Kvitfjell: Kroell snags win, Walchhofer second
Klaus Kroell collected his first career World Cup downhill win and kept his slim chances alive for the downhill title, but veteran teammate Michael Walchhofer placed second for the second straight day and all but wrapped that coveted trophy.
The Canadians blasted four into the top 10 for the second straight day, led once again by Manuel Osborne-Paradis, this time on the third step of the podium.
Hans Olsson finished fourth. Combined with a third from Lake Louise in November now owns the top two World Cup downhill finishes ever for a Swedish male.
The race for the big Crystal Globe came no closer to being decided. Both skiers tied for first overall failed to gain a point. Benjamin Raich failed to finish and Ivica Kostelic finished out of the points in 43rd. Aksel Svindal finished a disappointing 14th, yet made up chunks of real estate on the leaders and is now eight points behind them. With five races remaining there are still 22 skiers with a mathematical chance to take home the prize.Klaus Kroell collected his first career World Cup downhill win and kept his slim chances alive for the downhill title, but veteran teammate Michael Walchhofer placed second for the second straight day and all but wrapped that coveted trophy.
The Canadians blasted four into the top 10 for the second straight day, led once again by Manuel Osborne-Paradis, this time on the third step of the podium.
Hans Olsson finished fourth. Combined with a third from Lake Louise in November now owns the top two World Cup downhill finishes ever for a Swedish male.
“I was lucky to start just before the fog got heavier,” said Kroell who ran in bib 16.
“To win my first race in Kitzbuehel (SG Jan. 23) was already a climax to my season and this is a bonus, but a brilliant one,” Kroell told Rueters reporter Manuele Lang.
Walchhofer has a tidy 75 point lead for the downhill title going into the last test of the season. “On paper I am the favorite to win the globe, but I should beware of Klaus. He is in great shape and robbed me of victory at Kvitfjell,” he told Lang.
That larceny particularly rankled Walchhofer. Though he owns 11 World Cup downhill victories he has never won at Kvitfjell and finished second two days in a row.
Kroell, however, was not optimistic about his chances to overtake his teammate for the crown. “It’s 75 points,” Kroell told AP. “I don’t think it is in my hands.”
The race for the big Crystal Globe came no closer to being decided. Both skiers tied for first overall failed to gain a point. Benjamin Raich failed to finish and Ivica Kostelic finished out of the points in 43rd. Aksel Svindal finished a disappointing 14th, yet made up chunks of real estate on the leaders and is now eight points behind them. With five races remaining there are still 22 skiers with a mathematical chance to take home the prize.
Raich, for one, was stunned to still be in the lead. “I would not have imagined that after two downhills I would be the World Cup leader,” he told Austrian reporters.
It was a second consecutive days of feeding from the back for the U.S. skiers. Marco Sullivan led the way in 19th and he was all alone up that high in the order. Kevin Francis was 45th, Steven Nyman 54th with Andrew Weibrecht and Erik Fisher both failing to finish.
The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Men’s Downhill, Kvitfjell, Norway, March 7, 2008
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Kroell, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
2 Walchhofer, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Osborne-Paradis, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
4 Olsson, Head/Head/Tyrolia
5 Heel, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6 Fill, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Dixon, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
8 Kucera, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
9 Guay, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10 Jerman, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic
Men’s Downhill, Kvitfjell, Norway, March 7, 2009. … It is the 32nd race of the men’s 37 race 2009 World Cup schedule. … The eighth of nine scheduled downhills. … It is the 36th World Cup race held at Kvitfjell and the 18th downhill.
It is the second career World Cup win for Klaus Kroell, the first in DH. … He also won the Kitzbuehel super G Jan. 23. … It is his fourth podium result of the season.
It is the 40th World Cup podium for Michael Walchhofer. … the 31st in downhill. … He leads the downhill standings and is looking to ice his third DH title having won in ’06 and ’05. … It is his fifth podium of the season and fourth in downhill. … It is his third second place finish of the season, and second in two days.
