Around the Web: Russian Ramp and Bode's wrist

If you think the U.S. media is tough then listen up: Before the turn of the calendar Swiss journalist and former racing star Bernard Russi asks if anyone wants to win the men’s World Cup overall. After a third of the races have been completed, he says, a full dozen skiers are still in the mix. Including, he is quick to point out, four Swiss. It is, he says, “beautiful, but delicate.”

(Carlo) Janka, Russi suggests, is not yet ripe and the other three show “maximum output from time to time, but they also misfire.”

“Four losses by (Daniel) Albrecht are two too many,” and Didier Cuche’s showing at Beaver Creek was “unexplainable and annoying,” according to Russi.

And these are the guys in contention.If you think the U.S. media is tough then listen up: Before the turn of the calendar Swiss journalist and former racing star Bernard Russi asks if anyone wants to win the men’s World Cup overall. After a third of the races have been completed, he says, a full dozen skiers are still in the mix. Including, he is quick to point out, four Swiss. It is, he says, “beautiful, but delicate.”

(Carlo) Janka, Russi suggests, is not yet ripe and the other three show “maximum output from time to time, but they also misfire.”

“Four losses by (Daniel) Albrecht are two too many,” and Didier Cuche’s showing at Beaver Creek was “unexplainable and annoying,” according to Russi.

And these are the guys in contention.

Russi’s point was they shouldn’t be concerned with the overall title, but concentrate on their best events in order to “find the rhythm in its special discipline again,” in time for the World Championships in February.

Many of us were aware of Scott Macartney fighting his way back from a pretty tough injury at Kitzbuehel last season. Austrian Andreas Buder, who crashed in training at Kitzbuehel last season has announced he will make no attempt to return this season.

When a skier is 17 and scoring World Cup podiums they gain a lot of attention in Europe, as Lara Gut is getting. A story by Richard Hegglin on the skionline.ch website quotes Austrian coach Hans Pum saying the young Swiss skier “is an enrichment for the entire skiing (community) and a sympathetic feature in addition.”

Hegglin also reports Pum said he never saw so young a female racer with such qualities since Renate Goetschl.

Gut was sent home before the Semmering slalom as it was the last opportunity for a rest period before the World Championships. She also faced her first two races without Dad (Pauli) present.
“I am only one quarter the family Gut,” she said. “… My younger brother has claim to (Dad’s) support. Perhaps in two years I will be all alone at times.”

Alberto Tomba has written a biography, called First and Second Run. “On the podium a strong wind always blows,” he says. “One is loved and hated.” Seems that as much as he relished the celebrity, he also had some issues with it.

Swiss House at the World Championships has announced a schedule of musical guests. Four of the six bands they show photos of are carrying accordions. Sense a theme?

AP is reporting FIS president Gian Franco Kasper is calling for an inquiry to see if Bode Miller intentionally skipped the Bormio DH bib draw, saying it was “a mockery,” of FIS protocol. Miller says he was getting medical attention for a minor wrist injury. The truth is somewhere in between. There was a medical appointment, but the team never requested permission to skip the bib draw, which is protocol under those circumstances. One has to wonder if the FIS ever considered that a racer starting 46th could win enough money to pay the $933 fine.

Pretty exciting stuff from the Nordic Combined team. Not only does Todd Lodwick come back from a hiatus to grab podiums in his first two World Cups in two years, but he’s joined in the top 10 by Billy Demong and Johnny Spillane. “This is really a historic weekend for the U.S. Team. It’s a big step,” Lodwick told FasterSkier.com. “It’s kind of hard not to feel good. It’s a fairytale come true.”

One more guy kicking it up and these guys could win a team medal at Worlds.

And finally, there is rather a dearth of web information on this promotional parallel slalom event in downtown Moscow, but most of the top skiers on the men’s circuit are heading up for the Jan.2 second showdown and a chance at the $30,000 first place money.

Two Americans, Bode Miller and Ted Ligety are expected to attend and Miller is already on the scene.

Special arrangements were made for visas and transportation to and from the event that is taking place on a huge 56 meter ramp. Organizers expect more than 30,000 people to attend the event.

It hasn’t come without some problems however. Moscow is currently in the midst of its warmest winter in history and they have had to import snow from Siberia. It’s been shipped in 300 kilogram bags in refrigerated carriages, according to Moscow Today.