WEEKEND WATCH: Reiteralm stages slaloms

The World Cup alpine season continues Saturday in Reiteralm, Austria, with the first women’s slalom of 2007-08, a race originally scheduled for Levi, Finland, but forced south because of a lack of snow. The men race their first slalom of the season Sunday in Reiteralm. Start times both days are 10 a.m. local for the first run and 1 p.m. for the second run.
THE WORLD CUP alpine season continues Saturday in Reiteralm, Austria, with the first women’s slalom of 2007-08, a race originally scheduled for Levi, Finland, but forced south because of a lack of snow. The men race their first slalom of the season Sunday in Reiteralm. Start times both days are 10 a.m. local for the first run and 1 p.m. for the second run.
Last season: Reiteralm hosted a pair of rescheduled women’s events in mid-December, a super combined and a super G. Austria swept the top four spots in the super combi, led by Marlies Schild, who scorched the slalom run to climb from sixth after the morning super G. The Austrian team trains at Reiteralm frequently, so it has a lot of confidence on the hill.
Watch out for: American Resi Stiegler. She recorded the fifth-fastest slalom time last season to move up to 11th place and lead the U.S. team. Stiegler and Lauren Ross are the only scheduled U.S. Ski Team starters in Saturday’s race.
Who’s hot: American Ted Ligety nearly won the season-opening GS at Sölden two weeks ago, settling for second behind reigning World Cup overall champ Aksel Lund Svindal. Bode Miller also is starting Sunday’s race, seeking to rediscover his slalom form after a fifth-place GS result at Sölden.
Weather forecast: Snow is in the forecast both days, with Saturday’s high reaching 26 degrees and light snow Sunday with a high of 32.

— Sam Flickinger