Daron Rahlves' Beaver Creek win earns selection as USOC athlete of the month

Daron Rahlves’ Beaver Creek win earns selection as USOC athlete of the month{mosimage}USSA — Daron Rahlves, who won the Chevy Trucks Birds of Prey downhill on December 5 in Beaver Creek, Colo., was honored by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the December Athlete of the Month.

His win, the fifth of his career at the time, was the first downhill victory by an American man in the U.S. since Bill Johnson at Aspen, Colorado, in 1984.

“It’s always an honor to be named USOC Athlete of the Month,” said Rahlves, who also received the award in January 2003. “There’s plenty of good competition for this award. To win on home soil in Beaver Creek was my goal for a long time. After being on the downhill podium in 2002, I vowed to come back and do whatever I could to win this season. Pretty cool how things work out sometimes. “

Rahlves got the USOC award last January for conquering Kitzbuehel’s fabled Hahnenkamm downhill, the first victory in that race by an American skier in 44 years (since Buddy Werner in 1959) and for the other two top-3s in World Cup races he had that month.

Rahlves had a good week in Kitzbuehel this year, too, with three podiums in 48 hours, including a victory January 23 in the super G. It was the first time a non-Austrian had won the race.

Each month the USOC solicits nominations from all the U.S. national governing bodies and honors a male, female and team for a great sporting accomplishment.