OCR Text |
Show WapirM (Dnnip SMfiimg Bill Johnson makes his move Brash Bill Johnson may be on his way back Johnson, winner of the gold medal in downhill at the Olympics in Sarajevo, was a bust during the first six weeks of the 1984-85 season. He couldn't manage to collect a single World Cup point (awarded to the top IS finishers in each race). But last weekend he showed signs of coming out of his slump, finishing seventh and tenth in a pair of downhill races in Wengen, Switzerland. Switzer-land. "Fm skiing just as well as I did in February and March last year," Johnson was heard to say after his seventh-place finish Sunday. Johnson actually had the fastest time on the uppper part of the course Sunday, but lost time during a tight right-turn left-turn sequence, then inadvertently broke his tuck twice while approaching the finish turns. "I really wanted to make some good turns there, so I broke a little early and slowed down a bit so I pnnH make the turns easier," Johnson offered after the race. Winner of Sunday's downhill in Wengen was Peter Wimsberger. It was his first World Cup downhill victory since December, 1979. Meanwhile, the story on the women's World Cup tour continues to be Michela Flgini. The 18-year-old Swiss skier won two more races this week, bringing her total for the month to six two giant slaloms, three downhills and one super G. Flgini's latest triumphs came in a downhill in Megeve, France Jan. 20 and a giant slalom in St. Gervais. France Jan. 21. The top performance by an American woman during the week came from Tamara McKinney, who ; finished fourth at St . Gervais. ; Holly Flanders also gave Ameri- cans something to cheer about with a seventh-place finish in the Megeve downhill. In other World Cup alpine results, Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg won his fourth slalom of the season with a i 3-cprnnH victory over Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark in Wengen, Switzerland Jan. 21. The top American performance was Cory Carlson's 23rd. Meanwhile, the nordic World Champioships are underway in Seefeld, Austrila. Here are some of the highlights: Sweden's Gunde Svan captured the 30-kilometer gold medal Jan. 18, finishing 25 seconds ahead of silver medalist Ove Aunli of Norway. The top Americans were Audun Ende-stad Ende-stad in 38th and Dan Simoneau in 39 th. Hermann Weinbuch of West Germany overtook favorite Geir Andersen of Norway to win the gold medal in the nordic combined event Jan. 19. Anette Boe of Norway skated to victory in the women's 10-kilometer race, also Jan. 19. Then on Jan. 21 she made it in a row with a win in the women's five-kilometer cross-country competition. The top American in that race was Sue Long, who finished 25th. |