Olympic slalom and combined bronze medalist Rainer Schoenfelder committed a rare starting offense Saturday and was disqualified from a men's World Cup giant slalom event.

ADELBODEN, Switzerland — Olympic slalom and combined bronze medalist Rainer Schoenfelder committed a rare starting offense Saturday and was disqualified from a men's World Cup giant slalom event.
    The Austrian, who injured his head and neck in a training crash on Wednesday, was disqualified in the first leg of the GS after kicking out of the start hut four seconds too early.
    World Cup racers have a 10-second window in which to push open the starting wand. They are warned by a succession of beeps when they can go.
    Schoenfelder said he was confused by the starter, but did not place the blame on the official.
    Schoenfelder learned of his disqualification when he crossed the finish line.
    ''I didn't feel very well after my crash,'' Schoenfelder said. ''I wasn't really fit today.''
    World Cup race director Guenther Hujara said Schoenfelder's judgment might have been affected by his accident.
    Though it was an unlucky break, the Austrian has enjoyed other rulings in his favor in the past.
    In 2004, in a highly controversial decision, the International Ski Federation gave Schoenfelder an extra 80 points in the discipline standings after the Austrian was initially disqualified from a slalom at Park City, Utah, but then awarded second place.
    The result gave him the World Cup slalom title over Finland's Kalle Palander.