Super G, Men

Austria’s Hermann Maier was unusual among world-class skiers in that he was a specialist in the Super G, by far his best event. He had won all the World Cup Super Gs coming into Nagano and was heavily favored, until he crashed badly, landing on his head, during the Olympic downhill. It was not certain if The Herminator could recover in time for the Super G, but he appeared at the starthouse, with the lead held at the time by his teammate, Hans Knauß. Maier skied somewhat conservatively for him, as he was known for his wild, go-for-broke style, probably affected by his serious downhill accident. Still, he bested Knauß’s time by 0.61 seconds, taking the lead, and nobody would challenge that time, bringing Maier the gold medal he most wanted. As the 17th starter, after the seeded skiers had gone off, Switzerland’s Didier Cuche came down in the same time as Knauß and they shared silver medals. Three days later, Maier would add a second gold medal in the giant slalom. In a very long career emphasizing downhill and Super G, Cuche would win the 2009 World Championships in the Super G and add a silver in the downhill.