 Brian Stemmle CAN 147
54 Patrick Holzer ITA 144
55 Ian Piccard FRA 136
56 Adrien Duvillard FRA 131
57 Daron Rahlves USA 130
57 Juerg Gruenenfelder SUI 130
59 Alessandro Fattori ITA 126
60 Didier Plaschy SUI 124
60 Markus Eberle GER 124
62 Patrick Ortlieb AUT 113
63 Luke Sauder CAN 111
64 Mario Reiter AUT 100
65 Erik Seletto ITA 94
66 Francois Simond FRA 89
67 Matthew Grosjean USA 88
68 William Besse SUI 86
69 Stefan Krauss GER 84
70 Sergio Bergamelli ITA 80
71 Matteo Nana ITA 70
72 Christophe Saioni FRA 65
73 Tommy Moe USA 64
74 Frederic Marin-Cudraz FRA 62
75 Markus Herrmann SUI 58
76 Sebastien Fournier FRA 57
77 Harald-Christian Strand Nilsen NOR 56
78 Arnold Rieder ITA 52
79 Tobias Barnerssoi GER 51
79 Yves Dimier FRA 51
81 Richard Gravier FRA 49
82 Kilian Albrecht AUT 48
83 Marco Casanova SUI 47
84 Lasse Paulsen NOR 45
85 Sami Uotila FIN 44
86 Andreas Ertl GER 39
86 David Pretot FRA 39
88 Bernhard Knauss SLO 37
88 Kyle Rasmussen USA 37
90 Kevin Page FRA 36
91 Matjaz Vrhovnik SLO 32
92 A. J. Kitt USA 31
93 Jason Rosener USA 30
93 Xavier Gigandet SUI 30
95 Bode Miller USA 27
96 Benjamin Raich AUT 26
96 Gerhard Koenigsrainer ITA 26
98 Pietro Vitalini ITA 24
99 Vincent Millet FRA 23
100 Pierre Violon FRA 22
100 Rene Mlekuz SLO 22
102 Vincent Blanc FRA 21
103 Angelo Weiss ITA 20
103 Patrice Manuel FRA 20
103 Patrick Thaler ITA 20
103 Christian Forrer SUI 20
107 Chad Fleischer USA 19
108 Andrzej Bachleda POL 18
109 Ivan Bormolini ITA 17
110 Kalle Palander FIN 15
110 Takuya Ishioka JPN 15
110 Michael Tritscher AUT 15
113 Mitja Kunc SLO 14
113 Alberto Senigagliesi ITA 14
113 Kenneth Sivertsen NOR 14
116 Mitja Valencic SLO 13
116 Jernej Koblar SLO 13
118 Andreas Buder AUT 12
118 Lorenzo Galli ITA 12
120 Ambrosi Hoffmann SUI 11
120 Mika Marila FIN 11
120 Michael Brunner GER 11
120 Thomas Bergamelli ITA 11
124 Johan Wallner SWE 10
125 Matteo Belfrond ITA 9
125 Ales Brezavsek SLO 9
125 Ulrich Perathoner ITA 9
128 Jesper Brugge SWE 7
128 Patrick Wirth AUT 7
128 Gaetan Llorach FRA 7
131 Jeff Piccard FRA 6
131 Hansueli Tschiemer SUI 6
131 Drago Grubelnik SLO 6
131 Christopher Puckett USA 6
135 Giorgio Rocca ITA 5
135 Thomas Loedler CRO 5
135 Stefan Stankalla GER 5
138 Gaku Hirasawa JPN 4
139 Frederic Covili FRA 3
139 Simone Viquery ITA 3
139 Didier Defago SUI 3
139 Audun Groenvold NOR 3
143 Peter Pen SLO 2
Women's Overall Final Standings
1 Katja Seizinger GER 1655
2 Martina Ertl GER 1508
3 Hilde Gerg GER 1391
4 Deborah Compagnoni ITA 912
5 Alexandra Meissnitzer AUT 884
6 Ylva Nowen SWE 815
7 Renate Goetschl AUT 787
8 Isolde Kostner ITA 704
9 Urska Hrovat SLO 592
10 Heidi Zurbriggen SUI 561
11 Kristina Koznick USA 560
12 Stefanie Schuster AUT 500
13 Leila Piccard FRA 479
14 Melanie Suchet FRA 472
15 Florence Masnada FRA 448
16 Sonja Nef SUI 443
