Winter-sports roundup: Skier Maier opens World Cup season in style

SOELDEN, Austria — Hermann Maier has had many big victories, and he was ecstatic with this one.

The Austrian edged American Bode Miller to take the men's season-opening giant slalom yesterday and overtake Alberto Tomba for second on the World Cup victory list.

"This is a big joy for me," said Maier, who injured his knee while training in New Zealand recently. "I was sitting in second place and watching Bode's run and I thought to myself, second place will be great. Then I saw his time was in red and I knew I had won.

"I flipped out."

Maier's 51st World Cup victory sent him ahead of Italy's Tomba. Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark leads with 86 wins, all in slalom or giant slalom.

This was Maier's first World Cup giant-slalom win since nearly losing a leg in a motorcycle accident four years ago, although he won the giant slalom at the world championships in February in Bormio, Italy.

"To be on the podium is already a big achievement," the 32-year-old Maier said. "But it's incredible to win this race."

The former Olympic champion covered the two runs in 2 minutes, 17.60 seconds, rallying from fifth place after the first leg. Miller, the reigning overall champion, won the first leg and finished 0.07 seconds behind Maier.

Miller had been leading until halfway down the course, but the New Hampshire skier lost a full second on the bottom section after the sun went behind the clouds for the last four races.

"A little change in the light can make a giant difference in the time," Miller said. "I had great tactics, but today I made a couple of big mistakes."

Ted Ligety of Park City, Utah, began in 64th but finished eighth for his best World Cup giant-slalom result. He had the fastest second run.

"When you start 64th, there are a lot of big holes," he said. "I'm definitely psyched by this result."

Tom Rothrock of Cashmere did not qualify for the second run.

Hedrick, Rodriguez excel in speedskating

MILWAUKEE — Chad Hedrick set a track record, and Jennifer Rodriguez won her third race at the U.S. long-track speedskating World Cup qualifying competition.

Hedrick, of Spring, Texas, won the 5,000 meters in 6 minutes, 24.5 seconds. Hedrick, expected to be a strong medal contender next year at the Turin Olympics, clipped nearly two seconds off the Pettit National Ice Center mark of 6:26.14 that Gianni Romme of the Netherlands set Feb. 5, 2000.

Shani Davis of Chicago was second and KC Boutiette of Tacoma placed third. All three were already prequalified for the World Cup team. Boutiette earned a berth on the 1,500-meter team Saturday.

Rodriguez, who won two bronze medals at the 2002 Olympics, won the 3,000 in 4:18.51. On Saturday, the Miami skater won races at 500 and 1,500 meters.

The long-track Olympic squads will not be chosen until December. Most skaters who make the World Cup teams will also go to the Olympics.

Note

• Marit Bjoergen won for the second time in two days, helping Norway dominate at cross-country skiing's World Cup opener in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Bjoergen, last year's overall world champ, and Hilde G. Pedersen won the women's team-freestyle sprint.

Norway's Trond Iversen and Johan Kjolstad took the men's team-freestyle sprint.