Cup Hopes of Alphand Go Astray

On a warm, sunny day that was coldly cruel to the favorites, World Cup downhill champion Luc Alphand suffered a blow to his hopes of becoming the first Frenchman since Jean-Claude Killy in 1968 to win the World Cup overall title.

On the opening day of the World Cup finals Wednesday, Alphand finished a distant ninth in a men’s downhill that was won by Austrian Fritz Strobl.

Alphand, 31, was expected to increase his lead in the overall standings over Kjetil-Andre Aamodt of Norway. He did, but by only five points, leaving him with a 122-point advantage (1,101-979).

Alphand also leads the super-giant slalom standings and should fare well in today’s race, worth 100 points to the winner. Unlike Aamodt, however, Alphand won’t compete in the giant slalom or slalom.

“I lost a chance to put points between me and Aamodt, and I probably lost a chance to win the World Cup [overall title],” Alphand said. “I think it’s going to be tight.”

Alphand also hinted he might retire after this season.

“I think I’m maybe closer to retiring than continuing,” he said. “That’s why this is a disappointing result today. This was maybe my last downhill.”

Earlier, women’s overall champion Pernilla Wiberg of Sweden accomplished a longtime personal goal with her first World Cup downhill victory.

Wiberg finished in 1 minute 43.28 seconds. Austria’s Renate Goetschl--who won the season downhill title--and Germany’s Katja Seizinger tied for second at 1:43.31.

Hilary Lindh, perhaps skiing her final World Cup downhill, finished ninth in 1:44.15--the best finish by an American. Lindh, the reigning world champion in the downhill, has considered retiring after this season.

“I have just tons of things going through my mind. I need to decide on my future by late April because we start training again in May,” Lindh said.