Carlo Janka used a strong downhill leg and a superb slalom run to claim the first combined win of the season and drop his teammate and the downhill winner Didier Defago into second at Beaver Creek Friday (Dec. 4).

It was Janka’s third career win after winning a GS at Val d’Isere and the combined at Wengen last season.

Natko Zrncic-Dim up held the honor of Croatia with a podium placing after his better known teammate Ivica Kostelic was not allowed to start when the first downhill training run, here, was ruled to not counted. Skiers must complete a training run in order to race. He moved from 14th to third with the fastest slalom leg.

Bode Miller, in place after the downhill (seventh) to make a move skied out in the slalom and did not finish, sliding head first down the edge of the course.

Ted Ligety, 24th after the downhill, caught a tip coming over the final pitch and straddled.
“In order to finish fast in slalom you have to go aggressive and that’s the approach I was taking,” Ligety said. “I’m glad I’m skiing fast it’s just annoying not to make the finish.”

Andrew Weibrecht had a remarkable downhill run, placing fifth from the 48th start, was out classed in the field of slalom skiers and dropped to 19th for the only North American finish.

“It’s pretty much all I could have expected with the amount of (slalom) training I’ve had,” Weibrecht said. “I’m really happy with my downhill run and I’ll definitely take that confidence into tomorrow,” (when the downhill is scheduled).

The French controlled the race through the early slalom with Jean-Baptiste Grange smoking his way to the lead, but dropped to fourth as the latter starters had a lead of nearly two full seconds.

The French team was incensed, however, about an injury to Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin who crashed in the downhill training run which preceded the two-run race, a crash the team said might have been avoided had the light been better.

For Janka the win was something he was more than willing to take in stride after what he called “a difficult summer.”

He missed all of the preparation period from May through August with “…a virus or something that the doctors could not find what it is, it was a difficult summer for me.” He described the illness as “like a low battery” indicating his energy level has been recovering.

“I am still not 100percent,” he said, “but enough to win races.”

cover photo of Carlo Janka by Marcus Caston
Inside Janka photo by GEPA

The SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
Men’s combined, Beaver Creek, Colo., Dec. 4, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Janka, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Defago, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
3 Zrncic-Dim, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4 Grange, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Baumann, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
6 Svindal, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Raich, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
8 Lizeroux, Dynastar/Lange/Look
9 Myhre, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10 Vilvetta, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

Men’s combined, Beaver Creek, Colo., Dec. 4, 2009. … It is the fifth race of the men’s 2009-2010 World Cup schedule. … The first of four scheduled combineds. … It is the 38th World Cup at Beaver Creek. … just the third combined, and the first held in December, the previous two being in November in 2006 and 2007.

It is the third career World Cup win for Carlo Janka. … His second in combined, the previous coming at Wengen last January. … It is the fourth result at Beaver Creek for Janka, in three disciplines. … Four of his top 11 Cup results have come in combined. … It is the third Swiss win of the season and the first not contributed by Didier Cuche.

It is the 12th World Cup podium for Didier Defago. … His third podium and best result in combined. … It is his first podium at Beaver Creek, though he has been fourth in both SG (Dec, 2002) and in DH (Nov. 30, 2007).  … It is his best result on combined, though he has two other podiums in the discipline at Kitzbuehl in 2003 and at Wengen in 2005.

It is the third career World Cup podium for Natko Zrncic-Dim, all coming in combined, the previous two at Val d’Isere in 2008 and at Kitzbuehl last January. … He also won the bronze medal in combined at last season’s World Championships.

It is the sixth best result for Andrew Weibrecht and his second in combined. … His best in combined also coming at Beaver Creek, 14th  Nov. 29, 2007.

Carlo Janka moves into the lead of the World Cup overall standings 260-239 over Didier Cuche (18th in race) . … Benjamin Raich (7th in race) is third with 201pts. … Ted Ligety is the top North American in the standings in sixth with 125pts. … Manuel Osborne-Paradis is the top Canadian in ninth at 115.