Americans’ Chances Going Downhill Fast

Fortunately for the U.S. ski team, 1996 is not an Olympic year.

If it were, there would be no place to hide the dreadful shortcomings that have become apparent in the first half of the World Cup season. Television would see to that. But there are relatively few encouraging signs that the situation will have changed much before the Winter Games are held at Nagano, Japan, two years from now.

Because of a recent financial crunch, development programs were cut back, meaning the pipeline to the A team was reduced to a dribble. As a result, with one notable exception, Alpine results in ’98 may well parallel those traditionally achieved by U.S. ski jumpers, cross-country skiers and biathletes, who are thrilled by a top-30 finish.

Using the questions posed in the U.S. ski team media guide’s Alpine preview, here is a condensed midseason progress report:

--”Can Picabo Street repeat as the first American to win a World Cup downhill title?

--”And can she and Hilary Lindh duplicate their eye-popping feat of winning eight of the nine 1994-95 World Cup downhills?

--”Are Olympic champion Tommy Moe, two-time World Cup winner Kyle Rasmussen and AJ Kitt . . . ready to take over the men’s [downhill] scene while Moe, Rasmussen and Daron Rahlves do the same in super-G?

--”And what about the World Championships?”

The answers: Very possibly, not likely, no and what about them?

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Street is the sole bright spot this winter, and she does, indeed, lead the downhill standings after three races with 200 points, 15 more than runner-up Katja Seizinger of Germany. But overall, the free-wheeling, let-it-all-go racer is seventh--behind four Austrians and two Germans--and then it’s a long way down to Lindh and Shannon Nobis, the other two U.S. women with point-getting potential.

Moe is trying to recover from a knee injury suffered last spring, and Kitt is out for the season because of a knee injury of his own. That leaves Rasmussen as the top American male skier, in 52nd place. Rahlves is 70th.

As for the World Championships, postponed from last year because of the lack of snow at Sierra Nevada, Spain, they figure to be an all-European show--except for Street. At last report, incidentally, the temperatures in southern Spain have been cold enough for the resort to make snow, and organizers are confident the event will be held on schedule Feb. 11-25.

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One obvious question was ignored in the media guide: When, if ever, will the United States have world-class racers again in the slalom and giant slalom, the other half of the Alpine coin?

Matt Grosjean is the only consistent U.S. technical skier, but in his case consistency means top 20 or 30, rarely top 10. Among the women, Kristina Koznick, who recently turned 20, is about the only American hope for the future.

Or, the question could be put another way: Where have you gone, Phil and Steve Mahre, Tamara McKinney, Debbie Armstrong, Christin Cooper, Julie Parisien and Diann Roffe?

Skiing Notes

The World Cup circuit resumes Saturday and Sunday with a men’s slalom and giant slalom at Flachau, Austria, and a women’s slalom and giant slalom at Maribor, Slovenia, where a makeup GS will also be held Friday. . . . The current leaders are Lasse Kjus of Norway with 885 points, 387 more than second-place Michael Von Gruenigen of Switzerland, and Alexandra Meissnitzer of Austria with 488 points, 10 more than teammate Anita Wachter. . . . The Freestyle World Cup tour stops at Lake Placid, N.Y., this weekend. . . . Despite the ideal Rose Bowl weather, skiing continues in the Southland, where snow depths include the following: Bear Mountain 36 inches, Snow Summit 10 to 24, Snow Valley 12 to 28 and Mountain High 24. . . . In the Sierra, Mammoth Mountain reports a 12- to 48-inch base with 31 lifts operating.