Kranjska Gora: Rocca stays perfect in slalom, USA's Ligety 3rd
Kranjska Gora: Rocca stays perfect in slalom, USA’s Ligety 3rd{mosimage}KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia – American Ted Ligety reached his second podium of the season Thursday, finishing third while Italy’s Giorgio Rocca stayed unbeaten in slalom, winning his third in a row when Austrian Benjamin Raich – leading handily – skied off-course in his second run.
Jimmy Cochran finished 15th while Bode Miller failed to reach the second run.
OLN will continue its World Cup coverage as part of its “10 Weeks to Torino” series Sunday at 5 ET.
Men’s slalom
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
Dec. 22, 2005
1. Giorgio Rocca, ITA 1:35.98
2. Thomas Grandi, CAN 1:36.62
3. Ted Ligety, USA 1:36.65
4. Rainer Schoenfelder, AUT 1:37.06
5. Kalle Palander, FIN 1:37.19
6. Johan Brolenius, SWE 1:37.54
7. Naoki Yuasa, JPN 1:37.59
8. Manfred Pranger, AUT 1:37.61
9. Martin Hansson, SWE 1:37.64
9. Jean-Pierre Vidal, FRA 1:37.64
11. Andre Myhrer, SWE 1:37.67
12. Drago Grubelnik, SLO 1:37.77
13. Kjetil Jansrud, NOR 1:37.78
14. Akira Sasaki, JPN 1:37.87
15. James Cochran, USA 1:37.90
16. Manfred Moelgg, ITA 1:37.98
17. Markus Larsson, SWE 1:38.21
18. Aksel Lund Svindal, NOR 1:38.27
19. Pierrick Bourgeat, FRA 1:38.28
20. Felix Neureuther, GER 1:38.31
21. Bernard Vajdic, SLO 1:38.45
22. Filip Trejbal, CZE 1:38.48
23. Stephane Tissot, FRA 1:38.49
24. Alex Gorza, USA 1:38.74
25. Reinfried Herbst, AUT 1:38.76
26. Michael Janyk, CAN 1:48.07
27. Mario Matt, AUT 1:53.05
28. Ivica Kostelic, CRO 1:54.77
Other North Americans:
DNQ 2nd: Ryan Semple, Julien Cousineau, CAN; Tom Rothrock, Erik Schlopy, Bode Miller, Chip Knight, USA.
DNF 1st: Jean-Philippe Roy, Paul Stutz, CAN; Steven Nyman, USA.
DNF 2nd: Patrick Biggs, CAN.
THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Men’s SL, Kranjska Gora, Dec. 22, 2005
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1. Rocca, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2. Grandi, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
3. Ligety, Volkl/Nordica/Marker
4. Schoenfelder, Fischer/Nordica/Fischer
5. Palander, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6. Brolenius, Head/Nordica/Tyrolia
7. Yuasa, Hart/Dolomite/Look
8. Pranger, Volkl/Lange/Marker
9. Hansson, Dynastar/Lange/Look
9. Vidal, Dynastar/Lange/Look
Men’s slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Dec. 22, 2005. … It is the 15th event of the men’s 34 race, 4 combined season. … It is the third of 10 scheduled slaloms. … The second of two at Kranjska Gora. … It is the 30th slalom held at Kranjska Gora.
It is the ninth career win for Giorgio Rocca. … All in slalom. … It is his third win of the season in three slaloms held. … It is his second straight slalom win at Kranjska Gora. … With nine slaloms wins, Rocca moves past Gustavo Thoeni into sole possession of second on the all-time Italian list behind Alberto Tomba (35). … He now matches Phil Mahre, Tamara McKinney, Patrick Russel and Benjamin Raich on the international slalom win list in 14th. … He and Alberto Tomba are the only Italians to win slaloms at the site, and have five between them.
It is the sixth career podium for Thomas Grandi. … Second is the best slalom result ever for a Canadian male, and he has done it twice, the other at Kitzbuehel (Jan. 25, 2004). … It is his second podium in two days, having been third in the GS. … It is the second time this season a Canadian male has made the podium on consecutive days (Erik Guay, Val Gardena SG, Dec. 16, and DH Dec. 17). … Prior to that, go back to Ken Read in back to back DH’s at Wengen in 1980.
It is the second career podium for Ted Ligety and the second of the season (Dec. 4 Beaver Creek). … He has more scoring results at Kranjska Gora (3) than any other site. …
It is the first career scoring result in slalom for James Cochran. … Of his four scoring results, three have come at Kranjska Gora.
Aksel Lund Svindal (18th in race) holds the lead of the World Cup overall standings 450-442 over Bode Miller (DNQ for second run). … Benjamin Raich was a second-run DNF. … Raich is third at 430. … Rocca holds a substantial lead in the slalom standings 300-160 over Ted Ligety with Thomas Grandi third at 130.
Winning margin is .64 of a second. … Third is another three-hundredths out and fourth is more than a second. … Sixteenth is two seconds out. … Final three finishers score no points as they are too large a percentage in back of the winner.
About the Author: Pete Rugh
