CLICK FOR

US Racers Step Up in GS #1
Whitefish, Montana
January 10, 1999

	Telemark Racing

The US racers stepped it up in Big Mountain, Montana and excessive snow was the mode of the day. Poor visibility and copious amounts of new snow set the stage for the third race in this year's FIS Telemark World Cup Series.

Sweden's Bjarne Richardson led the way to win men's GS, holding off the Swiss attack of Patrick Leopold who placed 2nd. America's Reid Sabin from Whitefish led the US charge to place 3rd with his best World Cup finish ever. Three other Americans also made they way onto the first page, putting four US skiers into the top fifteen: Chris Rice finished 7th, Glenn Gustafson was 14th and Jimmy Ludlow was 15th.

	Going for it

Setting the pace for the women was Switzerland's Mirjam Rubin in 1st, followed by Hege Johanson from Norway in 2nd and Andrea Walker from Switzerland in 3rd. Thompson and Dana Breslau led the American women in 4th and 5th respectively.

As mother nature was throwing her best at the mountain, the athletes relentlessly attacked the seventy-second course. Visibility at times was reduced to three or four gates in the fog, making it almost impossible to see the ruts that developed in the soft new snow.

	It was dumping

The mid-course jump had a great flow that easily allowed competitors to make the twenty meter minimum distance, but retaining composure in the tricky gates that followed was not as easy.

Adding to the drama of nature's wrath was a stomach flu that sent both male and female athletes to the hospital and one top skier, Brede Birkeland of Norway, back home. Sondre Engelle of Norway crashed in the finish area exhausted from the previous week's races and was later taken to the hospital via ambulance.

The races continue tomorrow with another Giant Slalom Race followed by a full length Classic race.

— Jimmy Ludlow, Mountain Zone Correspondent