World Champion Rahlves Endures Not-So-Super-G

Daron Rahlves knows he needs a lot more work if he’s going to add an Olympic medal to his world title. Rahlves, from Truckee, Calif., finished 24th on Friday in a World Cup super-giant slalom race at Val d’Isere, France, won by Stephan Eberharter of Austria.

“It’s super disappointing,” Rahlves said. “I didn’t feel quite ready to put down a really fast run today. I just wanted to ski solid, and I didn’t even ski that solid.”

Eberharter covered the classic Oreiller Killy course in 1 minute 26.53 seconds. Swiss skiers Didier Cuche (1:26.57) and Silvano Beltrametti (1:27.18) were second and third, respectively.

The super-G was a late addition to Val d’Isere’s schedule after a Dec. 2 race in Beaver Creek, Colo., was abandoned because of lack of snow. Rahlves, the defending world champion in the super-G, struggled along with his teammates. Bode Miller of Franconia, N.H., crashed on a jump. Thomas Vonn of Newburgh, N.Y., and Chad Fleischer of Vail, Colo., finished 31st and 32nd.

In addition to winning his gold medal at St. Anton, Austria, at the world championships last season, Rahlves had third-and fourth-place finishes in the downhill and super-G on the demanding Kitzbuhel course.

“The most important thing for me right now is to get a good feeling, to stand strong on the skis,” Rahlves said. “And just get better every week right now, because January, February are my two months where I want to be at the top of my game.”

The Salt Lake City Games are Feb. 8-24. Rahlves trailed Eberharter by a full second after the first split and finished in 1:29.15, more than 2.5 seconds behind.

The U.S. skiers will have a chance to redeem themselves during today’s downhill, with the giant slalom Sunday. Eberharter won a World Cup super-G for the first time.

He took advantage of the absence of Austrian Hermann Maier, who is recovering from a motorcycle accident.

Also Friday, giant slalom world champion Michael Von Gruenigen of Switzerland broke his right shoulder blade during practice.

Winter Sports

Christoph Langen of Germany won another World Cup bobsled race and Todd Hays of Del Rio, Texas, was second in the two-man event at Igls, Austria.

Langen and brakeman Markus Zimmermann were the fastest in both runs for a total time of 1 minute 45.97 seconds. Hays and Paul Jovanovic were at 1:46.06. Hays remains first in the overall standings.

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Jeff Laynes, a U.S. bobsledder who also competed in track and field, was suspended from both sports for two years after failing two drug tests.

Laynes twice tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said.

The sanctions are to be enforced by USA Track & Field and the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, the national governing bodies.

Kim Dong-Sung of South Korea won the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating race at Sofia, Bulgaria, and Italy’s Nicola Franceschina broke the world record in the semifinals.

Franceschina had a time of 2:13.376 in the semifinals, breaking the world record of 2:13.576 set last month by Italy’s Fabio Carta.

Soccer

Anne Remy had a goal and an assist to lead North Carolina to a 2-1 victory over Portland in the semifinals of the NCAA Women’s College Cup at Dallas.

The Tar Heels (24-0), who recorded their 10th consecutive NCAA tournament victory, will play Sunday for their third consecutive national championship and fifth in six years.

North Carolina will play the Santa Clara-Florida winner.

Swimming

The United States won five of 12 races on the opening night of a World Cup short-course swim meet at Melbourne, Australia, with Lindsay Benko prevailing in the 100-meter freestyle and finishing third in the 200 backstroke. Australia won the other seven races at the start of the three-day meet at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Jason Lezak (100 freestyle), Chad Carvin (400 freestyle), Rachel Komisarz (50 butterfly) and Amanda Beard (100 breaststroke) were the other U.S. other winners.

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Greek swimmer Vasileios Demetis was banned for life by swimming’s governing body after failing a second drug test.

Miscellany

John Michael Johnson of San Antonio stopped Augie Sanchez of Las Vegas with a one-punch, first-round knockout at Indio to win the International Boxing Federation featherweight title. Johnson (31-71-1) floored Sanchez 31 seconds into the round.

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Two reputed Russian mobsters face mandatory sentences of life in prison without parole after they were convicted in the kidnapping and murder of a former member of the Soviet national boxing team. Alexander Nosov and Vasiliy Ermichine were convicted Wednesday in Manhattan of racketeering in the death of Sergei Kobozev, 31, who immigrated in 1991 and lived in Brooklyn. Prosecutors said Nosov and Ermichine were members of a Russian organized crime group known as the “Brigade” when they kidnapped and killed Kobozev in 1995.

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Monica Seles and her mother were treated for minor injuries after a car accident in which the other driver was charged with driving under the influence at Venice, Fla. Seles hopes to be ready to play in Australia in the new year, her agent Tony Godsick said.

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The Ice Dogs defeated the Idaho Steelheads, 6-3, in a West Coast Hockey League game at the Long Beach Arena.

Passings

Charlie McClendon, who coached Louisiana State’s football team to a school-record 137 victories, died Friday at his home in Baton Rouge, La., after a long fight with cancer. He was 78. See story, B20.

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Former UCLA football assistant coach Billie Matthews died of Parkinson’s disease. He was 71. See story, B20.