21 JAN 2001 > Men's Downhill
Benjamin Raich’s Revenge
Race Results

A week after his first season's win at Wengen, Austria's Benjamin Raich achieved another great performance in dominating all his rivals in the most prestigious gate event of the circuit held at Kitzbuhel in front of a huge crowd.

"It is an absolute dream to win a race as legendary as the one at Kitzbuhel," Raich said.

Raich, who celebrates his seventh World cup win since 1999, beat by 32/100 of a second a former winner here, Jure Kosir from Slovenia while the reigning Olympic champion Hans Petter Buraas made it again to the finish line, 1.12 seconds behind.

Erik Schlopy was the only US skier to finish this race, in 9th place, while Norway's Lasse Kjus, 16th, won the combined.

Many favorites had a bad day in this spectacular competition. Mario Matt, the winner a year ago, skied out in the morning while several leaders had problems in the afternoon, including Austria's Heinz Schilchegger and Norway's veteran Ole Kristian Furuseth.

Only a few top specialists have won both slalom "classics" in the same winter, among them the great Alberto Tomba (who did it twice), Ingemar Stenmark, Marc Girardelli, Jean Noel Augert, Patrick Russel and Jean Claude Killy.

"Ben" is the first slalom specialist this winter to have won twice — which put him on top of the list of favorites for the World Championships at St Anton.

"...I only live an hour away from St. Anton and thousands of fans will come to support me. It will be great!"

But it was a tough fight for the 22-year-old Tyrolian, only 4th in the first leg behind Schilcheger, Furuseth and Kosir. At that point, things did not look so good for Raich. But he didn’t gave up; he knows how fast things can change in slalom.

In 1999, he was himself in the lead in the first run before skiing out. "Well, that's slalom, you need some luck and to be perfectly concentrated until the last gate," he said with a smile. "With these short skis, a little mistake is easily done."

Early in the week Benjamin suffered a shoe-edge contusion, which forced him to rest for a couple of days. But he forgot the injury during the race. "I didn't feel it at all anymore during the race," he said.

"Now I aim for the hat trick in the night slalom at Schladming where I won my first race in January 1999. Then I will have nothing to lose at St. Anton at the World Championships. I am lucky to reach my peak right on time, in the middle of January," he added with a grin.

Raich was 5th in slalom at the last Worlds at Vail — now he can dream of medals in both technical events. "It will be real home races for me at St Anton, I only live an hour away from St. Anton and thousands of fans will come to support me. It will be great!"

Schilchegger had been Austria's slalom superstar in December, with a Park City win and second places in Madonna di Campiglio and in Val d'Isere in GS. Yet despite his recent three losses in a row, he should not be too worried about his chance to qualify for the St. Anton World Championships. The Hahnenkamm weekend was again a huge success for the organizers and the sport as a whole. Over 90,000 spectators attended all the three events.

The combination win went to Lasse Kjus for the third time, after 1994 and 1997, equaling his score to that of friend Kjetil Aamodt, the winner from 1998-2000. Aamodt had to make do with 3rd place today behind Michael Wallchhofer of Austria.

— Manuèle Lang, World Cup Correspondent

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