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The maddest of the downhill madmen are the wild and crazy Austrians
By Brad Rock
Deseret News sports writer
SNOWBASIN — The banner in the spectator area said, "Men of Madness."
Ninety-miles an hour and 70 percent grade in places. Hurtling down "Grizzly," the run on which Sunday's men's downhill was held.
Madness, indeed. It is beautiful scenery, but a harrowing place to race. Overcorrect at the wrong point and they carry you off in sections.
Downhill skiers are thrill-seekers and risk-takers, the most fearless winter athletes of all. Ski jumping, bobsled and skeleton are nerve-racking, but none packs the one-two punch of extreme exposure and high speed of downhill.
But there are those who care little for their safety and who grow up in mountains similar to those at Snowbasin. Before they reach puberty, they have already learned to stay on their skis at impossible angles and unthinkable speeds.
They are the Austrians, who once again asserted their position as the best in the world, taking gold and bronze medals.
How to beat such lunatics and madmen?
"Basically, you have to go 100 percent every race. That's hard to do," said American skier Marco Sullivan. "Especially on a challenging course like this, where if you do hurtle yourself down the mountain, there's the opportunity for death."
But the Austrians don't fear death.
"No . . . strange," said Sullivan.
Actually, it's quite understandable. Skiing is all in Austria. Citizens are raised on treacherous turns or soaring jumps. They dream of becoming great skiers, living for speed.
Sunday's results were mildly surprising only in the sense that Austria won just two medals. It could easily have been a sweep. Even so, three Austrians finished in the top 10. Fritz Strobl, the No. 2-rated skier in the world, took the gold medal, while top-ranked teammate Stephan Eberharter took bronze. A third Austrian, Christian Greber, came in sixth, and teammate Christoph Gruber finished 20th.
"They are amazing. I can't explain it, but they're really solid," said Sullivan, after skiing the race of his 21-year-old life — and still finishing ninth, far behind the winners. "They don't make a lot of mistakes. . . . I don't know. They just breed 'em good over there."
Beating the Austrians in the Olympics isn't just an obstacle, it's a fantasy. Better to try beating the Swiss at chocolate or the Italians at pasta. In this year's World Cup standings, eight of the top 12 and 11 of the top 30 are Austrians; another ranks No. 40.
The catch is, only four skiers can represent a country in the Olympics. Which means if there were no restrictions, 12 of the 55 competitors in the downhill could have been Austrians — and that doesn't included the world's best downhill skier, Hermann Maier, who is hurt.
By comparison, only one American ranks in the top 30 and two in the top 50.
True to form, Sunday's race was nearly over as it began. Six skiers clamored down the hill, hoping this would be their day. But the seventh was Greber, who immediately took the lead. Two turns later, Eberharter eclipsed his time. Next man to ski: Strobl, the one challenger whom experts felt had a chance to beat Eberharter.
Before a screaming crowd, on a windless, brilliant day, Strobl clocked the winning time. After 10 racers, the leaders went in this order: Strobl, Eberharter, Greber.
An Austrians-only party.
That, of course, was met with joy in Austria. It's a place where they take their skiing only slightly less seriously than their marriage vows and more seriously than money. Sports fans keep track of interval times, seedings and finish times the way American children kept track of batting averages four decades ago.
Does it take a perfect run to beat the Austrians?
"Basically," said Sullivan.
That's how it is when you're a standard unto yourself.
E-MAIL: rock@desnews.com
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February 11, 2002
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