Beaver Creek: Albrecht wins super combined
Swiss skier Daniel Albrecht, the reigning World Champion in combined, collected his first World Cup win and just his second career podium in the first U.S. race of the 2008 World Cup season, the super combined at Beaver Creek, Colo., Thursday (Nov. 29). The U.S. skiers pushed three skiers into the top 10.
Albrecht jumped up from 19th in the morning's downhill run with a blazing slalom run down the lower potion of the Birds of Prey track.
SWISS SKIER Daniel Albrecht, the reigning World Champion in combined, collected his first World Cup win and just his second career podium in the first U.S. race of the 2008 World Cup season, the super combined at Beaver Creek, Colo., Thursday (Nov. 29). The U.S. pushed three skiers into the top 10.
Albrecht jumped up from 19th in the morning's downhill run with a blazing slalom run down the lower potion of the Birds of Prey track.
"It was something special that I was so fast in the downhill," Albrecht said. "And you never know what happens in slalom, but I said to me just go for it and take some risk and ski well and that's what I had to do."
Albrecht was well ahead of the top downhill skiers and easily held off the strongest challenges from the later skiers. Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Grange, 36th in the downhill leg, came the closest, and he was .67 of a second back. It was the first Cup podium for Grange, though he was fourth in slalom twice last season. Claiming third place, and also registering his first career podium, was Czech journeyman Ondrej Bank.
Bode Miller gave the enthusiastic crowd in the Beaver Creek stadium plenty to cheer about as he skied cleanly through the slalom portion to make a run at the lead. He wound up fourth for his best result of the season. He is the only skier on tour to have scored in all disciplines this season.
The next American down the finish order was Ted Ligety who finished eighth with the second-fastest slalom leg. While he was less than pleased with his downhill result, he said he wasn't that surprised.
"It wasn't where I wanted to be, but it was tough being that it was my second run on downhill skis in the last couple of months," he said.
T.J. Lanning skied his way into the top 10 for just his second career scoring result. He had just missed scoring in his previous two Cup starts, finishing 31st in the super G and 32nd in the downhill at Lake Louise last week.
"I am feeling pretty good," he admitted. "I've been that far from points every time. Tomorrow, we're getting her done."
In 14th was Andrew Weibrecht making just his sixth World Cup start. "It is all I could ask for," he said. "I'm happy with it." His coaches were happier.
"It was a great performance," said U.S. head coach Phil McNichol. "It was kind of a risky thing in the downhill and then to be standing in the slalom start and really needing to put it down, that shows poise and composure at the level he needs to bring to the World Cup."
THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Men's combined, Beaver Creek, Colo., Nov. 29, 2007
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Albrecht, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Grange, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
3 Bank, Elan/Nordica/Elan
4 Miller, Head/Head/Tyrolia
5 Myhre, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6 Zurbriggen, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
7 Schoenfelder, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
8 Ligety, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
9 Defago, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
10 Lanning, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
Men's super combined, Beaver Creek, Colo., Nov. 29. 2007. … It is the fifth of the 41 events on the men's 2007-08 World Cup season. … The first of five combineds (and first of four super combineds). … It is the first of a four race set at Beaver Creek. … It is the 30th World Cup race held at Beaver Creek. … But just the second combined.
It is the first World Cup win for Daniel Albrecht and his second podium, the previous coming in downhill at Lenzerheide March 14, 2007. … He won the World Championship combined Feb. 8, 2007 and was fourth in the Olympic combined Feb. 14, 2006. … He had been fourth after the DH.
It is the first World Cup podium for Jean-Baptiste Grange. … He has two fourth place results to his World Cup credit both in slalom, one at Kranjska Gora March 4, 2007 and at Reiteralm Nov. 11, 2007. … He earned a bronze medal in combined at the 2007 World Championships.
It was the first career World Cup podium for Ondrej Bank, his previous best having been sixth in combined at Beaver Creek in 2006.
It is the best World Cup result of the season for Bode Miller. … though he was fifth in the season opener in GS at Soelden in October. … It is his 69th top four World Cup result. … It is his ninth top five result in World Cup combined. … It is the 19th top eight Cup result for Ted Ligety. … but just his second in combined. … In six Cup combineds he has placed fourth (Reiteralm Dec. 10, 2006), eighth here and been 10th four times. … He is the reigning Olympic combined champion. … It is the second career World Cup scoring result for TJ Lanning, the previous a 19th in SG at Hinterstoder Dec. 20, 2006. … It is the first career scoring result for Andrew Weibrecht. … It is the third career scoring result for Paul Stutz, and his career best, having placed 20th in slalom at Beaver Creek a season ago and 28th in slalom at Reiteralm earlier this month.
Aksel Lund Svindal maintains the lead in the overall World Cup standings 234-166 for Benjamin Raich (36th in race). … The top four the overall standings remain unchanged. … Jean-Baptiste Grange moves into fifth at 130pts. … Bode Miller is the top American in sixth at 117.
