ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP 1997/98
Adelboden (SUI) Men's 7th Giant Slalom. 13.Jan.1998
1st/HermannMaier 2nd/MichaelVonGruenigen
Hermann Maier(AUT) Michel Von Gruenigen(SUI)
Fourth consecutive win for Hermann Maier

Hermann Maier looks more and more as the skier from another planet: at Adelboden, Switzerland, the former bricklayer won his fourth consecutive race this month his seventh in total since the season start.
The 25-year-old Austrian from Flachau, south of Salzburg, celebrated his first win in front of Switzerland's Michael von Grunigen after clocking the fastest time in the first run and the second best in the final one.
In Maier's two previous victories at Park City, Utah and Saalbach, Austria, the reigning GS World Champion has been handicapped by bad weather conditions which prevented him to qualify for the second runs. This time he lost 1,24 second.
Another Swiss skier, the 1992 Overall World Cup winner Paul Accola, was 3rd at 1,25 in front of Hans Knauss, Austria, and Urs Kaelin ,also from Switzerland. Last year's winner, Norway's Kjetil Aamodt, was only 13th while three of the top favorites, Austria's Stefan Eberharter and Christian Mayer and Switzerland's Steve Lochert didn't finish the race after some difficulties in the first or the second run.
The 1996 Overall World Cup winner Lasse Kjus from Norway, suffering from a flue, didn't start. With this latest impressive performance Maier increased his lead in the Overall and GS World Cup standings in front of his next rivals.
In the Overall classification he pushed his advance close to 500 points on Stefan Eberharter.
One victory is worth 100 points and the 30th place brings 1 points. He is now aiming for more great results in the two downhills scheduled on Friday and Saturday in nearby Wengen. He also plans to compete in a slalom on Sunday which counts also for a combined.
Thomas Grandi from Canada was the best North American in 16th position. No US skier could qualify for the second run. Bode Miller was 45th in the first run but only the best 30 are allowed to race once more.
Maier has practically won more than half of the races in which he took part including his success at Val d'Isere, France, where he was disqualified afterwards for having taken off his skis too early after the finish line.
Twice 3rd at the opening races in Tignes, France, he won the GS in Park City. Then he was 9th and 2nd in the following downhills( and the first he could finish) in Beaver Creek, Colorado, where he clinched the Super-G. Then he was the fastest man down the "La Daille" course at Val d'Isere (and disqualified later one) and 3rd in the GS at Alta Badia.
One week later he won his first downhill at Bormio where he was 4th on the next day after a big mistake.
He started the New Year with a promising 2nd place at Kranjska Gora before overpowering three times all his rivals at Saalbach and Schladming in GS and Super-G. Only few superstars such as "Kaiser" Franz Klammer in 1975 (eight downhill win in nine speed events), Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark (15 wins in a row in GS in 1978/80) Marc Girardelli(11 wins in three specialties in 1984/85) or Alberto Tomba (11 wins including the Olympics in 1987/88 and 1991/92) reached a comparable level in recent winters.
Now the "Terminator" as Maier is sometimes called by his rivals starts himself to wonder about his great form. "I didn't expect to be so efficient in this race after the past demanding week I had in Austria" he said.
"I couldn't train GS since Saalbach and I thought that I would still feel tired after the two tough Super-G from Schladming.
But apparently I'm in much better shape than I thought. This win has a special flavor for me: it's a major event in our calendar and it has a great tradition. Last year, I watched it on TV after having broken my hand in a downhill crash in France and I missed my last chance to qualify for the World Championships. It was OK since I could win one of the first World Cup races hold in Germany".
"I'm having so much fun right now that I don't want to take a break. Life would be too boring at home. Anyway I take care of my form between the races with some running or bike riding".
Maier's impressive physical potential and his natural talent are not his only strong points.
His killer instinct at the start of the races too is amazing as well as his confidence which helps him to fight hard for the shortest and tightest line on course. "He deserves to win because his attitude his formidable" admitted von Grunigen after the race. He feels so sure that he can take 100% risks and may be more. I don't worry for me because I think I still can improve my level in the coming weeks.
The Games only start in a month. Medal events have their own rules". The Olympics at Nagano are not the main preoccupation for Maier for the moment. "There are still many races before flying to Japan" he said. "I hope to compete there in all the events except the slalom but I see my main chances in Super-G. It's already a great achievement for me to take part at the Olympics. It has always been a dream for me but I never hopes it will come through. I remember watching the Games on TV in 1980 when Leonhard Stock won the downhill. They are the greatest events in sport".
Paul Accola who couldn't win an Olympic medal in 1992 during his great World Cup season hopes that the Austrian will have more luck in Japan. "It will not be easy for him with all the attention and the expectations " said the veteran from Davos who qualified today for Japan with this 3rd place, his best result on European snow for almost six years. Paul, who was 3rd also at the pre-Olympics in Shiga Kogen a year ago, enjoys the presence of the Austrian on the World Cup tour. "He brings much momentum, he is really amazing" he commented at the press conference. "He is cool and relaxed as a teenager yet professional and aggressive as a veteran. He is moving in his own dimension." Accola also worries about the chances of the Swiss Team in future big events.
"We are far from the level of the Austrians who are incredible well organized. There are many trainers and assistants on the courses and much money for Summer training.
The other teams including mine are sleeping" is he also criticizing.
The next men's events will take place this weeks end in Switzerland : two downhills and two slaloms are planned in Wengen, south of Berne, and Veysonnaz, near Sion.
Rank Name Nat. Total
 1 MAIER Hermann  AUT   2:20.08
 2 VON GRUENIGEN Michael  SUI   2:21.32
 3 ACCOLA Paul  SUI   2:21.33
 4 KNAUSS Hans  AUT   2:21.78
 5 KAELIN Urs  SUI   2:22.25
 6 CHENAL Joel  FRA   2:22.47
 7 SALZGEBER Rainer  AUT   2:22.57
 8 NYBERG Fredrik  SWE   2:22.60
 9 KOSIR Jure  SLO   2:22.65
 10 SCHIFFERER Andreas  AUT   2:22.74
 11 PICCARD Ian  FRA   2:22.84
 12 BUECHEL Marco  LIE   2:22.91
 13 AAMODT Kjetil Andre  NOR   2:23.16
 14 HOLZER Patrick  ITA   2:23.21
 15 STRAND NILSEN Harald Chr.  NOR   2:23.26
 16 GRANDI Thomas  CAN   2:23.29
 17 EBERLE Markus  GER   2:23.87
 18 SCHILCHEGGER Heinz  AUT   2:23.93
 19 THALER Patrick  ITA   2:24.09
 20 MADER Guenther  AUT   2:24.25
 21 BARNERSSOI Tobias  GER   2:24.30
 22 STIANSEN Tom  NOR   2:24.39
 23 MANUEL Patrice  FRA   2:24.40
 24 MILLET Vincent  FRA   2:24.98