17 Andrine Flemmen NOR 390
18 Karin Roten SUI 385
19 Spela Pretnar SLO 322
20 Sabine Egger AUT 317
21 Regina Haeusl GER 301
22 Bibiana Perez ITA 291
23 Katharina Gutensohn GER 288
24 Ingeborg Helen Marken NOR 286
25 Trine Bakke NOR 281
26 Carole Montillet FRA 276
27 Anita Wachter AUT 274
28 Regine Cavagnoud FRA 272
29 Catherine Borghi SUI 265
30 Karen Putzer ITA 255
31 Sophie Lefranc-Duvillard FRA 252
32 Zali Steggall AUS 244
33 Michaela Dorfmeister AUT 234
34 Brigitte Obermoser AUT 233
35 Pernilla Wiberg SWE 229
35 Anna Ottosson SWE 229
37 Alenka Dovzan SLO 210
38 Morena Gallizio ITA 204
39 Ingrid Salvenmoser AUT 184
40 Lara Magoni ITA 180
41 Laure Pequegnot FRA 173
42 Martina Accola SUI 171
43 Ana Galindo Santolaria ESP 169
44 Corinne Rey Bellet SUI 162
45 Leatitia Dalloz FRA 157
46 Picabo Street USA 156
47 Warwara Zelenskaja RUS 154
48 Martina Fortkord SWE 146
49 Spela Bracun SLO 143
50 Claudia Riegler NZL 137
51 Elisabetta Biavaschi ITA 132
52 Birgit Heeb LIE 124
53 Mojca Suhadolc SLO 121
54 Melanie Turgeon CAN 116
55 Sylviane Berthod SUI 115
56 Miriam Vogt GER 113
57 Alessandra Merlin ITA 112
58 Trude Gimle NOR 109
59 Stefanie Wolf GER 102
60 Barbara Merlin ITA 101
61 Monika Bergmann GER 95
62 Svetlana Gladishiva RUS 90
63 Natasa Bokal SLO 84
64 Karin Koellerer AUT 79
65 Sibylle Brauner GER 74
66 Tanja Schneider AUT 65
67 Ainhoa Ibarra Astelarra ESP 57
68 Kristine Kristiansen NOR 53
69 Sonia Vierin ITA 49
70 Kristina Andersson SWE 47
70 Annemarie Gerg GER 47
72 Christiane Mitterwallner AUT 46
73 Tanja Poutiainen FIN 45
73 Ingrid Jacquemod FRA 45
75 Kirsten L Clark USA 40
76 Sabina Panzanini ITA 38
77 Petra Haltmayer GER 37
77 Katerina Tichy CAN 37
79 Elena Tagliabue ITA 33
80 Lilian Kummer SUI 30
80 Sandra Haelldahl SWE 30
82 Linda Ydeskog SWE 28
83 Patrizia Bassis ITA 27
84 Patricia Chauvet FRA 25
84 Daniela Ceccarelli ITA 25
86 Tasha Nelson USA 24
87 Barbara Milani ITA 23
87 Kate Pace Lindsay CAN 23
89 Christel Saioni FRA 21
90 Kristina Duvillard FRA 20
91 Edith Rozsa CAN 17
91 Kazuko Ikeda JPN 17
91 Katrin Neuenschwander SUI 17
94 Ainhoa Ibarra Astellara ESP 12
94 Petra Bartlova CZE 12
96 Anja Kalan SLO 11
97 Fujiko Sekino FRA 10
98 Marlies Oester SUI 9
98 Maria Jose Rienda Contreras ESP 9
100 Grete Stroem NOR 8
100 Kathleen Monahan USA 8
100 Merete Fjeldavlie NOR 8
100 Isabelle Sourd FRA 8
104 Sarah Schleper USA 7
104 Marianne Brechu FRA 7
104 Tiziana De Martin ITA 7
107 Anja Paerson SWE 6
107 Jonna Mendes USA 6
107 Monica Bosch Forrellad ESP 6
107 Tonje Norheim NOR 6
107 Erika Hansson SWE 6
112 Alexandra Shaffer USA 5
113 Elena Bresciani ITA 4
113 Henna Raita FIN 4
115 Marianna Salchinger AUT 3
116 Caroline Lalive USA 2
116 Elisabeth Brandner GER 2
116 Sovrana Welf ITA 2
119 Ingrid Stoeckl AUT 1
119 Tatum Skoglund USA 1
119 Jennifer Mickelson CAN 1