World Cup Finals: Austria, USA, Sweden pace nations team event

World Cup Finals: Austria, USA, Sweden pace nations team eventARE, Sweden – A scoreboard shows a replay of Felix Neureuther’s run overlaid with that of Brigitte Acton. Meanwhile Resi Stiegler relays a course report to Lindsey Kildow at the start, where Daron Rahlves is able to listen in.

It can only be one thing: the nations team event, an experiment by the International Ski Federation that is making its debut on the World Cup this Sunday.

Austria won the event with 27 points, the sum of its placings in the race’s eight runs. The American and Swedish teams were right behind with 30 points and 31, respectively.

Although many racers competed somewhat grudgingly in the event, and although there were very few fans on site, and although the skiers were eager to travel home from Sweden, toward the end of the race an infectious enthusiasm took hold.

“Towards the end of it, they have fun,” said U.S. Alpine Director Jesse Hunt, referring to his team. “Toward the end, they’re all on board, cheering for each other.”

The eight nations competing submitted one racer each to the day’s eight runs, which consisted of four super G races in the morning and four slaloms in the afternoon.

The nations team event had its successful debut at the World Championships in Bormio last February, but this was the first time the FIS has tried it on the World Cup tour. Germany, which won that Bormio race, was dead last this time.

The race is less confusing than it seems at first. Time doesn’t matter so much as ranking within one’s run; the fastest racer in each run scores one point for their team, and the runner-up in each run scores two points, and so on.

The winning team is the one that scores the fewest number of points over the course of the day. Spectacular winning runs don’t help a team nearly so much as a DNF hurts.

Austria wins the super G portion
In the morning, there were four super G runs, held on a short course — sunny, with a little bit of wind.

In the morning’s four super G runs, Austria was second (Niki Hosp, 2 points), third (Benni Raich, 3 points), first (Andrea Fischbacher, 1 point) and fifth (Stephan Goergl, 5 points.

Add that up; Austria scored 11 points in the four super G runs. Also, notice that the first and third runs were for women, and the second and last were for men.

Hunt stood at the start alongside his counterparts and announced his starters just minutes before each run started; they were Resi Stiegler, Daron Rahlves, Lindsey Kildow and Scott Macartney.

In their respective runs, Stiegler was fifth, Rahlves first, Kildow second and Macartney fourth. That added up to 12 points.

USA, tied with Canada, was in second place behind Austria going into the slaloms.

Back in the gates
In the afternoon, after an hour of inspection, the teams raced four slalom runs. Austria extended its lead as Canada fell to Sweden’s onslaught.

In the four runs, Austria’s racers finished sixth (Andrea Kirchgasser), third (Benni Raich), first (Niki Hosp) and sixth (Reinfried Herbst). Those placings added up to 16 points, bringing Austria’s total to 27.

Meanwhile the United States held its own on the strength of its women. The Americans were second (Julia Mancuso), seventh (Scott Macartney), second (Resi Stiegler) and seventh (Ted Ligety).

“If you get a big enough lead, the last guy doesn’t have as much pressure on him,” said Ligety, who made a big mistake in his run.

Had Ligety won his run, he could have moved the United States into first. He would have put the serious heat, anyway, on Reinfried Herbst to deliver a strong run for Austria. As it was, Herbst followed Ligety’s mistake with one of his own, and after a quick tally, the Austrians started celebrating their victory.

“It’s definitely cool to be a team atmosphere,” said Ligety afterward. Rahlves joked with him that their team’s second-place prize-money check should be split up unevenly, with a little more going to the super G skiers than the slalom specialists.

The event gains some popularity
As the day progressed, the fans and athletes got behind the event, caught up in the suspense of seeing each team’s ranking hang on the performance of a single racer.

“I think for the spectators and teams in general, it’s really positive,” said Hunt. “I think the athletes still aren’t completely on board, but I think they will be. It’s a great event, it’s exciting, and once they start doing it, they have fun.”

Even the Austrians seemed pleased with the event.

“The event is OK,” said Hans Pum, the Austrian alpine director. “But especially for the Final and for the World Championship, this is a perfect event.”

