It's about time to rename the stupendous Beaver Creek downhill course "Hermann's Run." Even though its real name, "Birds of Prey," perfectly suits the way Hermann Maier glides down it. For the seventh time in a row, Maier won, terminating his rivals on this spectacular course which has become a highlight on the World Cup tour since its first appearance back in December, 1997.

Maier has not been beaten in Beaver Creek since he won the super G race here in 1997. He went on to capture six more races: three downhills, two super Gs, and a giant slalom (including the speed races at the 1999 World Championships). The amazing fighter from Flachau, Austria won his third race this season, the 32nd in total.

"Every time you go up to the top of the hill, it all starts from scratch."

Only Norway's Lasse Kjus was able to get close to Maier, with whom he amazingly tied for super G gold medal here in the 1999 World Championships. This year, Kjus, the 1999 Overall World Cup champion, was again Maier's most serious challenger.

After a strong start in the upper gliding section, Kjus faded in the middle of the run before regaining some momentum at the end but was ultimately slower than Maier by half a second. Stephan Eberharter, downhill winner last weekend in Lake Louise, finished a solid 3rd place, reinforcing his lead in the downhill standings.

Four more Austrians and two Swiss skiers finished behind the podium, while Chad Fleischer, 13th, was the best US skier, and his teammate Daron Rahlves was 16th. Both Americans expected more on this home course after their good season starts in Lake Louise. Also in the points were Americans Chris Puckett, 25th; Brett Fischer, 29th; and even Aussie AJ Bear was only two-and-a-half seconds behind the winner in 30th place.

Maier Still Fights
Interestingly enough, Maier is still able to appreciate his own achievements. "Each year it's more difficult, even for me," he said with a grin. "The conditions were very demanding today and I had to fight hard from top to bottom. It costs much energy to constantly push yourself . I never now if I can meet the challenges."

"It's really a great day for me. I had a good run and I'm very happy about my victory. I have already won races in three events this season and I'm very proud about it. Everybody, including myself, expects me to excel here because I often won in the last two or three seasons, but this year I was not sure. Every time you go up to the top of the hill, it all starts from scratch. It's never easy to win everything and it was not easy today," Maier said.

"Lasse Kjus had a great run too, he is always getting closer. We will have some more exciting rounds this season," he added. The Norwegian Kjus hasn't won a race since clinching the Overall World Cup in March 1999. His strong season-start in Park City and Lake Louise was a boost, and he tried hard today to make a comeback. He was faster than Maier in some parts of the run, but he has not reached his best level in the toughest parts where it's often crucial to switch off the brain to remain on the fastest line.

But this fourth podium in five races is a good reward for Kjus' determination. "I'm happy with what I did today," he said. "I feel the pressure, but I've learned how to handle it. I try to enjoy it and do my job the best as I can. Herman skis very good. He's always very strong at the beginning of the season. So, I'll try to bring myself up to his level."

"I really want to be able to challenge him. Maybe not now— I still need to make some changes to be able to ski that fast," Kjus added. "It's nice to be fighting with the best after my break. I'm just happy to be there. For the moment, I'm not concentrating on the overall World Cup. I'm working for winning races. I want to be able to do it again. I have been racing for 10 years on the tour, but Hermann has won twice as many races."

In the next super G , Lasse may reach his goal. He was 3rd here last year when his health wasn't even that great. "The Herminator" may resent the pressure to win - and he can also make mistakes. He's human, isn't he? Those who saw him fly high in his crash at Hakuba, Japan, during the 1998 Nagano Olympics and then go on to win his first gold medal a few days later may doubt it.

— Manuèle Lang, World Cup Correspondent

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