Manuel Osborne-Paradis followed up his first Cup win March 6 with his sixth Cup podium March 7. … All of them have come in DH. … three of them this season. … The one not from Kvitfjell was a third at Val Gardena Dec. 20.
It is the fourth best career World Cup placing for Robbie Dixon. … three of them have come at Kvitfjell including a fourth in super G March 2, 2008 and a fifth in DH yesterday. … John Kucera matches his 14th best career placing. … It is his fifth best Cup result of the season and his one placing below his result of yesterday. … It is the eighth top 10 result of the season for Erik Guay, the sixth in DH. … It is the second straight day the Canadians have pushed four skiers into the top 10. … It is the eighth best of 11 scoring results this season for Marco Sullivan.
Benjamin Raich (DNF in race) and Ivica Kostelic (43rd in race) remain tied for the lead of the men’s overall standings at 837. … Aksel Svindal (14th in race) closes the gap at 829 and Jean-Baptiste Grange remains at 777. … Top American on the overall list is Bode Miller (DNS) in tenth with 517pts.
Walchhofer holds the downhill standings lead 470-395 for Kroell who leap-frogs Didier Defago (11th in race) with 337. … Manuel Osborne-Paradis steps past the idle Bode Miller into fourth with 299. With one race remaining Walchhofer can win the title by placing second in the finale.
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
1 | 16 | 50753 | KROELL Klaus | 1980 | AUT | 1:32.12 | 0.00 |
2 | 22 | 50041 | WALCHHOFER Michael | 1975 | AUT | 1:32.39 | 3.87 |
3 | 19 | 102899 | OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel | 1984 | CAN | 1:32.58 | 6.59 |
4 | 5 | 501076 | OLSSON Hans | 1984 | SWE | 1:32.67 | 7.88 |
5 | 12 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 1:32.69 | 8.17 |
6 | 9 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 1:32.75 | 9.03 |
7 | 3 | 102961 | DIXON Robbie | 1985 | CAN | 1:32.81 | 9.89 |
8 | 8 | 102873 | KUCERA John | 1984 | CAN | 1:32.82 | 10.03 |
9 | 10 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 1:32.97 | 12.18 |
10 | 13 | 560332 | JERMAN Andrej | 1978 | SLO | 1:33.03 | 13.04 |
11 | 20 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 1:33.12 | 14.33 |
12 | 41 | 561067 | PERKO Rok | 1985 | SLO | 1:33.17 | 15.05 |
13 | 18 | 510030 | CUCHE Didier | 1974 | SUI | 1:33.26 | 16.34 |
14 | 17 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:33.40 | 18.34 |
15 | 23 | 510747 | GRUENENFELDER Tobias | 1977 | SUI | 1:33.45 | 19.06 |
16 | 21 | 350032 | BUECHEL Marco | 1971 | LIE | 1:33.49 | 19.63 |
16 | 7 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 1:33.49 | 19.63 |
16 | 1 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 1:33.49 | 19.63 |
19 | 14 | 533131 | SULLIVAN Marco | 1980 | USA | 1:33.53 | 20.20 |