Beaver Creek World Cup men's super combined
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
1 | 21 | 510993 | ALBRECHT Daniel | 1983 | SUI | 2:00.26 | 0.00 |
2 | 8 | 192665 | GRANGE Jean-Baptiste | 1984 | FRA | 2:00.93 | 5.57 |
3 | 3 | 150398 | BANK Ondrej | 1980 | CZE | 2:01.23 | 8.07 |
4 | 4 | 532431 | MILLER Bode | 1977 | USA | 2:01.28 | 8.48 |
5 | 29 | 421400 | MYHRE Lars Elton | 1984 | NOR | 2:01.45 | 9.90 |
6 | 18 | 510890 | ZURBRIGGEN Silvan | 1981 | SUI | 2:01.57 | 10.89 |
7 | 11 | 50547 | SCHOENFELDER Rainer | 1977 | AUT | 2:01.65 | 11.56 |
8 | 9 | 534562 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | 2:01.67 | 11.72 |
9 | 12 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 2:01.83 | 13.06 |
10 | 45 | 534567 | LANNING Thomas (tj) | 1984 | USA | 2:01.89 | 13.55 |
11 | 40 | 500656 | LARSSON Markus | 1979 | SWE | 2:02.20 | 16.13 |
12 | 24 | 501101 | BYGGMARK Jens | 1985 | SWE | 2:02.21 | 16.21 |
13 | 49 | 380292 | ZRNCIC-DIM Natko | 1986 | CRO | 2:02.44 | 18.13 |
14 | 37 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | 2:02.46 | 18.29 |
15 | 33 | 560332 | JERMAN Andrej | 1978 | SLO | 2:02.48 | 18.46 |
16 | 23 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984& nbsp; |
FRA | 2:02.51 | 18.71 |
17 | 48 | 102727 | STUTZ Paul | 1983 | CAN | 2:02.69 | 20.21 |
18 | 17 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 2:02.75 | 20.71 |
18 | 10 | 501076 | OLSSON Hans | 1984 | SWE | 2:02.75 | 20.71 |
20 | 25 | 290998 | STAUDACHER Patrick | 1980 | ITA | 2:02.79 | 21.04 |
21 | 26 | 560406 | GORZA Ales | 1980 | SLO | 2:02.80 | 21.12 |
22 | 7 | 510030 | CUCHE Didier | 1974 | SUI | 2:02.82 | 21.29 |
23 | 50 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 2:02.83 | 21.37 |
24 | 5 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 2:02.86 | 21.62 |
25 | 1 | 292967 | EISATH Florian | 1984 | ITA | 2:03.25 | 24.86 |
26 | 38 | 191740 | CLAREY Johan | 1981 | FRA | 2:03.37 | 25.86 |
27 | 62 | 40255 | BRAUER Jono | 1981 | AUS | 2:03.70 | 28.60 |
28 | 14 | 50707 | MATT Mario | 1979 | AUT | 2:03.77 | 29.19 |
29 | 15 | 501026 | RAINER Niklas | 1983 | SWE | 2:03.90 | 30.27 |
30 | 19 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 2:04.03 | 31.35 |
31 | 44 | 501324 | OLSSON Matts | 1988 | SWE | 2:04.11 | 32.01 |
32 | 43 | 201606 | KEPPLER Stephan | 1983 | GER | 2:04.31 | 33.68 |
33 | 55 | 301312 | SASAKI Akira | 1981 | JPN | 2:05.05 | 39.83 |
34 | 53 | 292000 | BLARDONE Massimiliano | 1979 | ITA | 2:05.42 | 42.91 |
35 | 46 | 560447 | SPORN Andrej | 1981 | SLO | 2:06.02 | 47.90 |
36 | 16 | 50625 | RAICH Benjamin | 1978 | AUT | 2:06.04 | 48.06 |
37 | 58 | 291641 | SULZENBACHER Kurt | 1976 | ITA | 2:10.11 | 81.91 |
38 | 51 | 480736 | HOROSHILOV Alexandr | 1984 | RUS | 2:10.31 | 83.57 |
Did not start 1st run: BERTHOD Marc (SUI)
Did not start 2nd run: MICKEL Finlay (GBR), HOFFMANN Ambrosi (SUI), SULLIVAN Marco (USA), POISSON David (FRA), MAIER Hermann (AUT), GUAY Erik (CAN), GRUBER Christoph (AUT), WALCHHOFER Michael (AUT)
Did not finish 1st run: SOLBAKKEN Bjarne (NOR), PERKO Rok (SLO), DALCIN Pierre-Emmanuel (FRA), RATKIC Ivan (CRO), KUCERA John (CAN), SCHEIBER Mario (AUT), DREIER Christoph (AUT)
Did not finish 2nd run: FAYED Guillermo (FRA), JANKA Carlo (SUI), KOLL Alexander (AUT), NYMAN Steven (USA), KOSTELIC Ivica (CRO), PAQUIN Pierre (FRA)
Disqualified 1st run: BUECHEL Marco (LIE)
Disqualified 2nd run: PELLINEN Jouni (FIN)