“Once you get into it, it’s pretty fun,” said Michael Janyk of Canada. “Racing for the team and country is something you don’t get to do that much.”

“It starts off where everyone thinks it’s a joke, and thinks its stupid or whatever,” said Janyk. “But then once it gets going everyone gets excited and it’s fun.”

Results Sunday from alpine skiing’s
nations team event
World Cup Finals

1. Austria, 27 points.
2. United States, 30.
3. Sweden, 31.
4. Canada, 38.
5. Switzerland, 38.
6. France, 41.
7. Italy, 41.
8. Germany, 45.

Super G series
Round 1 (with winning time and time behind winner)

1. Brigitte Acton, Canada, 47.98 seconds.
2. Nicole Hosp, Austria, .17 seconds behind.
3. Nadia Styger, Switzerland, 0.20.
4. Janette Hargin, Sweden, 0.22.
5. Resi Stiegler, United States, 0.44.
6. Karen Putzer, Italy, 0.77.
7. Ingrid Jacquemod, Canada, 1.00.
8. Martina Ertl-Renz, Germany, 1.27.

Round 2

1. Daron Rahlves, United States, 45.85 seconds.
2. Francois Bourque, Canada, 0.26 seconds behind.
3. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 0.31.
4. Felix Neureuther, Germany, 0.79.
5. Didier Defago, Switzerland, 0.98.
6. Patrick Staudacher, Italy, 1.02.
7. Patrik Jaerbyn, Sweden, 1.15.
8. Pierrick Bourgeat, France, did not finish.

Round 3

1. Andrea Fischbacher, Austria, 47.73 seconds.
2. Lindsey Kildow, United States, 0.16 seconds behind.
3. Jessica Lindell-Vikarby, Sweden, 0.26.
4. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, Switzerland, 0.30.
5. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 0.57.
6. Emily Brydon, Canada, 1.14.
7. Kathrin Hoelzl, Germany, 2.24.
8. Florine de Leymarie, France, 3.43.

Round 4

1. Peter Fill, Italy, 45.92 seconds.
2. Bruno Kernen, Switzerland, 0.8 seconds behind.
3. Stefan Guay, Canada, 0.16.
4. Scott Macartney, United States, 0.32.
5. Stephan Goergl, Austria, 0.34.
6. Yannick Bertrand, France, 0.50.
7. Markus Larsson, Sweden, 1.31.
8. Andreas Ertl, Germany, 2.83.

Slalom series
Round 1

1. Laure Pequegnot, France, 50.49 seconds.
2. Julia Mancuso, United States, 0.34 seconds behind.
3. Martina Ertl-Renz, Germany, 0.63.
4. Janette Hargin, Sweden, 0.88.
5. Chiara Costazza, Italy, 1.26.
6. Michaela Kirchgasser, Austria, 1.32.
7. Emily Brydon, Canada, 2.03.
8. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, Switzerland, disqualified.

Round 2

1. Pierrick Bourgeat, France, 47.38 seconds.
2. Andre Myhrer, Sweden, 0.18 seconds behind.
3. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 0.64.
4. Alois Vogl, Germany, 0.73.
5. Giorgio Rocca, Italy, 0.83.
6. Michael Janyk, Canada, 1.18.
7. Scott Macartney, United States, 3.68.
8. Didier Defago, Switzerland, disqualifed.

Round 3

1. Nicole Hosp, Austria, 51.16 seconds.
2. Resi Stiegler, United States, 0.54 seconds behind.
3. Maria Pietilae-Holmner, Sweden, 1.14.
4. Marianne Aberhalden, Switzerland, 2.50.
5. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 2.92.
8. Brigitte Acton, Canada, did not finish.
8. Annemarie Gerg, G
ermany, did not finish.
8. Florine De Leymarie, France, did not finish.

Round 4

1. Markus Larsson, Sweden, 48.69 seconds.
2. Stephane Tissot, France, 0.7 seconds behind.
3. Felix Neureuther, Germany, 0.11.
4. Daniel Albrecht, Switzerland, 0.12.
5. Thomas Grandi, Canada, 0.21.
6. Reinfried Herbst, Austria, 0.22.
7. Ted Ligety, United States, 0.61.
8. Peter Fill, Italy, did not finish.