The Contenders: January 29, 1999
The Americans: The U.S. Ski Team is missing some of its best skiers. AJ Kitt, Tommy Moe and Kyle Rasmussen carried the team through the 1990s, winning World Cup races and Olympic medals in the speed events, but the veteran trio has quit the team to race on the pro circuit. Olympic medalist Picabo Street is also absent, still recovering from a broken leg. Kristina Koznick is the only current team member to win a World Cup event and she has a legitimate shot at a podium finish in the women's slalom. Up-and-comers Sacha Gros and Sarah Schleper could have nice runs, but they're eyeing the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic for their time to shine. Chad Fleischer is a wild-card in the men's downhill.

Lasse Kjus: Overall World Cup leader Kjus has his sights set on stepping it up over the Austrians to the podium. Kjus and teammate Kjetil-Andre Aamodt usurped the top two spots in the overall standings, leaving Hermann "Herminator" Maier in 3rd by one point. Kjus, who won the spectacular Kitzbühel downhill (the two-run sprint DH), will probably show up on the podium for speed events, it's just a question of how high up. He is safe and deliberate and his confidence is solid going into the Worlds.

Women Contenders: Last year's strong German women continue to carry thunder. Hilde Gerg has two speed wins to her credit so far this season (SG, DH), and last year's GS winner, Martina Ertl, is 2nd in overall standings. However, a new young regime challenges the medalists of last year's Olympics in Nagano, as France's Regine Cavagnoud dominated the last World Cup races in Cortina d'Ampezzo with two 1sts in speed events, and a 3rd and 4th place in the bag for the weekend. Austria's Renate Goetschl has three World Cup wins (2DH, 1SG) to her credit, and Switzerland's Corinne Rey-Bellet made history in St. Anton, Austria with two wins (DH, SG) in one day. Veteran Pernilla Wiberg, winner of more than 20 World Cup events in all disciplines, could upset the recent young regime. Battling injury through 1997-98, she's back in form and anxious to get back to Vail where she won events in the slalom and the downhill in 1997 en route to winning the overall title in 1996-97.

Alexandra Meissnitzer: The women's World Cup overall leader has been on the podium for all six giant slaloms this season. She's going to win something, probably GS, but either speed event is a toss up. If luck's on her side, ablility is already in the bag.

So dominating are the Austrians, you have to pay four to get one. The only question will be which medals it won't win barring any interruptions from the Norwegians. Headed up by double Olympic gold medalist, Maier who pulled skiing's most dramatic crash in last year's Olympic downhill, the men's team is deep. Though he dominated last season, he is a newcomer here at the World Championships along with young Benjamin Raich, a favorite in the technical events. Also strong is last year's World Cup slalom winner Thomas Stangassinger. The women's team is equally talented, with some racers actually leaving Austria to race for New Zealand and Grenada. Expect to see thousands of Austrian fans to pour into Vail for what they hope will be a victory march.

— Andrew Hood, Mountain Zone Correspondent
Andrew Hood is a freelance writer living in Denver. For three years he's covered European cycling in the summers and snowsports in the winter.