Miller DNF's, Ligety Disqualified
February 25th, 2006
SESTRIERE, Italy (Feb. 25) - Making his Olympic debut, Jimmy Cochran (Keene, NH) finished 12th to lead the U.S. in the slalom Saturday at the Colle venue in Sestriere. Chip Knight (Stowe, VT) placed 18th while Bode Miller (Bretton Woods, NH) did not finish his first run and Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) was disqualified for straddling a gate during his first run. Benjamin Raich won his second gold of the Games as Austria owned the podium.
Raich, who won gold in the giant slalom as well, had the best two-run combined time with a 1:43.14. Two of his teammates followed with Reinfried Herbst taking silver in 1:43.97 and Rainer Schoenfelder garnering bronze with a time of 1:44.15. It was just the third time in history that a nation has swept a men's alpine event.
With his slalom victory, Raich became just the second man to win both technical events (GS, SL) at the same Games since Italian Alberto Tomba accomplished the feat at the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
It was also Schoenfelder's second medal of the '06 Games as he took bronze in the combined.
Cochran, who was 13th following the first run, finished 12th with a time of 1:45.68, 2.54 seconds behind Raich. Knight, a three-time Olympian, was 18th in 1:46.26. Miller caught his right ski tip on the wrong side of a gate and skied off the course. Ligety finished, but also straddled a gate and was disqualified.
Cochran, the '04 U.S. title holder in both giant slalom and slalom, posted his best career World Cup finish this season, a seventh in giant slalom in Slovenia. He followed that with his top slalom finish, taking 15th at the same venue.
It was not Knight's best Olympic slalom performance as he placed 11th in '02. At the '98 Games, he failed to finish his first run.
The course, especially in the first run, gave headaches to many. A total of 31 competitors didn't finish or were DQ'ed in their opening run. In addition to Miller and Ligety, the casualties included Italian Giorgio Rocca, who was the country's last, and best, chance to pick up an alpine medal.
Finn Kalle Palander, who was second behind Raich after the first run, looked to be just the second skier from Finland to win an alpine medal, but TV replays showed him straddling a gate as well.
France's Jean Pierre-Vidal, the '02 gold medal winner in slalom, could not defend his title as he broke an arm training Friday.
Austria swept the podium in GS at the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics, while Norway finished 1-2-3 in combined at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer.
The slalom was the final alpine event of the Games.
XX OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
Sestriere, ITA - Feb. 25, 2006
Men's Slalom
1. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1:43.14
2. Reinfried Herbst, Austria, 1:43.97
3. Rainer Schoenfelder, Austria, 1:44.15
T4. Kentaro Minagawa, Japan, 1:44.18
T4. Andre Myhrer, Sweden, 1:44.18
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12. Jimmy Cochran, Keene, N.H., 1:45.68
18. Chip Knight, Stowe, Vt., 1:46.26
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Did not finish 1st run:
Bode Miller, Bretton Woods, N.H.
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Disqualified in 1st run:
Ted Ligety, Park City, Utah
