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(photo: Art Wolfe)


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Technical Events Should Be a Lock

Pernilla Wiberg

Almost all the top athletes in alpine technical events should be at the top again in both the World Cup and Olympics. Pernilla Wiberg is undoubtedly the best female slalom skier on the planet. If she is healthy and the knee she tweaked in fall training comes back in time, give her the Gold at Nagano and another glass globe at the end of the World Cup season.

If Wiberg falters, bubbly Claudia Reigler will be there to jump onto the top step. Reigler, the young Austrian who races as a Kiwi because of her mother, won three slaloms last World Cup season and looks to take off even more in this go-round.

Deborah Compagnoni

Italian superstar Deborah Compagnoni finished 3rd in the World Cup slalom standings last season and that was the worst result of her stellar campaign. Deborah has come back from various health problems to totally dominate the women's giant slalom over the last two years. She won the World title in both '96 and '97; easily capturing the World Cup title to go with four straight wins and two 2nd place finishes.

Compagnoni also moved up dramatically in special slalom, with a 1st and 2nd in nine races and, in the biggest surprise, won the World Championships slalom title to go with her GS crown. And all this with basically no cartilage in her right knee due to repeated injuries; she gives new meaning to "playing with pain."

Compagnoni is the defending Olympic giant slalom champion and she will win it again in Nagano, barring any early season injuries. Right behind her is the German GS blitzkrieg led by Katja Seizinger and '95-'96 World Cup GS title holder Martina Ertl. And Hilde Gerg won't be far behind.

Long shots for Olympic medals include Karen Roten of Switzerland in the giant slalom and and Itlay's Lara Magoni in slalom; she surprised everyone at the '97 Worlds when she picked up a Silver.

Michael Von Gruenigen

With all due respect to His Italianess, Alberto Tomba, Michael Von Gruenigen has the best pure giant slalom style in the history of the sport. The quiet, moustached native of Schonried, Switzerland, has dominated his discipline for the past two seasons. Von Gruenigen won two GS World Cups in impressive fashion — winning 80% of all the races he entered in the past two seasons and adding the World title at Sestriere last February, is poised to take home the gold in Nagano.

Tomba could still be a factor, but he has a better shot in slalom. Von Gruenigen teammate, Urs Kaelin, could be his top challenger and look for Kjetil Andre Aamodt to be in there as well. Aamodt's run at the overall World Cup title was underscored by strong GS work to go with his Super-G and downhill successes. Hans Knauss excels in both GS and Super G, too.

In Slalom, it's back to Austria. Thomas Sykora won all but two slaloms last World Cup season and won the World Cup title. At 6'4", Sykora looks ungainly crashing down the course, but it works for him — maybe it's the personal training with girlfriend Claudia Reigler.

Ageless Tom Stangassinger is another Austrian holding onto the brass ring. The defending Olympic champion, at age 33, wants to upset his more successful teammate and repeat in Nagano. Sebastian Amiez of France will also be a strong contender, although the '95-'96 World Cup champ faltered last season.

Alberto Tomba

And then there's the "Albe." Not even his wealthy father's tax problems will stay him from the course. Alberto Tomba is a big money player and rises to the occasion. The gold medalist in '88 at Calgary, in '92 at Albertville and silver medalist in Lillehammer, rose out of a waning career and grabbed both the slalom and Super-G World tiltles in Sierra nevada, Spain, two winters ago. The man can rock a pair of skis — plus he's a fun guy to be around.

World Cup and Olympic victory is what they all strive for — the fame, the glory — and of course, the riches that come with being the best.

— Eric Moffitt, Mountain Zone Correspondent