Not so fast for US skiers

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Following a historic day for the US Ski Team Friday, the 1-2 punch of Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves got KO'd on the tricky giant slalom course yesterday.

After they finished 1-2 in Friday's downhill -- a World Cup first for the United States -- both went down early yesterday, leaving the field open to a gang of Austrians and a couple of Norwegians, one of whom -- veteran Lasse Kjus -- finished on top.

The top US effort was turned in by 32-year-old Erik Schlopy, whose sixth-place finish was his best since a nasty crash early last season sidelined him for the campaign with torn left knee ligaments. Another American, Dane Spencer, finished 11th.

Skiing early in the morning heat, Miller was just 15 seconds into the long and tricky course when he leaned in, lost his edge, and bounced out of the track, coming to rest in fencing on the side of the course.

The fall came so early in the race that it was difficult to tell how fast or well the current overall World Cup leader was skiing. His edge broke loose on a left turn, dropping him onto his hand.

Following Schlopy's solid run, putting him in 13th place going into the afternoon heat, Rahlves ran into trouble even faster than Miller. The Californian, who trained at Green Mountain Valley School in Vermont, was just five seconds down the course when he slipped sideways into a gate, straddling it and ending his day. "I was just taking a very aggressive line and trying to get some grip," said Rahlves. "But the snow kept giving and the ski just fell away in it.

"I was going pretty fast. There's no point in getting to the finish line if you're slow. I guess things were going so well for us, today is a real downer. But you're going to take a beating in some races. We've had three good ones, so we'll just keep our focus and keep going."

Hermann Maier, Austria's fearsome "Hermannator" who nearly lost his leg in a motorcycle crash two years ago, turned in a tremendous second run to momentarily take the lead, with two other Austrians -- Ben Raich and Stephan Goergl -- on the podium with him.

That lasted only until two Norwegians representing both ends of the age spectrum smashed the triumvirate. Kjus, a 32-year-old veteran of his country's glory days when it hosted the 1994 Olympics, nailed a solid run .45 seconds faster than Maier. Then Aksel Svindal, 22, knocked Goergl out of medal contention, though Austria did place four racers in the top 10.

Another disappointment for the US came when 23-year-old rookie Jimmy Cochran, a University of Vermont graduate and the latest generation of the legendary "Skiing Cochrans" of Vermont, earned the initial second run of his World Cup career.

Through the difficult course, Cochran had a smooth and what appeared to be fast second run going until the end. With the huge crowd in the stands roaring its encouragement, Cochran leaned in after going wide on a gate, lost his edge, and slid off the course.

"I don't know what happened, but I saw the finish right in front of me and I guess I thought I was there," said Cochran, whose father, Bobby, and three aunts were Olympians and whose grandfather, Mickey, served as US Alpine coach in 1974.

"I think I have the genes," he said. "But that didn't push me. We all just ski because we enjoy the sport. It was no ticket to the US Ski Team. That part takes a lot of work." Both Miller and Rahlves are entered in today's slalom, the finale to this four-race event, the longest stop on the World Cup tour.