Garmisch: Scott Macartney 2nd in super G for first World Cup podium; Gruber wins

Garmisch: Scott Macartney 2nd in super G for first World Cup podium; Gruber winsScott Macartney scored the first podium result of his World Cup career on Sunday, finishing second to Christoph Gruber in an extremely tight super G at Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Macartney was 0.82 seconds behind the Austrian. After that, the Garmisch race was very close; had Macartney finished half a second slower, he would have been 18th.

“Scotty Mac” is now the seventh different American to finish on the podium on this season’s alpine World Cup. The previous six were Bode Miller, Daron Rahlves, Ted Ligety, Lindsey Kildow, Caroline Lalive and Julia Mancuso. (Steve Nyman and Erik Schlopy each have a fourth-place World Cup finish.)

“I went down first and hung onto it for awhile,” Macartney said. “It seemed my run was going better and better as everyone one came down. It’s still just starting to sink in.

“At the bottom a lot of people were losing a lot of time. It definitely was an advantage to run early today.”

Macartney said he has an Olympic spot in super G and combined, but there would be a time trial between him, Steve Nyman and Marco Sullivan for a downhill spot. Sunday’s result will boost his confidence.

“I think a lot of guys were upset not to make the podium today,” Macartney said. “Hermann Maier is an incredible super G skier, someone I’ve watched a long time. It felt good to ski well today and it put me in front of Hermann Maier.”

Men’s super G
Garmisch, Germany
Jan. 29, 2006
1. Christoph Gruber, AUT 1:26.52
2. Scott Macartney, USA 1:27.34
3. Kjetil Andre Aamodt, NOR 1:27.37
4. Hermann Maier, AUT 1:27.40
5. Lasse Kjus, NOR 1:27.41
6. Michael Walchhofer, AUT 1:27.50
7. Bruno Kernen, SUI 1:27.52
8. Didier Defago, SUI 1:27.53
9. Hannes Reichelt, AUT 1:27.55
10. Andreas Schifferer, AUT 1:27.56
11. Francois Bourque, CAN 1:27.57
12. Klaus Kroell, AUT 1:27.61
13. Daron Rahlves, USA 1:27.65
13. Matthias Lanzinger, AUT 1:27.65
15. Stephan Goergl, AUT 1:27.69
16. Antoine Deneriaz, FRA 1:27.70
17. Fritz Strobl, AUT 1:27.72
18. Benjamin Raich, AUT 1:28.21
19. Didier Cuche, SUI 1:28.26
20. Aksel Lund Svindal, NOR 1:28.30
21. Peter Fill, ITA 1:28.45
22. Ambrosi Hoffmann, SUI 1:28.57
23. Tobias Gruenenfelder, SUI 1:28.65
24. Michael Gufler, ITA 1:28.70
25. Andreas Ertl, GER 1:28.72
26. Walter Girardi, ITA 1:28.85
27. Patrik Jaerbyn, SWE 1:28.89
28. Alessandro Fattori, ITA 1:28.98
29. Konrad Hari, SUI 1:28.99
30. Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin, FRA 1:29.02
Other North Americans:
39. Steven Nyman, USA 1:30.06
40. Justin Johnson, USA 1:30.26
41. Jan Hudec, CAN 1:30.27
42. Manuel Osborne-Paradis, CAN 1:30.41
DNS: Erik Guay, CAN.
DNF: John Kucera, CAN; Marco Sullivan, USA.

THE SCOOP

Equipment
Men’s SG, Garmisch, Jan. 29, 2006
Skier, skis/boots/binding
1. Gruber, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
2. Macartney, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
3. Aamodt, Dynastar/Lange/Tyrolia
4. Maier, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5. Kjus, Dynastar/Lange/Look
6. Walchhofer, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7. Kernen, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
8. Defago, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
9. Reichelt, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10. Schifferer, Fischer/Lange/Fischer

Men’s super G, Garmisch, Germany, Jan. 29, 2006. … It is the 28th event of the men’s 34 race, 4 combined World Cup schedule. … It is the fifth of six scheduled SG races. … The last before the Olympics, the last before the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden, March 16. … It concludes a pair of races at Garmisch. … It is the 20th World Cup SG held at Garmisch.

It is the fourth career World Cup win for Christoph Gruber. … His third in SG. … His first since Feb. 20, 2005. … All three of his SG wins have come at Garmisch. … It is his 15th scoring result of the season. … His first top-10 result of the season. … His best previously this season had been 11th both in combined at Val d’Isere and in DH at Beaver Creek.

It is the first career podium for Scott Macartney. … His best previous had been seventh at Val Gardena SG earlier this season (Dec. 16). … Nine of his 15 scoring results have come this season. … The only two SG scores are Garmisch and Val Gardena. … He ran in bib No. 1. … With 22 podiums, the U.S. matches 2005 for second most podiums through January all-time. … The 1982 U.S. team totaled 23.

It is the 64th career World Cup podium result for Kjetil Andre Aamodt. … His ninth in SG. … His third at Garmisch. … But the first at Garmisch since 1993. …It is his third podium of the season all in different disciplines. … He was also second Wengen combined, second Lake Louise DH.

Eleventh matches the best SG result of the season for Francois Bourque. … He was also 11th at Beaver Creek. … It is the worst SG result of the season for Daron Rahlves.

Benjamin Raich (18th in race) maintains the lead in the World Cup overall standing 965-770 over Michael Walchhofer (sixth in race). … Hermann Maier (fourth in race) holds third at 735 and Daron Rahlves is fifth at 727. … Maier takes the lead in the super G standings 232-224 over Aksel Lund Svindal (20th in race). … Hannes Reichelt (ninth in race) is third at 221. … Erik Guay is the top North American on the SG standings at fourth with 204 points. … Rahlves is the top American in sixth at 189 points. … Winning margin is .82 of a second. … Seventh place is exactly one second back. … Top 21 skiers are within two seconds.