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Show WaDirM Cnnip SDsSflmg A week of new faces on World Cup winner's platform by Randy Hanskat Last week's World Cup action was highlighted by the fact that newcomers won almost everything. In three women's races a downhill, a Super G, and a slalom there were three new winners. For the men there was a newcomer winning in a giant slalom race at Puy St. Vincent. Then Pirmin Zurbriggen, although hardly a newcomer, won his first World Cup slalom race later in the week at Sestriere, Italy. The women's newcomers not only surprised themselves, but the ski media as well. The first surprise came last Thursday in Puy St. Vincent, France at the women's downhill opener. West Germany's Marina Kiehl stood in the finish area after the race while the press interviewed her as the winner, not expecting anything to come out of the third seed to change things. But out of that third seed, 37th position, came Zoe Haas of Switzerland to nab her first World Cup win in 1:26.30. Kiehl was bumped to second at 1:26.35, followed by West German veteran Irene Epple at 1:26.55. The top U.S. finisher was Cindy Nelson in 15th. "I am stunned," offered Haas in the finish area. "I don't know where it came from." Then she hugged and kissed her skis and added, "It must have been these." On Saturday it happened again. This time the press had Switzerland's Switzer-land's Maria Walliser cornered for winner's interviews, not expecting any of the late starters to do anything. But West Germany's Traudl Haecher blasted out of the 54 th start position to win the first women's Super G of the year in Davos, Switzerland. Haecher bumped out Walliser, and pushed Marina Kiehl of West Germany into third. Like Haas, this was Haecher's first World Cup win. Among the Americans Holly Flanders turned in the top showing with a 15 th place. Tamara McKinney did not finish. "Wouldn't you know it." McKin ney analyzed. "I went too straight and missed the only turn on the whole course." Sunday it was more of the same, only this time the press waited a little longer to start the interviews. This day it was Christelle Guignard of France who picked up her first World Cup win in a slalom at Davos, Switzerland. Her time of 1 :34.04 was the best of the 58 survivors (out of the original 104). Erika Hess of Switzerland was second at 1:34.26, followed by Helene Barbier of France at 1 :34.88. Only three of 12 Americans finished the race. McKinney was one of the victims. She was running well on the first course, had such a fast midway time that no one else came within eight tenths of a second of her, but then caught a tip about 15 seconds later and exited the course. For the men, Pirmin Zurbriggen had a good week, winning two races, including his first slalom. Zurbriggen, Zurbrig-gen, the defending overall World Cup champion and 1984 Skier of the Year, started on Friday with a win in the season's first men's Super G at Puy St. Vincent. Luxembourg's Marc Girardelli was almost a full second back in the runner-up position. In third was Switzerland's Thomas Buergler. The top American result came from Doug Lewis in 68 th position. That could be a bad sign for the U.S. when considering a remark made by U.S. downhill coach Theo Nadig. "Lewis is the best technician on our team right now," he was heard to say. Bill Johnson, not known for his technical prowess, finished 77 th. Later, to a gathering of the press he proclaimed that he will win "five to seven downhills" this year. However, Zurbriggen didn't have the same kind of day Saturday in Puy St. Vincent in giant slalom, where he had to settle for fourth. Instead it was Italy's Robert Erlacher who won his first World Cup race with a time of 2:30.13. In second was Switzerland's Switzer-land's Martin Hangl at 2:30.34, then came Italy's Richard Promotion at 2:30.40. The best the U.S. contingent could do was Peter Fields' 51st place. But Zurbriggen was back in the forefront on Monday, in Sestriere, Italy, site of the transplanted Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia slalom (there wasn't enough snow at Kranjska Gora). Zurbriggen played the newcomer on that day, as he stepped up to the top step of the winner's platform for the first time in a World Cup slalom race. There were complaints that the course was set to favor giant slalom technique, where Zurbriggen excels. The Italian coach Sepp Messner pointed a finger. "This was a scandal. Peter Prodinger (the Austrian Aus-trian coach) set the second course like a GS, with much distance between the gates, to favor Robert Zoller (the Austrian first run leader). Instead, Zurbriggen won. It is the first time that I have seen anything like this. My only satisfaction is that an Austrian did not win. This is a lesson to Prodinger." Others weren't so sure that Zurbriggen wouldn't go on to win more slaloms this year, regardless of the course. There were comparisons to Jean Claude Killy, the last great all-around ski racer. Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg was worried, "If Zurbriggen is also winning slaloms now, I have no chance at the World Cup." Girardelli came back on Tuesday, however, to move back into second place on the overall World Cup points list. He did that by winning a giant slalom in Sestriere, Italy, the second event moved from Kranjska Gora. Girardelli won both runs for a combined time of 2:25.56. West Germany's Markus Wasmaier was second at 2:26.51. That marked the first time since 1979 that a West German man had skied into the top three. In third was Olympic giant slalom gold medalist Max Julen of Switzerland at 2:26.73. There were no Americans present at Sestriere. |