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Gifted Buraas takes night slalom after Austrian's disqualification
SESTRIERE, Italy (AP) -- For an Olympic slalom champion, it could have been embarrassing to be winless in the World Cup. Hans-Petter Buraas filled the hole Monday, capturing his first career victory in the prestigious competition of Alpine skiing following a thrilling night slalom and the controversial disqualification of Austrian Heinz Schilchegger. The success of the 23-year-old Norwegian skier ended a winning streak of the powerful Austrian team in the men's competition and triggered protests by the Austrian side and wild celebration by the Norwegian team. Schilchegger, who had taken the previous slalom race in Park City, led Buraas by 0.48 seconds in the two-run combined time. However, race stewards later disqualified the Austrian skier for straddling a gate, after checking the tape of his second run. Buraas, fourth in the first run, nearly crashed at mid course in the second down the icy and tricky Giovanni Agnelli course. The Norwegian skier made a great recovery and completed the race in the winning time of one minute, 52.75 seconds. Buraas beat second-place Kilian Albrecht of Austria by 0.29 seconds. France's Pierrick Bourgeat edged Japan's Kiminobu Kimura by one hundredth of a second for third place. Bourgeat was the fastest skier in the second run, in 55.70 seconds, to vault himself from 21st to third place, in the combined time of 1:53.99. Buraas said it was the best moment of his career. "It was a difficult victory in a mad race. I struggled to win ... The course was tough and the short skis difficult to control. Now I'm looking forward to the slalom title this season," the Norwegian skier added. Monday's victory and a fourth place in the previous gate race in Park City gave Buraas first place in the World Cup slalom standings. The top three first-run finishers, Sebastien Amiez, Mario Matt and Benjamin Reich, all missed gates in the second run and had to stop along the course. Other top finishers included Florian Seer of Austria (5th), Kentaro Minagawa of Japan (6th) and Norway's Kjetil Andre Aamodt, the defending World Cup slalom champion (7th). Buraas, who came from nowhere to claim the Olympic gold in Nagano in 1998, had achieved a single podium finish since his triumph in Japan. Defending World Cup champion Hermann Maier did not compete in Monday's night slalom but held at ease his overall leadership with 616 points. The Austrian superstar scored back-to-back wins in a downhill and a giant slalom in the nearby French resort of Val D'Isere over the weekend. The men's circuit returns to Val d'Isere Saturday and Sunday, when Maier will have the opportunity to give an encore in downhill and giant slalom. Both races have been moved from northern Italy for lack of snow in Val Gardena and Val Badia.
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