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Aamodt skis to 2nd gold in super-G
By Ray Grass Deseret News Olympic specialist
SNOWBASIN — Exactly 10 years ago, Kjetil Andre Aamodt won the Olympic gold medal in Albertville, France, in the super-G. The following year he won the World Cup super-G title. He was one of the world's bright young speed skiers. In 1996, however, he lost speed.
He was training as hard, and skiing as much, and skiing as well, he said, but for six years he went without a win.
He broke the spell on Saturday. Aamodt won a gold in the super-G, his second gold of the Salt Lake City Games. On Wednesday the Norwegian won the men's combined gold.
One gold, he said, led to the second. And, asked which was most prized, he said the combined, "because it is special to me because of circumstances. I failed to win a medal in Nagano and I really wanted to win another gold before I retired. . . . I was happier after the first gold, but maybe that's because it was the first."
It was, in fact, the combined gold, he continued, that took the pressure off in the super-G. He had his gold, "and this one is a bonus."
Second was Stephan Eberharter of Austria and third was Andreas Schifferer, also from Austria. Fritz Strobl of Austria, winner of the downhill gold, was fourth. Aamodt's time was 1 minute, 21.58 seconds, Eberharter's time was 1:21.68 and Schifferer's 1:21.83.
Again, the American story was one of frustration and hope. Daron Rahlves, expected to do well these Games, hasn't. His frustrations continued Saturday. He finished eighth. Thomas Vonn, in his fifth year on the team and considered one of the rising young stars, bounced from his 33rd start position to finish behind Rahlves in 9th.
Rahlves made a tactical mistake in both the downhill and super-G — he chose to be conservative. He was 16th in the downhill last Sunday.
"You've either got to be conservative and make it, or let it hang out and know you're going to pay for it. . . . I played it safe through Arrowhead . . . I could have attacked more," he said, his lower lip quivering a little as he tried to talk.
He called the course one of the "trickiest and toughest I've ever run." One gate was especially difficult. No one missed a gate in the downhill, but 18 did in the super-G, most as they came out of a transition gate set atop Buffalo Jump on the steep face leading into the finish arena.
Skiers came off the top and into the gate with too much speed and didn't have time to set up for the next two gates, which, because of their placement below the jump, were out of the racers' vision.
Some of the world's best speed skiers, in fact, were caught unprepared, including Lasse Kjus of Norway, winner of the silver in the downhill, and Didier Cucue of Switzerland, currently No. 2 in World Cup super-G.
Eberharter, who was favored to win the event, in fact, gave up the gold on that gate. He was leading the race going into the gate but came in too fast, had to step onto his turning ski too hard in order to make the next gate and lost precious time.
After the race he called it a mistake, one that he said had to be shared with his coaches.
"The only thing they told me was I couldn't go full blast. . . . What they didn't tell me, exactly, was what would happen if I went too fast or too tight. I should have gotten more information," he said.
Aamodt said it was good he went early (No. 3) and wasn't listening as coaches talked about the turn. "I was lucky to inspect the course the way I did and get away with it," he said with a slight smile.
In the women's race today, American Caroline Lalive will be looking to put a good twist on what has been to this point a bad Olympics. She fell early in the downhill and again on the first run of the combined. She is ranked sixth in the world in super-G. Her teammate, Kirsten Clark is ranked 11th.
Favored will be Hilde Greg of Germany, No. 1 in World Cup points, Renate Goetschl of Austria, No. 2 in the world and a silver medalist in the downhill, and Carole Montillet of France, winner of the downhill gold. Race time is 10 a.m.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com
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February 17, 2002
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