Weibrecht Tops U.S. in 19th

BEAVER CREEK, CO (Dec. 4) - Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) was the crowd pleaser for the U.S. Friday as he turned a 48th starting position into a fifth place in the downhill run, and 20th place overall in super combined at the Audi FIS Birds of Prey races in Beaver Creek. Switzerland's Carlo Janka, who was third in the downhill run, won the race.

"I thought it was good slalom. It's nothing to be desired but it's all I could do with the amount of training I've had," Weibrecht said. "I'm really happy with my downhill run and I'll definitely take that confidence into tomorrow and try to throw it down."

Janka was followed by fellow countryman Didier Defago in second and Croatia's Natko Zrncic-Dim.

For Weibrecht, the slalom run and overall finish was solid for someone who trained as much - or as little - slalom as he has recently.

"I trained four days this summer, including yesterday, so I haven't done a lot of training," Weibrecht said. "I spent that time to focus on GS more this year. When I've trained it before my slalom's been alright, it's just a matter of days in the year and where I put my priorities."

Men's Alpine Head Coach Sasha Rearick was excited to see Weibrecht excel as he did in the downhill race and has high hopes for him in the downhill race Friday.

"I expect him to go out there and stick to the game plan. He made a great turn today over the Basketball turn, which is the turn he's soared over the last couple times down the track and he made a fantastic turn over there, that kind of execution from top to bottom is what we are going to try to get out of Weibrecht tomorrow," Rearick said.

Weibrecht was the only U.S. athlete to finish the slalom on Friday with both Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) and Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) going out.

Fans were on the edge of their seats when Miller, who sat seventh in the downhill run, led the field at the first split. But, after clipping a gate, Miller went down on the Birds course.

"I've got to go all out," Miller said prior to his second run."That is usually the way I ski anyway, but there's not enough buffer right now against any of those slalom guys to do anything but that."

Ligety, who was favored to earn back some time in the slalom to up his first run standing at 25th, said that going out in a favorable looking slalom run is frustrating.

"My slalom's going well, so that's what's more annoying - to be fast then blow out. I'm glad I'm skiing fast, it's just annoying not to make the finish," Ligety said. "In order to finish fast in slalom you have to go aggressive, that's just the approach I was taking and sometimes it doesn't work. I mean there's no margin for error in slalom."

According to Rearick, though, he had the speed to do well in the run, the aggression in Ligety's skiing hit some bad luck.

"In the slalom Ted was flying, I mean that was some impressive slalom skiing, a little unlucky with the straddle there up over the role," Rearick said. "In the past that's a place where he has given way to much speed and he wanted to be aggressive there and you know the straddle happened there."

The men race again in a downhill in Beaver Creek on Friday. Fans can catch the action live on UniversalSports.com beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 AUDI FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP
Beaver Creek, CO - Dec. 4, 2009
Men's super combined

1. Carlo Janka, Switzerland, 2:32.26
2. Didier Defago, Switzerland, 2:32.69
3. Natko Zrncic-Dim, Croatia, 2:32.75
4. Jean Baptiste Grange, France, 2:32.83
5. Romed Baumann, Austria, 2:32.92
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19. Andrew Weibrecht, Lake Placid, NY, 2:35.32
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DNF2: Bode Miller (Franconia, NH), Ted Ligety (Park City, UT)