WINTER OLYMPICS : Zurbriggen Has Timing Down for the Downhill

If Pirmin Zurbriggen is to win five Olympic gold medals, he will have to start with the men’s downhill, which is fine with him.

The Swiss skier refuses to indulge reporters’ fantasies about an Alpine quintuple play, saying, “After the first race, I will think about the second one, etc.” Well, the first race is his best one, and Zurbriggen has shown the past two days that he is ready to win it.

He had the fastest times in both of the first two official training runs Wednesday and Thursday morning, then apparently eased up Thursday afternoon, skiing with a bruised lower left leg (injured playing soccer with teammates). He wound up ninth, behind leader Felix Belczyk of Canada.

None of this counts toward the medals, of course. The race is Sunday--one mad, headlong plunge down a 79% pitch off the top of Mt. Allan--but generally the eventual medalists serve notice in training that they have the course at the tips of their skis.

Zurbriggen, defending World Cup overall champion, was timed in 2:02.64 on his first cruise down the approximately two-mile-long course. Next trip it was 1:59.26, Then, on a slightly shortened journey, he was clocked in 1:50.47, which was 2.31 seconds behind Belczyk.

According to Canada’s first great downhiller, Ken Read, who helped design the Olympic course, Belczyk “could be the surprise of the race. He has the home-field advantage and likes the hill.”

The course is so steep at the top that it won’t hold a snow-cat and must be groomed by foot, so to speak.

Said Belczyk Thursday: “That’s what I like about it. I think the top part is great.”

There’s no way that racers can be sent straight down that stretch of slope, so they are forced into a series of high-speed turns that favor technically skilled downhillers such as Zurbriggen and Daniel Mahrer of Switzerland, Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, Markus Wasmeier of West Germany and Michael Mair of Italy. And Belczyk, if the somewhat erratic 20-year-old Canadian can ski up to his capability.

While Zurbriggen and the others in the top-15 seeding are contemplating their medal chances, American Doug Lewis is trying to learn how to ski again after breaking his collarbone in early January.

Lewis, downhill bronze medalist in the 1985 World Championships, was named to the U.S. team at the last minute after sending his coaches a videotape of himself going through various exercises similar to the movements in an actual race.

Wednesday was his first time on skis since the injury, and it showed. “I skied off the course and had to come to a full stop,” he said. His time was nearly 19 seconds behind Zurbriggen’s.

Thursday, he fell on the morning run and didn’t finish.

“I was a little concerned until I stood up and found everything was all right,” he said. “Then, this afternoon, I felt good. Every run should get better from now on. I’ve got four more (counting the race) to go.”

He was 41st fastest in a field of 63 finishers but narrowed the gap behind the leader to a little more than six seconds.

As for Zurbriggen and five gold medals, forget it. Maybe a gold or two plus a silver or bronze to pad his total. And by late Sunday afternoon, it’s likely he’ll be somewhat better known throughout the world than your average innkeeper’s son from Saas-Almagell.