Did not start 1st run:
KJUS Lasse (NOR)

Did not finish 1st run:
GOMEZ Victor (AND), UOTILA Sami (FIN), PALANDER Kalle (FIN), GUIGNIER Gregory (FRA), BERGAMELLI Giancarlo (ITA), NANA Matteo (ITA), RIEDER Arnold (ITA), BURAAS Hans-Petter (NOR), JAERBYN Patrik (SWE), BRUGGE Jesper (SWE), LOCHER Steve (SUI), KERNEN Bruno Ii (SUI), PLASCHY Didier (SUI), GRUBELNIK Drago (SLO)

Did not finish 2nd run:
MAYER Christian (AUT), VOGLREITER Siegfried (AUT), RAICH Benjamin (AUT), SAIONI Christophe (FRA), BORMOLINI Ivan (ITA), KNAUSS Bernhard (SLO)

Disqualified 1st run:
EBERHARTER Stephan (AUT)

Did not qualify 2nd run:
COVILI Frederic (FRA), PICCARD Jeff (FRA), ERTL Andreas (GER), VOGL Alois (GER), KOENIGSRAINER Gerhard (ITA), ROCCA Giorgio (ITA), BERGAMELLI Sergio (ITA), BERGAMELLI Thomas (ITA), LOEDLER Thomas (CRO), MAN DE Harald II (NED), SAETER Aane (NOR), EXARTIER Stephane (POL), DEFAGO Didier (SUI), GRUENENFELDER Tobias (SUI), MILLER Bode (USA), KOBLAR Jernej (SLO), KUNC Mitja (SLO), VAITKUS Linas (LTU)