Downhill throws up big surprise in journeyman Deneriaz

WINTER OLYMPICS: Godlike reputations fell to earth in the white beauty of Sestriere yesterday. In winter sports, you skate, ski and jump, and there is nothing quite as compelling or impressive as the straight race down the mountain slope.

The men's downhill race was rich in names and in characters, but in the end it was an unassuming Frenchman who produced the perfect run, covering the 3,300-metre course in one minute 48.80 seconds.

Although half the field had yet to ski, the race was over. Antoine Deneriaz had pushed the world champion and favourite, Austria's Michael Walchhofer, into second place and "The Big Train" admitted he was momentarily devastated as he watched Deneriaz deliver an almost flawless run.

"I understood that he had a dream run, so, after two minutes, I was hugely happy again," he said as he stood with some Austrian fans afterwards.

Walchhofer had assumed he had skied fast enough to claim gold. All week, the American stars Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves had been billed as the racers most likely to stand between the Austrian and the coveted gold. After posting a fastest time of 1:49.52, the Austrian stood at the bottom of the forbidding Kandaher Banchetta course to see if they could better it.

"My heart never raced so fast. And when Bode came onto the slope it must even have stopped. It was extremely exciting because that was the gold decision. But then Deneriaz showed us all."

All morning, the pretty Alpine town of Sestriere had been teeming with American visitors there to witness what was supposed to have been an historic day for the Stars and Stripes. Miller had announced himself as the character of these games by admitting to the prestigious 60 Minutes programme that he wasn't beyond racing while still drunk from partying the night before. Raised by hippy parents, he perseveres with a cavalier existence, even if he is the only Beatnik who features in a PlayStation game.

There was an assumption the outspoken and brash Miller would somehow feature on the podium. And although he attacked the course fearlessly in the beginning, there were groans from the gallery as he faded coming into the final, breathtaking jump and dash for the line. By the time Miller came hurtling over the red stripe, it was clear he was out of the reckoning.

"Those guys might get disqualified and I could step in there," he grinned bravely after the final placing had been settled, but breezy words could not disguise what had been a humbling day for the Americans.

"Shocking," said US coach Phil McNichol.

"Just wish it could have been shocking in the other direction. It feels like we lost. We had two of the best guys in the race and we came up short."

The downhill is famous for producing surprise gold medallists, and there were inklings in the training runs that the Frenchman might join that exclusive list.

After posting the fastest time, he jokingly demanded that the champagne be set on ice.

Most of the top-ranked skiers had purposely slowed down in training, as a fastest place would give them a lower start time, meaning they would be racing on a course already churned up.

But Deneriaz had come to Torino with a fatalistic attitude. Just over a year ago, his skiing life looked over after he was flown to hospital by helicopter after a serious crash in Germany.

"I remember being flown away trying not be too dramatic. And then, after the operation, I said I would make it, the Olympics are only every four years. And when I arrived here, I felt that I was back. At the starting gate, I told myself, do it, do it, do it. And that is what I was telling myself all week long. I just attacked and felt I was going fast, fast, fast. And here I am."

At least Miller had reason to drown his sorrows last night, but he graciously conceded, "Even with my best run it would have been hard to beat him."

It was a joyless day also for Hermann Maier, the boss of alpine skiing in the last two Olympics. The Austrian has come back from spectacular crashes and horrible injuries, but there was nothing he could do about his latest affliction. "It cost me a lot of power skiing with this flu," groaned the Herminator.

MEN'S DOWNHILL - Gold: Antoine Deneriaz (France) 1:48.80; Silver: Michael Walchhofer (Austria) 1:49.52. Bronze: Bruno Kernan (Switzerland): 1:48.52.