Sweden's Byggmark wins 2nd slalom in row

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


ERICA BULMAN

Associated Press

KITZBUEHEL, Austria - Sweden's Jens Byggmark, competing in his first full World Cup season, won his second slalom in two days.
The 21-year-old skier was followed Sunday by Mario Matt of Austria for the second straight day. Manfred Moelgg of Italy was third.
Bode Miller went out five gates from the finish in his second run. U.S. teammate Ted Ligety, 27th after the first leg, had a blistering second run to finish seventh.
Miller, the 2004 overall champion, finished the first leg in 17th place. Miller hasn't completed a slalom in more than a year. He has failed to complete 18 of his last 21 World Cup slalom races.
Byggmark covered the two runs on the Ganslern course Sunday in 1 minute, 44.20 seconds. He was fifth after the opening run.
"This is just too much for me to understand. It's just too crazy," Byggmark said. "Winning a second race is much harder to believe, that I did twice. Today I was very motivated to do well again but I never dreamed I would win again."
Matt, who finished in 1:44.23, posted his first career World Cup win in Kitzbuehel in 2000 but also dislocated his shoulder on this hill in 2002.
"I'm absolutely happy, happy to be back at the top of my sport where I used to be," he said.
Matt has four top-three results this season, including a victory two weeks ago in the super-combi at Wengen, Switzerland. Last season, his best result was fourth in a slalom at Beaver Creek, Colo.
Moelgg, the first-run leader, took third in 1:44.25 in a return to form after tearing knee ligaments last season.
"It was a hard time, so I'm very happy today," Moelgg said. "I skied finally just like I do in training. The first run was very good and I was leading, but I stayed very calm. My podium place feels just like a victory."
Until this weekend, Byggmark's previous best World Cup result was fifth place in a slalom at Beaver Creek, Colo., in December. He has been in the top 10 of every slalom this season
 
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