Raich Wins 30th in Bad Kleinkirchheim SL
BAD KLEINKIRCHHEIM, Austria (Dec. 9) - Austrian Benjamin Raich led the first run of a World Cup slalom Sunday and skied to the 30th win of his career. Jimmy Cochran (Keene, NH), seventh in the first run and the lone American to reach the second run, was shot off course midway through the final run in a series of turns. WCSN.com will offer same-day webcasting at 6 p.m. ET.
Raich's winning time was 1:34.46 with Swede Jens Byggmark runner-up in 1:35.12. Five other skiers besides Cochran were second-run DNFs after 32 skiers failed to finish the first run.
Cochran had the fastest bottom section on the first run and was in the lead when he went out on the final run. A series of four turns following a break-over got him. Coach Sasha Rearick said, "He was charging up top and he skied well through the first two turns. But then he was a little 'back seat' [i.e., leaning back over his skis instead of being up over them] and got shot out. His skis hooked up and he was gone.
"We don't have any points for the day, but I saw some good things out there. Jimmy was going for the podium and taking risks. When you attack like that, you take risks and sometimes it gets you. Last time [in Reiteralm, Austria, a month ago], he was fourth in the first run and cut back a little on his second run and finished 14th. This time he was going for it all the way," Rearick said.
The next men's World Cup races are four races in northeastern Italy - a super G Friday and downhill Saturday in Val Gardena followed by a giant slalom Sunday and slalom Monday in Alta Badia.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
AUDI FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP
Bad Kleinkirchheim, AUT - Dec. 9, 2007
Men's Slalom
1. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1:34.46
2. Jens Byggmark, Sweden, 1:35.12
3. Manfred Moelgg, Italy, 1:35.18
4. Patrick Thaler, Italy, 1:35.35
5. Cristian Deville, Italy, 1:35.44
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DNF-2:
Jimmy Cochran, Keene, NH
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Did not qualify for 2nd run:
Bode Miller, Bretton Woods, NH; Tim Kelley, Starksboro, VT; Cody Marshall, Pittsfield, VT; Paul McDonald, Bellevue, WA
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DNF-1:
Ted Ligety, Park City, UT
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Raich Wins 30th in Bad Kleinkirchheim SL
