Adelboden: Larsson leads SL; Ligety, Svindal out

World Cup discipline leader Markus Larsson of Sweden looked poised to collect his second straight slalom victory, posting the fastest time in the opening leg of a rain-soaked World Cup race on Sunday. Larsson, who won the last World Cup slalom in Alta Badia, Italy, before the year-end break, charged down the wet and slushy Kuonisbaergli course in 52.38 seconds.
    Reigning World Cup overall champion Benjamin Raich of Austria was second-quickest in 52.43, while Finland's Kalle Palander sat third in 52.64. Only nine of the first 15 skiers to come down — the circuit's best-ranked racers — completed their runs in the difficult, mushy conditions. Ted Ligety, second at Alta Badia, twice missed a gate and did not finish.

ADELBODEN, Switzerland — World Cup discipline leader Markus Larsson of Sweden looked poised to collect his second straight slalom victory, posting the fastest time in the opening leg of a rain-soaked World Cup race on Sunday.
    Larsson, who won the last World Cup slalom in Alta Badia, Italy, before the year-end break, charged down the wet and slushy Kuonisbaergli course in 52.38 seconds.
    Reigning World Cup overall champion Benjamin Raich of Austria was second-quickest in 52.43, while Finland's Kalle Palander sat third in 52.64.
    Only nine of the first 15 skiers to come down — the circuit's best-ranked racers — completed their runs in the difficult, mushy conditions.
    ''It's normal if it's raining that your goggles get covered in spray,'' Raich said. ''But it's the same conditions for everyone. It wasn't a perfect run in this case.''
    Ted Ligety, second at Alta Badia, twice missed a gate and did not finish.
    The third skier out of the start hut, Ligety skidded onto his side just a few gates into his run. The Olympic combined gold medalist hiked back up to ski the gate he'd missed but went out again a little lower down.
    Sweden's Andre Myrer, the winner of the slalom at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December, also skidded out with slush shooting into the air behind him.
    Overall leader Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway also failed to finish.
    Croatia's Ivica Kostelic, third at Alta Badia, and Austria's Manfred Pranger both angrily struck gates with their ski poles after going out.
    Bode Miller, who has failed to complete a slalom in almost a year, crossed 11th, with 1.37 to make up in the second leg.
    Race officials reviewed video replays when it appeared Miller might have straddled a gate but ruled in favor of the American.
    The 29-year-old Miller has completed only three of his last 18 World Cup slalom races.
    The last time Miller finished a slalom was Jan. 22 at Kitzbühel, Austria, where he finished 18th. His last World Cup slalom victory came in December 2004 at Sestriere, Italy.
    Miller skidded off-course in the opening leg of a giant slalom on Saturday.

— The Associated Press