"I wanted to try a few new things and changed my line on the Steilhang. But I'm not the favorite here... " — Lasse Kjus

Second Training Day
This weekend, in the last downhill prior to the World Championships in Vail, the 1996 overall World Cup champion again demonstrated his technical skiing ability by setting the fastest time in the last training run before the downhill on Friday.

The Scandinavian who has never finished in the top 3 on this slope is also aiming for his first success in a Tour run downhill. His smooth and precise technique, as well as his ability to always keep his skis under control, should help him on Saturday.

Last month in Val Gardena he sailed on to win the second downhill, after he clinched the first. If he wins on Saturday on the classical course, he will also became on of the top downhill champion to have celebrated success on two of the most traditional competition of the calendar.

Lasse, plagued for years by health problems, has been in his best form for a long time. He skipped the downhill at Bormio late December because of a bad flu, yet his determination and the extraordinary motivation to race in front of his public may help him to conquer unexpected success.

So Bruno Kernen, not related to 1997 world champion, achieved a unique performance in winning the Hahnenkamm downhill at his first appearance.

Austria's former world and Olympic champion Patrick Ortlieb suffered a career-threatening compound fracture of his right femur and a badly dislocated hip in a crash on the perilous Streif Piste.

Ortlieb, 31, a winner here in 1994, lost control of his skis on the final Hausbergkante corner, cartwheeled and crashed into safety nets.

The 1992 Olympic and 1996 World Champion was flown to a hospital in nearby Innsbruck for surgery later on Thursday.

Frenchman Frederic Marin-Cudraz had a similar crash on the same dreaded corner and is suspected to have torn the cruciate ligament in his left knee.

In Wednesday's training, Canadian Brian Stemmle fell at the same spot and tore shoulder ligaments. Ten years ago, he was almost killed in a spill higher up the Hahnenkamm mountain.

Kjus, whose 1996 training spill at the same Hausbergkante left him with concussion and face wounds, clocked 1:55.11 seconds.

The current leader of the overall World Cup standings said, "the Hausbergkante followed by the finish straight will be the decisive section.

"I wanted to try a few new things and changed my line on the Steilhang. But I'm not the favorite here. (Norwegian teammate Kjetil-Andre) Aamodt and (Italy's Kristian) Ghedina are also good."

Kjus, winner of three of the season's five downhills, was 0.11 seconds ahead of Austrians Stephan Eberharter and Andreas Schifferer, the reigning World Cup downhill champion.

Double Olympic champion Hermann Maier was 10th quickest on only his second appearance on the demanding slope, clocking 1:56.47 despite back troubles.

Maier missed last winter's Hahnenkamm races because he wanted to cure a recurring shinbone injury before the Nagano Olympics. He has opted to compete here despite back pains because he wants to defend his slim 169-point lead over Kjus in the overall World Cup standings.

— Mountain Zone European Correspondent