20 | 28 | 510890 | ZURBRIGGEN Silvan | 1981 | SUI | 1:33.54 | 20.35 |
21 | 15 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | 1:33.58 | 20.92 |
22 | 36 | 511139 | KUENG Patrick | 1984 | SUI | 1:33.71 | 22.78 |
23 | 6 | 50858 | STREITBERGER Georg | 1981 | AUT | 1:33.72 | 22.93 |
24 | 26 | 191116 | DALCIN Pierre-Emmanuel | 1977 | FRA | 1:33.79 | 23.93 |
25 | 43 | 150421 | ZAHROBSKY Petr | 1980 | CZE | 1:33.80 | 24.07 |
26 | 11 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 1:33.83 | 24.50 |
27 | 44 | 511142 | LUEOEND Vitus | 1984 | SUI | 1:33.85 | 24.79 |
28 | 27 | 50423 | MAIER Hermann | 1972 | AUT | 1:34.05 | 27.66 |
29 | 33 | 201606 | KEPPLER Stephan | 1983 | GER | 1:34.10 | 28.37 |
30 | 38 | 192932 | FAYED Guillermo | 1985 | FRA | 1:34.12 | 28.66 |
31 | 24 | 191964 | POISSON David | 1982 | FRA | 1:34.14 | 28.94 |
32 | 30 | 510767 | HOFFMANN Ambrosi | 1977 | SUI | 1:34.20 | 29.80 |
33 | 35 | 290998 | STAUDACHER Patrick | 1980 | ITA | 1:34.23 | 30.23 |
34 | 40 | 50831 | GRAGGABER Thomas | 1981 | AUT | 1:34.30 | 31.24 |
35 | 54 | 380292 | ZRNCIC-DIM Natko | 1986 | CRO | 1:34.37 | 32.24 |
36 | 37 | 191591 | BERTRAND Yannick | 1980 | FRA | 1:34.39 | 32.53 |
37 | 48 | 201542 | STRODL Peter | 1982 | GER | 1:34.42 | 32.96 |
38 | 4 | 292291 | THANEI Stefan | 1981 | ITA | 1:34.45 | 33.39 |
39 | 52 | 421400 | MYHRE Lars Elton | 1984 | NOR | 1:34.52 | 34.39 |
40 | 34 | 50761 | ALSTER Christoph | 1980 | AUT | 1:34.55 | 34.82 |
41 | 47 | 294911 | PATSCHEIDER Hagen | 1988 | ITA | 1:34.72 | 37.26 |
42 | 25 | 50451 | GRUBER Christoph | 1976 | AUT | 1:34.79 | 38.26 |
43 | 32 | 380260 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 1:34.85 | 39.12 |
44 | 62 | 50600 | GOERGL Stephan | 1978 | AUT | 1:34.92 | 40.12 |
45 | 55 | 533842 | FRANCIS Kevin | 1982 | USA | 1:34.95 | 40.55 |
46 | 45 | 293550 | MARSAGLIA Matteo | 1985 | ITA | 1:34.98 | 40.98 |
47 | 46 | 561087 | MARKIC Gasper | 1986 | SLO | 1:35.12 | 42.99 |
48 | 51 | 40171 | BRANCH Craig | 1977 | AUS | 1:35.13 | 43.13 |
49 | 56 | 103375 | NELLA Tyler | 1988 | CAN | 1:35.16 | 43.56 |
50 | 60 | 220656 | DRAKE Edward | 1986 | GBR | 1:35.18 | 43.85 |
51 | 58 | 501230 | ERICSSON Daniel | 1987 | SWE | 1:35.29 | 45.42 |
52 | 42 | 192122 | PITTIN Alexandre | 1983 | FRA | 1:35.46 | 47.86 |
53 | 49 | 561006 | GLEBOV Alek | 1983 | SLO | 1:35.87 | 53.73 |
54 | 29 | 533866 | NYMAN Steven | 1982 | USA | 1:35.95 | 54.88 |
55 | 61 | 191778 | PICHOT Sebastien | 1981 | FRA | 1:37.20 | 72.79 |
Did not finish 1st run | |||||||
59 | 421483 | JANSRUD Kjetil | 1985 | NOR | |||
57 | 561085 | KRIZAJ Andrej | 1986 | SLO | |||
53 | 103090 | HELIE Louis-Pierre | 1986 | CAN | |||
50 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | |||
39 | 50919 | STRUGER Peter | 1982 | AUT | |||
31 | 50625 | RAICH Benjamin | 1978 | AUT | |||
2 | 534939 | FISHER Erik | 1985 | USA |