14 JAN 2001 > Slalom
Austrian Sweep!
Race Results

A month after taking the top three spots at the slalom in Madonna di Campiglio, the Austrian team did even better here today in Wengen, where it swept the top five positions — a unique feat in the history of the World Cup.

Benjamin Raich, who was in the lead after the first run, won the sixth World Cup race of his young career with an impressive margin of 1.29 seconds over his teammate Rainer Schoenfelder, the winner last year in Todtnau, Germany. Raich and Schoenfelder were followed by Mario Matt — the winner at Madonna — and Florian Seer and Kilian Albrecht, two lesser known competitors from the Austrian juggernaut.

"Now, only wins count — our team is just too strong...."

Three years ago, in December 1998, the Austrian team took the top nine places in a super G at Innsbruck and in recent years, it has also dominated the downhill and giant slalom events. In fact, this winter, the Austrian team has won over half the events on the World Cup calendar.

There were other surprises in this competition as well. Slovenia's Mitja Kunc, in 6th place, came in ahead of the surprising Alain Baxter of Great Britain. It's the fifth time that the Scotsman has scored points this winter. Baxter was followed by a Polish racer, Andrzej Bachelda, born and raised in France by his father, a former top slalom skier.

Kjetil Aamodt, the slalom winner here last winter, was the best of the rest of the favorites, taking 9th place, while America's Erik Schlopy, a promising 6th in the morning, got lost in the fog which covered most of the race in the afternoon.

Only 25 skiers — including Ivica Kostelic, the older brother of women's dynamo Janica — scored points at the end. Bad weather had already forced the organizers of the Swiss Lauberhorn "Classic" to cancel the two downhills scheduled on Friday and Saturday. It's not yet known where and when they will be replaced.

Raich, who will turn 23 on February 28, had a tough start in slalom this winter — starting the season with four dropouts in four races. This win marked his first visit to the slalom podium this winter. Despite those setbacks, the talented Tyrolian never gave up hope for a comeback before the impending World Championships. A week ago, he gained some of this momentum when he took 2nd place in a GS behind Switzerland's Michael von Gruenigen.

"Even when the results are not so good for me, I keep on fighting," Raich said. "I still believed in myself. It is very hard to take advice from others, because everybody will tell you something different. That's why I only listen to myself."

Last season Raich won two giant slaloms in Korea, at Yong-Pyong and at the finals in Bormio, Italy. He desperately needed this great result to have a chance to qualify within the strong Austrian team for St Anton.

"I had no other option today than to charge down both runs to come among the candidates," he explained. "Now, only wins count — our team is just too strong."

Heinz Schilchegger of Austria and the Norwegian Hans-Petter Buraas — winners of previous slaloms this winter — also dropped out in the first run. So far, Matt is the only slalom specialist to win another slalom this winter. All the others, including all the newcomers from Slovenia and Italy, faded, like Matjaz Vrhovnik, only 25th here today.

The "White Circus" is now moving towards Austria - the legendary Hahnenkamm races at Kitzbuhel are planned for the coming week on the famous "Streif." A super G, downhill, slalom, and a combined are scheduled there — weather permitting.

— Patrick Lang, World Cup Correspondent

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