2-Run "Sprint" Downhill
It's quite a symbolic success that Norway's Lasse Kjus conquered Kitzbuhel by winning the two-run downhill held on the lower part of the treacherous Hahnenkamm course. The dominating speed specialist of the season took revenge on destiny by celebrating his fourth victory of the season at the end of a very dramatic competition.

Three years ago, the 1994 combined Olympic champion survived a terrible crash on the final part of the "Streif" course when he was in the form of his life and it took a long time for him to regain his momentum.

"You need very much energy to win such a tough competition especially when you have two runs....but I will try my best because the real Hahnenkamm takes places tomorrow." — Lasse Kjus (NOR)

It's his second win in a week: six days ago, he dominated all his rivals on the "Lauberhorn" run at Wengen. After setting the best time in the first run in front of his friend and teammate Kjetil Aamodt and Austrian Werner Franz, the 1996 overall World Cup winner was able to resist the pressure in the second leg to beat Aamodt by 18/100 and Franz by 46/100.

Switzerland's Bruno Kernen got his best result since his gold medal win at Sestriere in 1997 by taking 4th in front of another Norwegian, Audun Groenvold. Only one more Austrian, Fritz Strobl, the winner here in 1997, was able to ski among the top-10 while a fourth Norwegian, Kennet Siversten, was 7th.

Didier Cuche, qualified himself within the Swiss team by reaching 8th place, his best result so far this season. Italy's Kristian Ghedina, winner on the longer version in 1998, was 9th. The US's Daron Rahlves was able to come through both runs to take a nice 24th place. Chad Fleischer crashed in the first run while the other US skiers didn't qualify.

Hermann Maier, who raced for the first time in Kitzbuhel, didn't manage to finish the second run after clocking a far 17th place. The double Olympic champion was once more pretty lucky in his misfortune. He skied away uninjured from a spectacular crash in the final part of the second run after losing control of his line at the demanding "Hausberg" jump where the 1992 Olympic champion Patrick Ortlieb ended his career on Thursday. "The Herminator" soared wildly through the air and lost his right ski as he landed. Yet he was able to remain on his inside ski and then slid sideways on one ski before hitting the safety net.

Once more "The Indestructible" survived a desperate situation thanks to his exceptional physical potential. This accident was not as impressive as his Olympic spill, yet he could have injured himself badly. But he was still furious to have finished the competition in that manner after setting a new best intermediate time.

"I tried too hard to improve my ranking and I had too much speed coming out of that corner," he said at the finish. "My jumping was too long." After a while, he smiled again, as if he would have understood what kind of danger he just faced.

Yet his lead in the overall World Cup has melted like spring snow on a warm day: Kjus, who reinforced his position in the downhill standings, is only 69 points behind the skier from Flachau after this race. He can take the lead after two other good races in the real "Hahnenkamm" race on Saturday and in the slalom on Sunday which also counts for a combined.

Kjus, the second Norwegian to win this competition after the success of Atle Skaardal in 1990 in the first-ever two-run downhill held in Kitzbuhel, had to fight hard to win his seventh World Cup downhill race. His teammate Aamodt, who has reached three podiums in three different events within three weeks, put great pressure on him while trying to win his first race since 1997. Kjetil , who won a single downhill in Chamonix in 1994, set the best time in the second leg. Lasse made more mistakes than usual on his way down the superb Hahnenkamm mountain. In fact he was also close to finish his first run in the same nets where he landed in 1996.

"You have to be very aggressive on such a short run," Kjus said afterwards. "I didn't ski as smoothly as usual, it was a real fight. But it's a good feeling to win by these conditions." He doesn't not believe too much in his chance to win once more on Saturday.

"You need very much energy to win such a tough competition especially when you have two runs. I remember how I felt in December at Val Gardena where I was not at the top on the second day. But I will try my best because the real Hahnenkamm takes places tomorrow," said Kjus.

"I hope to remain healthy before flying to Vail. Downhill is a very demanding specialty. My first goal is to have another safe run. Then we will see what I can do in Vail. I was 3rd there last year, it's a great course. For the moment, I don't worry too much about the overall World Cup. There are still many races to go," he added.

Beside Aamodt, who finished for the 18th time among the top-10 this winter, and Franz Werner who reached his tenth top-3 place, but still aims to win his first race. Kristian Ghedina and Fritz Strobl will also fight hard to beat Kjus. A reaction of Hermann Maier is also expected in this last downhill prior to the World Championships. For an Austrian skier, a win at Kitzbuhel is the greatest achievement in a career.

Former World and Olympic Champion, Patrick Ortlieb (AUT) is in stable condition after a horrendous crash in Thursday's training. Ortlieb, 31, suffered a compound fracture of the right thigh and a dislocated, fractured hip. He also tore ligaments in his right knee. Ortlieb won here in Kitzbühel in 1994.

— Mountain Zone European Correspondent