Hermann Maier Ready For More Triumphs

	Hermann Maier

A kind of World Championships take place this week in Beaver Creek, Colorado, where the men’s World Cup tour resumes a few days after the women’s races at Copper Mountain.

Two men's technical events, a slalom and giant slalom, take place Nov. 23-24 on the lower part of the treacherous "Birds of Prey" course. Then, over the weekend, two speed races, a super G and a downhill, will be held Nov. 27-28.

It’s the first time that regular World Cup races in four different events are scheduled in the same place within a week. For the past six years, only the World Cup finals have races in these four disciplines in the same place. In 1995, Kitzbuhel organized two downhills, a slalom and a super G in four days.

"When I open the start-gate, I can’t do anything else than push myself at the maximum. It’s the best way to keep on winning..." — Hermann Maier

This group of top champions will once again be the main contenders on a very difficult and demanding slope.

As most areas in the Rocky Mountains, Beaver Creek suffers from a lack of snow. The competitions were only confirmed a week ago by the International Ski Federation (FIS). Snow machines had to be intensively used to produce enough snow to prepare the challenging Birds of Prey course, which was designed three years ago by Switzerland former Olympic champion Bernhard Russi. Fortunately it has been cold enough over the past few days to cover all of the course with snow. But coverage is much less than normal and the skiers will feel the smallest changes in the terrain.

"Our legs will be burning in the finish area," said a smiling Maier earlier in the week. "I don’t mind difficult conditions - in contrary. The tougher they are, the better it’s for me," he added. "I feel in excellent shape and very motivated too."

Maier, who won the World Championship downhill here in February after an impressive run down the icy course, underwent some medical tests last week in Boulder. "Apparently everything is perfect," Maier said.

"In fact I feel stronger than ever at this moment and I’m looking forward to another great season after my excellent start in Tignes three weeks ago. I was surprised by this victory since I have not trained so much GS recently. But I learned last year not to be over confident. You need to remain cool in all circumstances in such a demanding sport as ours."

A year ago Maier, the 1998 Overall World Cup champion, crashed in Park City, UT in the second run of the giant slalom while steaming down the hill in his spectacular Herminator way, and this failure may well have negatively affected his quest for a second consecutive overall title.

"That’s my problem," he confessed to the press. "I enjoy so much moving at my limits that sometimes I go beyond them because I’m just too excited. It should not happen but that’s the way that I like to compete. It can be dangerous, especially in downhill. In fact I still have a lot to learn in that event which I've only raced for three years now."

In January 1997, Maier had a bad spill in Chamonix in his very first World Cup downhill in which he broke his hand. But a month later he came back with amazing momentum to celebrate his very first win in a super G at Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

In November 1997, he came in 9th here in the first World Cup downhill that he finished, and he moved up the 2nd place the next day. One month later, he won his first downhill race at Bormio, Italy after risking potential crashes several times on his way down the "Stelvio" course.

In February 1998, the Austrian leader was very lucky to survive a horrible fall in Nagano as he fought for Olympic gold. The Herminator was back a few days later to dominate the super G and the giant slalom, for once not taking maximum risks.

But last February, he was again steaming down the mountain in his usual reckless style to take a sort of revenge at the World Championship downhill a few days after having shared a gold medal in super G with Kjus. After he won that downhill, Arnold Schwarzenegger himself was happy to congratulate him for this great achievement. "You really impressed me," said Schwarzenegger after the race during a private party.

"It was for sure a great run," remembers Maier. "But I don’t think too much about it anymore. I’m more interested by what’s coming next. I wish to improve my technique in downhill in order to take less risks to win races. If I remain healthy, I should have a good winter."

"I have reached all my goals in the past three years and I feel more relaxed now - but only before the races. When I open the start-gate, I can’t do anything else but push myself to the maximum. It’s the best way to keep on winning."

Kjus and Aamodt are not the only rivals who aim to beat "The Herminator" this week. Switzerland’s Michael von Gruenigen, the reigning giant slalom World Cup champion, as well as half of the Austrian team, led by Stephan Eberharter, Benjamin Raich and Andreas Schifferer, and Italy’s Kristian Ghedina, a winner here back in November 1997, will also fight hard to finish ahead of Maier. If they don’t find the winning tactic, Maier may well celebrate three more wins on his preferred racing hill.

— Patrick Lang, MountainZone.com World Cup Correspondent