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www.skiworldcup.org/Kitzbuhel (AUT) 27.01.2003
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Men's Super G - Race results
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| Report I Race results I SWC SG I Overall |
Hermann
Maier became Austria’s new sports
hero
After being one of the greatest champions
in the history of modern ski racing,
Hermann Maier is on his best way to
become one of its greatest heroes too.
On Monday, “The Herminator”
won his 42nd World Cup competition in
Kitzbühel in a Super-G raced by
difficult weather conditions, achieving
the first step to sports immortality.
22 months after his last triumph in
a giant slalom during the 2001 World
Cup Finals in Are, Sweden, 17 months
after his grueling motorcycle accident
in which he almost lost his right leg
and 13 days after his surprising comeback
in Adelboden where he didn’t qualify
for the second run, the triple World
Cup champion beat the entire Austrian
team and the rest of the field. He is
now assured to start in a week in the
coming World Championships in St Moritz.
Five Austrian in the lead
Four of his team-mates ended just behind
him within a few tenths of a second.
Christoph Gruber was 2nd at 11/100 of
a second, and Stephan Eberharter, the
dominating speed specialist since last
winter, was 3rd at 15/100 of a second.
The first non-Austrian was Didier Cuche,
6th at .74 second. The Swiss took back
the lead in the speciality standings
after the failure of Marco Buechel to
end this fourth Super-G of the season.
Norway’s Kjetil Aamodt, the reigning
Olympic Champion in Super-G is 9th and
American Bode Miller a far and disappointing
12th . The US champion lost the lead
in the overall World Cup standings regained
by Eberharter.
Daron Rahlves, winner in the short downhill
on Saturday, was a modest 22nd , over
two seconds behind Maier. A very disappointing
result for the reigning World Champion
in Super-G !
“This is incredible!”
This third race of the Hahnenkamm weekend
was by far the most emotional for the
two thousand spectators and officials
attending the competition. A fourth
victory of Hermann Maier here was in
nobody’s mind – including
in his own one. In 2000 he won a Super-G
in Kitzbühel and a downhill and
a Super-G in 2001!
“This is incredible, I can’t
believe what’s happening to me”
he told the press with tears in his
eyes – another incredible fact
of this amazing day!
“I felt confident before the race
after my promising 6th place in the
downhill and my good training yesterday
in Flachau, but I did not imagine to
ski so fast today” Maier added.
“This is the greatest day in my
career. This is even bigger than my
comeback in Nagano in 1998!”
During the Olympics in Japan, Hermann
clinched two gold medals in Super-G
and giant slalom only a few days after
surviving a horrible crash in the downhill
won by France’s Jean Luc Crétier.
His spectacular flight over the course
became instantaneously famous around
the world and even attracted him the
sympathy of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the
“Terminator”, who inspired
his nickname – “The Herminator”.
“I went through a hard time”
“I never thought to be able to
progress so fast, especially in this
event which I only practiced a few days
in the last weeks. It has always been
my preferred specialty. It means a lot
to me because I went through such a
hard time in the days after my accident
and last fall, when I had too much pain
after my newest fall in Chile to train
on skis”.
“I always hope to be able to make
it someday but later on. I am only 30
years old and I was ready to wait a
little. I had to learn to be patient
in the past months. I want also to thank
all those who helped and supported me,
especially the doctors who have done
such a great job when the operated me
and save my leg”.
Hermann newest triumph created huge
momentum in all Austria. The President
of the Republic, Dr. Thomas Klestil,
praised his courage and his determination
in a message sent to him. All his rivals
including Eberharter, not exactly his
best friend and the fastest skier at
the intermediate time before making
a mistake, congratulated him warmly
after the race.
A true “Herminator”
“He is really a step above us –
a true “Herminator” said Hans
Knauss, 5th and probably out of the
Austrian Super-G selection for St Moritz
after this race.
Interestingly enough, Maier won this
crucial race which automatically qualified
him within the Austrian team with a
smoother technique than in the past.
Maier who charmed his interlocutor since
his return on the World Cup tour by
his relaxed attitude and his smooth
manners, did not try too hard to win
the race as he did in the past.
He skied with great feelings and precision,
without making major mistakes contrary
to the other favorites. By doing so
he followed the line he set himself
last weekend in Wengen where he was
7th in a downhill after a relaxed run.
The previous day he was only 22nd after
skiing too aggressively.
“I found out that I can be faster
if I just enjoy my racing and when I’m
looking for having a great time on course”
he said in Wengen.
Winning at 70 %
He also confirmed his own prediction
made a few months ago, during a press
conference given in Altenmark where
he was introduced as a member of the
bidding committee for the 2010 Winter
Olympics in Salzburg.
“I will never be the old Maier
again,” he said. “But I want
to race as long as I like it. Maybe
I can win again without skiing at 100
% as in the past. Maybe 70% is enough
now.”
Maier performance creates great excitement
for the organizers of the coming Worlds
in St Moritz. He will again be the greatest
attraction during these two weeks –
the center of the media’s interest.
In 2001 he was at the top of his form
and the great favorite for three gold’s
in St Anton – but went home with
a silver and a bronze. He may have more
success as an almost retired champion!
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| Patrick Lang |
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