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Reichelt makes strong recovery

Hannes Reichelt of Austria hits a gate during the World Cup men's super-G on the Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Thursday. Reichelt ended the day first. Erik Guay of Canada was second and Matthias Lanzinger of Austria was third. PHOTO: AFP

Hannes Reichelt of Austria won a World Cup super-G race for his first career victory on Thursday, less than nine months after tearing knee ligaments.

Taking advantage of a break in the swirling winds when he skied the section of the Birds of Prey course that gave so many others trouble, Reichelt finished in 1 minute, 17.33 seconds.

"In the middle part, I got the good conditions," Reichelt said. "I tried to risk a lot and maybe that's the reason I was so fast today."

Erik Guay of Canada took second place, only 0.04 seconds behind, with Matthias Lanzinger of Austria third in 1:17.49.

Hermann Maier of Austria was eighth, and reigning super-G and overall World Cup champion Bode Miller of the US skied off course in snowy and windy conditions.

"Race day here was a little sketchy. It was tough conditions. It's hard on the mind because you really want to attack, but then with the conditions and this kind of hill you have to be really conservative on the line," said American Daron Rahlves, fourth on Thursday, and third last season behind Miller and Maier in the super-G standings. "I made one little mistake where I went a little too direct and it was costly."

Miller failed to navigate a gate about halfway down the course. It was his third straight disappointing showing after finishes of 18th and 22nd in two races at Lake Louise, Alberta. Miller didn't stick around to analyze his performance, avoiding reporters at the bottom of the hill.

But US speed coach John McBride said Miller's goggles froze from the top down, meaning he had to lift his head to try and peer through the bottom of the lenses. McBride said he thought Miller hesitated at a tough gate trying to figure out how to attack it, and by the time he decided it was too late.

"He's had a tough beginning of this tour," McBride said. "Am I panicking about it? No. He'll pull it together."

For Reichelt, in contrast, the start to the World Cup season has gone far better than he would have imagined. He tore up his left knee during a lower-tier race in Italy in March, then was off skis for five months.

After showing promise with three top-eight super-G finishes during the 2002-2003 season, including a second place at Val Gardena, he never really came close to such results until this week.
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