Hermann Maier pads lead in overall with super G win; Rahlves 12th, Miller DNF

Hermann Maier pads lead in overall with super G win; Rahlves 12th, Miller DNFAustrian Hermann Maier moved a step closer to a fourth overall World Cup title with a stunning victory in the season’s final super G on Thursday.

Just 24 hours after what he called a “stupid mistake” prevented him from scoring points in the downhill, Maier went on all-out attack down the glistening Kandahar course in Sestriere, Italy, blazing to victory in 1:18.73.

He now holds a 42-point lead in the title race over teammate Stephan Eberharter, who finished second in 1:19.36 for his first super G podium this season. Another Austrian, Christoph Gruber, was third in 1:19.48.

Bode Miller’s hopes of becoming the first American since Phil Mahre in 1983 to win the World Cup all but vanished after he veered wildly off the course and failed to finish.

“This was my best super G since I came back,” said Maier, who has made an astonishing recovery from a motorcycle accident in 2001 that almost cost him a leg. “Actually it could be my best ever super G out of the 20 I’ve won. The course was great, I felt I could attack every turn. I had a great feeling.”

Maier, who won the overall globe in 1998, 2000 and 2001, said it was “a shame about the downhill because I could have wrapped up the (overall) title by now if I had performed in that. But we made a stupid mistake with the choice of skis. But this makes up for that, and anyway I’ve probably made it more interesting for everybody; it could all come down to the last race now.”

Benjamin Raich completed an Austrian sweep of the top four places, surviving a spectacular mistake just meters from the finish and is now the main threat to his compatriots.

Maier, who was presented with the crystal globe for winning this season’s super G title, has 1,265 points to Eberharter’s 1,223. Raich moved ahead of Miller on 1,113.

“I’m just glad I’m healthy,” Raich said. “I nearly had a bad crash there. I could have had a podium place but Hermann is unbeatable when he skis like that. I’m relaxed and looking forward to the giant slalom and we’ll see what happens.”

Miller, who has 1098 points, said he paid the price for trying too hard. “I knew I had to attack and take some risks and that’s what can happen when you do that,” said the American who probably needs victories in both the GS and slalom to keep his hopes alive.

Miller’s teammate Daron Rahlves could not repeat his heroics of Wednesday when he won the downhill, finishing 12th after a mistake-riddled lower section.

Alpine World Cup Finals

Men’s Super G

Sestriere, Italy

March 11, 2004

1. Hermann Maier (Austria) 1:18.73

2. Stephan Eberharter (Austria) 1:19.36

3. Christoph Gruber (Austria) 1:19.48

4. Benjamin Raich (Austria) 1:19.59

5. Bruno Kernen (Switzerland) 1:19.93

6= Hans Knauss (Austria) 1:19.97

6= Didier Cuche (Switzerland) 1:19.97

8. Michael Walchhofer (Austria) 1:20.00

9. Bjarne Solbakken (Norway) 1:20.01

10. Ambrosi Hoffmann (Switzerland) 1:20.04

11. Andreas Schifferer (Austria) 1:20.12

12. Daron Rahlves (U.S.) 1:20.24

13. Tobias Gruenenfelder (Switzerland) 1:20.35

14. Fritz Strobl (Austria) 1:20.49

15. Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway) 1:20.72

16. Stephan Goergl (Austria) 1:20.86

17. Patrik Jaerbyn (Sweden) 1:20.90

18. Hannes Trinkl (Austria) 1:20.99

19. Paul Accola (Switzerland) 1:22.55

DNF: Hans Olsson (Sweden), Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin (France), Bode Miller (U.S.), Peter Fill (Italy)

DSQ: Marco Buechel (Liechtenstein)

THE SCOOP

> by Hank McKee

Equipment, Men’s Super G

Sestriere, Italy, March 11, 2004

Skier, skis/boots/binding

1 Maier, Atomic/Lange/Atomic

2 Eberharter, Atomic/Lange/Atomic

3 Gruber, Atomic/Lange/Atomic

4 Raich, Atomic/Lange/Atomic

5 Kernen, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

6 Knauss, Atomic/Lange/Atomic

6 Cuche, Atomic/Lange/Atomic

8 Walchhofer, Atomic/Lange/Atomic

9 Solbakken, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

10 Hoffmann, Stoeckli/Atomic/Atomic

Two races, one slalom and one GS, remain of the men’s 38-race World Cup schedule. … It’s the 25th win of the season for Atomic skis.

It’s a convincing 0.63-second win for Hermann Maier. … It’s the 47th career win for Maier, moving him out of a tie with Marc Girardelli and into third place all-time for World Cup wins by men, behind only Ingemar Stenmark and Alberto Tomba. … It’s his fifth win of the season, and his 20th career super G win, extending the World Cup record.

It’s the 75th career World Cup podium for Stephan Eberharter, his 24th in super G, and his 12th of the season. … It’s his third podium in SG this season. … It’s the seventh career podium for Christoph Gruber, and second this season, both third-place finishes. … It’s the fourth time this season the Austrian men have swept a podium.

The 16th finish in the top 12 for Daron Rahlves this season. … Bode Miller is among four who didn’t finish; there was also one disqualification. … In terms of his chances to win the World Cup overall, the race could not have gone much worse for Miller as all three of his major competitors were in the top four. … Maier maintains the overall lead 1265-1223 over Eberharter. … Benjamin Raich moves into third with 1113 as Miller slips to fourth with 1098.

Maier’s final super G win margin is 580-340 over Daron Rahlves. … Eberharter claims third at 312.

The Nations Cup standings are: Austria 16,325; Italy 4,733; USA 4,706. … Among the men the standings are: Austria 10422, Italy 2935, Switzerland 2641. … The U.S. is fifth behind Norway.