Compagnoni Takes Early Lead in Women’s Slalom

Deborah Compagnoni, seeking a gold medal in her third Olympic event, held the lead after the first run of the women’s slalom on a steep, slick, sun-baked course high in the Japanese Alps.

Kristina Koznick, trying to become America’s first medal winner in the event since 1974, skied with extreme caution and was a distant ninth heading into the afternoon’s final run, 1.44 seconds behind Compagnoni of Italy.

Pernilla Wiberg of Sweden, the defending World Cup overall and slalom champion, slipped and fell for the second time in as many slalom races this week.

On Tuesday, Wiberg lost her balance and fell near the end of the first run of the women’s combined slalom at Hakuba. On Thursday, she was two-thirds of the way through the course when, trying to make a sharp left turn, her skis didn’t hold and she slid onto her backside and out of the competition.

Compagnoni, the fifth of 57 skiers out of the starting gate, had a time of 45.29 seconds. Hilde Gerg of Austria, the bronze medalist in the women’s combined, was second in 45.89. Zali Steggall of Australia was third at 45.96.

Koznick, second to Ylva Nowen of Sweden in the World Cup slalom list this season, was No. 6 out of the starting gate, just behind Compagnoni. She was obviously concerned about the slickness of the course as she negotiated the 57 gates. After she crossed the finish line, she shook her head in disappointment at the time of 46.73 seconds.

Nowen, who emerged as a top slalom racer after years of mediocrity, had an even tougher time. Starting at No. 7, she was 27th after the first run, 2.78 seconds behind Compagnoni.

Compagnoni, 27, is considered more of a giant-slalom specialist at this stage of her career, but she won the slalom at last year’s world championships in Sestriere, Italy. She won Olympic gold medals in 1992 in the super-G and in 1994 in the giant slalom.

From January 1997 to last month, she won a nine straight giant-slalom races.

Her career has been marred by a series of injuries, including a small break in her tibia and a left knee injury last year, arthroscopic surgery on her right knee in 1995 and torn ligaments in her left knee in 1992. In 1991, she underwent surgery to remove 27 inches of her intestines, and she had reconstructive surgery on her left knee in 1990.

Compagnoni blamed psychological fatigue for a drop-off in her performance leading up to the Olympics.

The women’s slalom was only the second Alpine race of the Olympics that went off on schedule. A blizzard that dumped more than 3 feet of snow on the Shiga Kogen region postponed the men’s giant slalom to Thursday. It was being held on a mountain 10 miles away from Mount Yakebitai, site of the slalom races.

Katja Seizinger of Austria, already a winner of two gold medals at the Nagano Games, decided not to compete in the slalom in order to concentrate on Friday’s women’s giant slalom.