Rahlves fastest in first downhill training

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rahlves fastest in first downhill training

 

 

SESTRIERE, Italy -- American Daron Rahlves set the fastest time in Thursday's first training run for Sunday's Olympic downhill and says he loves the course.

 

VIDEO FROM SESTRIERE

Watch video of the six Americans who took part in the first men's downhill training.

 

Ted Ligety

Scott Macartney

Bode Miller

Steve Nyman

Daron Rahlves

Marco Sullivan

Highlights from the day

 

"I had a huge smile on my face going down, from the top to the bottom," Rahlves told reporters in the finish area of the Kandahar Banchetta piste.

 

Rahlves, who has had three downhill wins on the World Cup this season, clocked 1 minute, 49.46 seconds -- 1.21 seconds faster than the quickest of the strong Austrian team, Michael Walchhofer .

 

"It's a really active downhill," added Rahlves, 32. "I like how it starts off with two challenging jumps. It's a deceptive course because your speed's not that fast but it feels like you're going fast."

 

World Cup champion Walchhofer also liked the piste, saying, "It is a course for true men, very challenging, just perfect."

 

His team mate Hermann Maier , a former world champion in downhill, had the third best time, with 1.50.73 -- 0.12 seconds ahead of Klaus Kroell.

 

"I skied in a very good aerodynamic postion," said Maier. "There are not too many technical turns."

 

Compatriot Fritz Strobl , who will defend his 2002 Olympic title when the downhill opens the Alpine skiing program on Sunday, was seventh, 1.66 seconds behind Rahlves.

 

"It's a difficult course, an interesting course, with many jumps," said Strobl, who is second behind Walchhofer in this season's downhill World Cup standings.

 

"You have to find a healthy mix between speeding up and staying relaxed so you don't brake. I like it, it's a fast course with lots of turns and a technical bit in the first part so you have to ski well."

 

American overall World Cup champion Bode Miller , who will compete in all five Alpine events at the Games, eased up ahead of the finish line and clocked 1:52.21, to place 16th.

 

One skier missing was Erik Guay , who had been Canada's best hope of a speed event medal but ruled himself out of the race on Wednesday after failing to recover from a calf injury sustained in training two weeks ago.

 

Thursday's run, held in bright sunshine, was the first of three training sessions for the downhillers on the 3.3-km Banchetta course.

 

For Rahlves and Miller, it was just a day to get comfortable with the course. Both have already secured starting spots for the Sunday race. But three other Americans are competing for the two remaining starts, and the training runs will determine objectively who gets them.

 

Here's how they placed Thursday:

 

Steve Nyman , tied for 14th, 1:52.18

Scott Macartney , 22nd, 1:52.54

Marco Sullivan , 28th, 1:53.44

 

American Ted Ligety , who will not race the downhill but will get a start in the combined, also skied. He had the 42nd-best time, 1:55.69.