Goergl follows family tradition with Super-G triumph
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-03 09:21

Surprising Austrian Stephan Goergl won his first Alpine World Cup men's ski event, snapping Bode Miller's three-race win streak by capturing a Super-G crown.

Goergl won in 1 min, 13.40 secs to edge American runner-up Miller by .24 of a second with Austria's Mario Scheiber third by .32.

Stephan Goergl of Austria clears a gate on his way to win the World Cup Men's Super-G in Beaver Creek, Colorado. [AFP]

After winning the first three races of the season, Miller was undone by the 27-year-old son of Traudl Haecher, a former Olympic downhill bronze medallist. Goergl's sister Elisabeth has five podium finishes on the women's ski circuit.

"I knew I was a good skier and now I have shown the world," Goergl said.

Goergl's best prior World Cup showing was seventh last year at Garmisch and his victory proved a shocker even to himself.

"It's bizarre," he said. "I didn't sleep very well and I didn't think that victory was possible."

Miller still managed an impressive fourth podium in as many starts after winning a giant slalom at Soelden and Super-G and downhill races last week at Lake Louise, Canada.

"It's frustrating that I made one mistake on the course," said Miller, who can take some consolation by his huge lead in the overall standings.

More frustration came for Austrian star Hermann Maier, who finished eighth. He had to settle for second place in Lake Louise last week in an event where he owns 20 World Cup titles.

Starting 11th, Goergl made "the run of my life" to defeat Miller and outshine such Super-G specialists as Maier, Norway's Lasse Kjus who was 14th and American Saron Rahlves, who was 17th.

Maier has won six times on the mountain in downhill and Super-G races but said he could not overcome a poor start.

Scheiber, 21, was a junior world champion in giant slalom and third in Super-G. It was his first World Cup podium at the elite level after taking his first World Cup points with a seventh place Super G at Lake Louise.

Competition continues with a downhill here Friday, a giant slalom on Saturday and a slalom race on Sunday.

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