Preview
The 2000 FIS World Cup finals begin tomorrow in Bormio, in the Italian Alps. For the first time since the creation of the Alpine World Cup, this event will bring together many different sports under one roof for the season's finals: alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and combined, ski jumping, snowboarding and freestyle.

	Maier and Ghedina

With the support of the International Ski Federation (FIS), French journalist Serge Lang, who passed away last November, initiated the pioneering launch of the Ski World Cup in 1967. This year, the men's and women's alpine competitions, totalling eight races, will be held on the treacherous Stelvio course at Bormio, site of the 1995 Alpine Finals.

Up the road in Santa Caterina, birthplace of triple Olympic Champion Deborah Compagnoni, the Nordic skiers will compete in several cross-country events including the second leg of the Nordic combined. The jumping will take place in the nearby Swiss resort of St. Moritz.

Half an hour away from Bormio, in Livigno, the snowboard and freestyle athletes will compete on the spectacular slopes of that steep valley known for its deep winter chill. But for the moment, temperatures are pretty mild for this part of Northern Italy.

"I have won twice on this hill and that tough course perfectly suits my style. I'll be shooting for a safe and clean run..." — Hermann Maier (AUT)

The idea to organize all events for the World Cup Finals (except for jumping, which is held in Slovenia's Planica) was brought to the forefront by some managers of the 1985 World Championships. They wanted to promote their bid for the 2005 World Championships, which will be awarded next June during the FIS Congress in Melbourne, Australia. So far, their idea is a success.

The media frenzy includes hundreds of journalists, and the top FIS executives were delighted since there were no major medal events, such as the Olympics or the World Championships, in snow sports this winter. Gianfranco Kasper, FIS president, has called this series of final competitions, "a mini-Winter Olympics," bigger even than the 1985 World Championships and the 1995 Alpine Finals staged here.

The organizing committee expects quite a challenge. "In 1985, we spread 10 events over almost two weeks," recalls Roberto Pancirolli, chairman of the World Cup Finals 2000 organizing committee. "This time, there will be 30 events concentrated in five days. No one, anywhere in the world, has ever had to face such a task."

Alpine Events
Alpine skiing will be the focus of attention, starting with the men's and women's downhill races on Wednesday. Hermann "The Herminator" Maier, already crowned super G and overall champion, is poised to take the Crystal Globes for both the downhill and giant slalom and thus become the first skier since Switzerland's Pirmin Zurbriggen, in 1987, to win four World Cup titles in the same season.

The Austrian has a strong lead in those events over his closest rivals, Italy's Kristian Ghedina in downhill, and Christian Mayer in giant slalom. He only needs to finish among the top-6 to be guaranteed both Cups.

The Herminator is also seeking to be the first man to score a fittingly millennial 2,000 points in a single season. He currently has 1,820 and only needs three 3rd places to reach his last major goal of the season.

	Strobl

The former bricklayer from Flachau, Austria, south of Salzburg, has clearly dominated the men's season, winning a total of nine competitions so far. "I'm tired after this long season, but I still have enough energy left in me to do well here," The Herminator said after his downhill training run. "I have won twice on this hill and that tough course perfectly suits my style. I'll be shooting for a safe and clean run."

Only a few US skiers qualified for these Alpine Finals. Among them, the double downhill winner from Kvitfjell, Daron Rahlves, who finished 14th during the downhill training run in which Austria's Fritz Strobl had the best time.

Strobl finished ahead of his teammate Hannes Trinkl, the winner here in December 1992, and Kristian Ghedina. Hermann Maier didn't take any risks down the fast course covered with slippery spring snow to finish 5th.

Rahlves lost over two seconds on the leaders, yet he remains confident for the race. "I feel good, but this course is quite demanding," said the Californian. "You have to be a good skier to clock a fast time here. I'm pretty confident since my success in Norway, and I know I can excel on race day."

Rahlves looks to improve his overall standings this week, and a top-10 result would do just that. "A top-15 in the general classification would be great," he said. "My main goal here is to pass the 400-points limit in order to have a secure start position in all events next winter. I want to follow the example of the best Austrian and become a strong GS skier too. Now I have good reasons to train even harder in the future."

	Goetschl

The women's events are more open. Austria's Renate Goetschl has wrapped up the super G title, but in other events, the standings are still open. Goetschl is well placed to take the overall title; Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister is her only rival by over 250 points, but Goetschl trails Germany's Regina Haeusl in the downhill, where Italy's Isolde Kostner, a three-time winner in downhill this winter, is also a contender. Haeusl, who finished 5th five times this winter, would clinch the downhill Cup with a 2nd place — but she aims for more despite back pain.

France's Regine Cavagnoud is favored to win the downhill after dominating both training runs on Monday. She has not won a race since her last success at Cortina, last January. Canada's Melanie Turgeon, the super G winner at Innsbruck two weeks ago, is also very motivated, as is Germany's Martina Ertl, who has not won a race for two years.

Going into the finals, Dorfmeister and Switzerland's Sonja Nef are divided by only 38 points in the giant slalom standings. In slalom, Spela Pretnar of Slovenia leads France's Christel Saioni by just 35 points heading into the final race Sunday.

— Patrick Lang, MountainZone.com European Correspondent