The slalom can be risky. Ask Alberto Tomba. It can also be rewarding. Ask Andrej Miklavc or Mathew Grosjean.
Tomba, considered one of the greatest slalom skiers of all-time, fell on his first run in America's Opening on Sunday. It was the second fall in two days for the Italian great.Miklavc, a four-year veteran of World Cup racing from Slovenia, who has never finished better than 8th, won his first event.
Grosjean, too, won a battle of sorts. He finished 13th, which may seem down and out by most standards, but for a U.S. team struggling for any glimmer of success, this was a flash of flood lights. He started the day in 30th, jumped to 21st after his first run and put on his best run yet this season to move into point contention among the top 15.
It was, from the time the course was open for inspection Sunday, a different day. First, instead of the 60-degree weather enjoyed on Saturday, it lightly snowed throughout the event.
Then, on the first run, the field fell out of racing like cards off a table in a windstorm. Three of the first four racers on the course fell, Tomba being among them. He was, at the start, a man intent on winning. At the first interval he was more than a second ahead of Sebastien Amiez of France, the only one of the first four to finish and eventually the holder of the fastest time. Then Tomba hooked a tip on one gate, straddled a second and then skied out of the course and the race.
Obviously, he wasn't pleased and told an Italian writer it was a "stupid mistake."
Of the 61 skiers to start, 24 did not finish. One, Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, one of the all-time great slalom skiers, did not start because of an injury suffered in a fall on Saturday.
Miklavc did not have a great first run. He was in 13th, a full second and a half behind Amiez.
Just as he was about to leave the gate, the clouds broke a little and the sun brightened the course.
"I knew then," he said after the race, "I had a perfect chance and was in a perfect position to do well. I knew I could ski fast. I haven't shown it in races, but I have in practice."
His second run was error-free and he posted the time to beat - a 47.92 second run for a total time of one minute, 38.72 seconds. No one came close.
Christian Mayer of Austria, clocked a 48.25 second run for a total 1:38.73. Italian Fabio De Crignis was next closest with a run of 48.53 for a total 1:38.84.
Miklavc admitted he's been struggling with his skiing. "Not on the snow, but in my head. I wasn't skiing fast as I knew I could in a race," he said. Last year he injured his right knee, which required surgery. During his recovery he said he worked on his attitude and admitted to finding a solution. Sunday's race, he added, proves it.
Grosjean finish was, for him, a victory. In previous slalom races he skied well at the start, but became tentative as the race progressed. In the last race, for example, after a great start he fell to 21st.
Sunday, on the first run, the pattern continued. He skied well at the top, but made a costly mistake on the flats near the bottom and lost a lot of time.
"On the second run I made some mistakes at the top, but I did one thing I hadn't in other races - I got aggressive. You can make mistakes and make up for it if you're aggressive. After last week, not skiing aggressively, I didn't want any excuses today," he said.
He said the course was getting rutty and bumpy, but joked that he was ready for it.
"I get on a smooth course and it's almost too easy. I don't know what to do. (The late starts) prepared me for this. I've been in training. The other skiers weren't ready," he said.
The course was rough, but considering surrounding conditions, racers and officials agreed it was as "good as it could be, and much better than some courses."
In Saturday's race, Michael Von Gruenigen of Switzerland won his third GS in a row beating Lasse Kjus of Norway for the third time in a row.
On Sunday, Von Gruenigen was among those who fell on their first run, and Kjus was, again, sitting in second. On his second run, however, he also fell which, although it wasn't the way he wanted, broke his string of runner-up finishes.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Results Sunday in the men's Alpine World Cup slalom:
1, Andrej Miklavc, Slovenia, 1 minute, 38.72 seconds.
2, Christian Mayer, Austria, 1:38.73.
3, Fabio De Criginis, Italy, 1:38.84.
4, Sebastian Amiez, France, 1:38.95.
5, Jure Kosir, Slovenia, 1:39.06.
6, Mitja Kunc, Slovenia, 1:39.15.
7, Finn Charles Jagge, Norway, 1:39.32.
8, Andrea Zinsli, Switzerland, 1:39.35.
9. Mario Reiter, Austria, 1:39.56.
10, Bernhard Bauer, Germany, 1:39.62.
11, Bernhard Gstrein, Austria, 1:39.83.
12, Thomas Stangassinger, Austria, 1:39.99.
13, Matthew Grosjean, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 1:41.76.
14, Matjaz Vrhovnik, Slovenia, 1:41.78.
15, Fabrizio Tescari, Italy, 1:41.84.
16, Patrick Staub, Swizterland, 1:41.89.
17, Tom Stiansen, Norway, 1:42.22.
18, Mika Marila, Finland, 1:42.29.
19, Guenther Mader, Austria, 1:42.40.
20, Konrad Kurt Ladstaetter, Italy, 1:42.52.
21, Sergio Bergamelli, Italy, 1:42.55.
22, Gaku Hirasawa, Japan, 1:42.80.
23, Angelo Weiss, Italy, 1:43.05.
24, Max Ancenay, France, 1:43.37.
25, Anders Andersson, Sweden, 1:43.95.
26, Stanley Hayer, Canada, 1:44.08.
27, Rene Mlekuz, Slovenia, 1:44.52.
Did not finish second run
Thomas Sykora, Austria.
Yves Dimier, France.
Lasse Kjus, Norway.
Thomas Grandi, Canada.
Did not qualify for second run
Paul Casey Puckett, United States.
Point standings
Slalom
1, Sebastien Amiez, France, 130 points.
2, Michael Tritscher, Austria, 100.
(tie), Andrej Miklavc, Slovenia, 100.
4, Jure Kosir, Slovenia, 85.
5, Fabio de Crignis, Italy, 82.
6, Christian Mayer, Austria, 80.
7, Finn Christian Jagge, Norway, 68.
8, Mitja Kunc, Slovenia, 64.
9, Alberto Tomba, Italy, 60.
10, Andrea Zinsli, Switzerland, 58.
11, Kjetil Andre Aamodt, Norway, 50.
12, Lasse Kjus, Norway, 45.
13, Bernhard Gstrein, Austria, 40.
14, Sigfried Voglreiter, Austria, 36.
15, Matjaz Vrhovnik, Slovenia, 31.
Overall
1, Michael von Gruenigen, Switzerland, 300.
2, Lasse Kjus, Norway, 285.
3, Jure Kosir, Slovenia, 175.
4, Urs Kaelin, Switzerland, 156.
5, Christian Mayer, Austria, 140.
6, Sebastien Amiez, France, 130.
7, Hans Knaus, Austria, 128.
8, Fredrik Nyberg, Sweden, 116.
9, Kjell Andre Aamodt, Norway, 103.
10, Andrej Miklavc, Slovenia 100.
(tie), Michael Tritscher, Austria, 100.
12, Alberto Tomba, Italy, 96.
13, Fabio de Crignis, Italy, 82.
14, Steve Locher, Switzerland, 81.
15, Mitja Kunc, Slovenia, 79.