Worlds: Slalom gold to Pranger, Janyk gets bronze

The men’s slalom, the final race of the 40th Ski World Championships did not disappoint. First run leader Manfred Pranger held it together with grit and determination to become the third straight Austrian slalom World Champion.

Frenchman Julien Lizeroux refused to be put off, issuing the main challenge by turning what started off as a ragged run into a silver medal with blazing speed at the bottom of the course.

The big surprise was a bronze slalom medal for Canada from Michael Janyk, the first medal ever for the Maple Leaf in slalom.

American Jimmy Cochran put down the fastest second run of the day and jumped from 22nd to the top 10.

The carnage started in the first run when 39 of the 75 starters either failed to finish or were disqualified for missing gates. Things weren’t much better in the second run with 10 DNF’s and four DSQ’s. Just 17 skiers survived to the final tally. The second and third best first run finishers, Johan Brolenius of Sweden had been second and Jean-Baptiste Grange of France third, failed to complete the course which was both tricky and fast. American hopeful Ted Ligety, fifth after the first run, barely got onto the second course before splitting his skis around a gate. In the end, only the French, and the Russians, had more than one finisher.The men’s slalom, the final race of the 40th Ski World Championships did not disappoint. First run leader Manfred Pranger held it together with grit and determination to become the third straight Austrian slalom World Champion.

Frenchman Julien Lizeroux refused to be put off, issuing the main challenge by turning what started off as a ragged run into a silver medal with blazing speed at the bottom of the course.

The big surprise was a bronze slalom medal for Canada from Michael Janyk, the first medal ever for the Maple Leaf in slalom.

“Coming into today, I knew that I was fast and that this was possible,” Janyk said. “Now that it has actually hapened, it’s unreal.”

The second medal at the Worlds for Canada has pumped up Alpine Canada Alpin’ for their shot at hosting the 2010 Olympics, something not lost on Janyk. “This is a huge testament to our coaches and my teammates,” he said. “I cannot say enough good things about them. I live maybe five minutes from the (Olympic) finish line. I skied that course my whole life. I actually broke my leg on it. I really wanted to prove to myself that I can compete in a big event. … and I did that.”

American Jimmy Cochran put down the fastest second run of the day and jumped from 22nd to the top 10.

The carnage started in the first run when 39 of the 75 starters either failed to finish or were disqualified for missing gates. Things weren’t much better in the second run with 10 DNF’s and four DSQ’s. Just 17 skiers survived to the final tally. The second and third best first run finishers, Johan Brolenius of Sweden had been second and Jean-Baptiste Grange of France third, failed to complete the course which was both tricky and fast.

“At the top I found out some favorites like Grange were out and I told myself to be careful and solid,” said Pranger. “I knew I had to take few risks on the upper part because the course was demanding. Then, in the middle part, I was happy to realize I can for for a medal and take more risks. I didn’t know that Benni Raich was out, too and everybody was expecting this gold medal in Austria.”

American hopeful Ted Ligety, fifth after the first run, barely got onto the second course before splitting his skis around a gate. In the end, only the French, and the Russians, had more than one finisher.

Ligety miscued on the second gate, when his ski tip bounced and caught the gate. He said he wouldn’t have cut it so close if he had known how many skiers were going to go out of the course. “I didn’t know that if you just finished it was a medal easy, so many guys were going out. It’s kind of a bummer.”

Pranger joins Mario Matt and Benjamin Raich as a slalom gold medalist, Matt having who the title in 2007 and Raich in 2005. Raich also won the Olympic gold in slalom in 2006.

The best news for the U.S. squad was the re-emergence of Cochran. He blasted the second run and said he was just more relaxed for the second heat. The surface, he said was pretty consistent and a touch more grippy than it had been in the morning. The set, he said, “was really straight forward and easy to punch it.”

The SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
40th Alpine FIS World Championships
Men’s Slalom, Feb. 15, Val d’Isere, France
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Pranger, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
2 Lizeroux, Dynastar/Lange/Look
3 Janyk, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
4 Neureuther, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Hargin, Nordica/Nordica/
6 Missillier, Dynastar/Lange/Look
7 Thaler, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
8 Kryzl, Elan//Elan
9 Imboden, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
10 Cochran, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker

Men’s slalom, Feb. 15, 2009, Val d’Isere, France. … It is the tenth and final race of the 40th Alpine FIS World Ski Championships. … It is the 267th championship race and the 63rd slalom.

It is the first World Championship medal for Manfred Pranger. … He has only raced in slaloms and twice before finished fifth, in 2003 at St Moritz and 2007 at Are. …It is the 65th World Championship for Austria. … The 16th in slalom. … And the third straight for Austrian men in slalom with Mario Matt winning in 2007 and Benjamin Raich in 2005. … Raich also won the Olympic slalom in 2006. … It is the second victory of the season for Pranger who also won the slalom at Wengen Jan. 18.

It is the second silver medal in World Championship competition for Julien Lizeroux, both coming at this Championships, the other in combined Feb. 9. … It is the 87th French medal in World Championship competition. … The 23rd slalom medal. … The last came from Jean-Baptiste Grange, a bronze for Are in 2007. … It is the third silver medal of three medals earned at the 2009 title meet. … It is the third podium result of the season for Lizeroux who also won the slalom at Kitzbuehel Jan. 25.

It is the best of four career finishes in a World Championship race for Michael Janyk. … His previous best had been sixth in slalom in 2007 at Are. … It is the 17th Canadian World Championship medal. … The first ever in slalom. …It is Janyk’s best result of the season, the previous best an eighth in slalom at Wengen.

It is the best of three placings for Jimmy Cochran in a World Championship race. … all slaloms. … He was 22nd after the first run and recorded the fastest second run of the day. … It is the tenth best World Championship result for an member of the Cochran family. … And it is a better result than his father Bob (14th, DH 1974 St Moritz) recorded at a Worlds competition.

France and Russia are the only two nations with more than one finisher in the race.

Medal Count
AUT 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
CAN 1 gold, 1 bronze
CRO 1 bronze
CZE 1 silver
FIN 2 bronze
FRA 3 silver
GER 2 gold
ITA 1 silver, 1 bronze
NOR 1 gold, 1 bronze
SLO 1 silver
SUI 2 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze
USA 2 gold, 1 bronze

“Color Count”
Atomic 4 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze
Dynastar 2 silver, 1 bronze
Fischer 1 gold
Head 2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
Rossignol 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
Stoeckli 1 silver
Volkl 1 gold, 2 bronze