Stenmark slaloms to second gold Phil Mahre captures silver w m m forfirst U.S. medal in ski his ski tip caught in a control gate high By JERRY K E N N E Y _________ on the course and did not finish the race. But when he was asked if he plans to Wilmington. N Y. Coming from be­ continue skiing, he said he wasn't sure. hind in his usual fashion, Swedish skiing The brothers had plans to go into carpen­ aee Ingemar Stenmark made it two golds try and become house builders. for the 1980 Winter Olympics yesterday Although he's won the World fupm- by winning the men's slalom event on several times and has long been consi­ Whiteface Mountain. But Phil Mahre, the dered the best skier in the world, Sten­ hobbled skier from White Pass, Washing­ mark only won a bronze medal in the 1976 ton. finished second to give the Ameri­ Olympics in Innsbruck. So the pressure cans their only Olympic skiing medal so was on him to come up w ith the top medal far The bronze medal went to Jacques fo r Sweden. No Swede has ever won a Luethy of Switzerland. gold medal in skiing. There is such The 24-year-old Stenmark skied a slow intense interest in this shy man back in first heat wich put him back in fifth Sweden that he's looked upon as a nation­ place. But he wasn’t concerned since the difference between his time and first heat al hero. Both the King and Queen of winner Phil Mahre's was only about a Sweden. Karl Gustaf and Silvia, attended the Olympics and were on hand for tenth of a second. During the final round Stenmark's historic wins. But the king in the afternoon though Stenmark blazed had traveled to Innsbruck to see Sten­ down the 550 meter course, carving per­ fect turns through 66 gates and wound up mark finish a disappointing third. It was a beneficial trip for him however since that with a combined time of 1.44.26. For Mahre. 23, who skiied the course is where he met Silvia who is from West in 1.44.76. it’s the culmination of an Germany and was a hostess at the 1976 outstanding ski career during which he Olympic Games. was always in the running for the top STENMARK EXPLAINED that his prize, but never quite made it. Even in the first run today was difficu lt. He started in 1976 Olympics. Mahre's best was a fifth in 13th position, which is quite far back for the giant slalom. a top rated skier. "I'm not superstitious though.” he said. "I didn't think there was A LIG HT SNOW was falling on any bad luck connected with it. The Whiteface Mountain as the second heat of course was rutted though and I-made a the slalom started Friday. Mahre burst out ofthe starting gate and only a short few mistakes.” In that first run he was in way down hit one of the epoles "It fifth place started following me down the h ill." he In the vital final heat, however. Sten­ said later. "! wasn't going that fast weav mark skied a perfect race and later mg back and forth across the course, but admitted modestly that he didn't make the pole was sliding straight down and 1 any mistakes. Even though he has won thought I might hit it. gold medals in both slalom and giant ■ [ lost some time there, but 1 still slalom, he has no intentions of changing doubt that I could have beat Stenmark the his plans and skiing in downhill races. "I way he skied today.” just don't like it.” he said. He had been Mahre's coach Haral Schoenhaar said: injured in a downhill several years ago W hen you start to put things together, and last year suffered a concussion in a this is what happens Phil s performance fa ll in a GS race. in the downhill and giant slalom disap­ Mahre isn't superstitious either. If he pointed a lot of people, but it didn't was he probably wouldn't ski on disappoint us. We knew he was doing well Whiteface Mountain and now- we have the p roof" Mahre says he isn't superstitious Schoenhaar said he's retiring as team either. “If 1 was, I wouldn't ski here," coach at the end of A pril, and while referring to his race here last year when Mahre said two weeks ago he was looking he broke his ankle. He resents being forward to the end of the season so he. questioned about the accident and about too.could retire, he was having some his ankle, but when asked what w ill be the firs t thing he does after this ski second thoughts about it after his stun­ AP »hotos ning race season, he replied he was going to have the last three screws and a plate removed An anxious Phil Mahre (above) watches Irtgemar Stenmark zip down the MAHRE'S TWIN BROTHER Steve got from his injured ankle. course to take the gold medal away from him. The Perfectionist thumbs ski at superstition AKE PLACID — The man they call the Silent “We have Americans watching Americans ski on Swede came slashing down Whiteface Mountain American snow," M orolt said. But he proclaimed Mahre L yesterday with number 13 on his back to wrest the a national hero and said his medal w ill help in his drive gold medal from America's Phil Mahre by a half-second to recruit good young skiiers. and prove that when you are perfectionist, you don't “ With 80 million people watching on TV. Phil Mahre have to worry about jinxes. w ill become a household word,” said Morolt. Not quite. But it w ill give deserved recognition to an “ I'm not superstitious." Ingemar Stenmark said after athlete who suffered through incredible pain after winning his second Alpine skiing gold medal. It was one BUDDY shattering his ankle last year and made a gallant of his longer statements of the week. comeack only to fa ll a half-second short of the best male In his wake. Stenmark left a disappointed Mahre. who MARTIN skier in the world. for a few hours had threatened to topple Sweden's King HE IS A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN with a Pepso- of the H ill But those hopes were jettisoned on Sten­ dent smile that flashes often, but he tempers it with "a mark s second run of the day. which was more than a skating. The U.S. must therefore come off the wall for a fiery competitive spirit. While others around him were second faster than Mahre's and gave him a combined medal in women's slalom, bobsledding or the 90-meter slapping him on the back as if he’d won the gold, Mahre ski jum p to establish the record. time that was a half-second faster for the two runs. "He made it clear that he didn't consider it a victory. is a perfectionist.” saluted Mahre afterward. The silver medal won by Mahre took some heat off “I wanted to win the gold," said Mahre. “But while SO M I CH FOR BLACK CATS, broken m irrors and the U.S. ski team, which operates a year-round program I’m disappointed in one way that 1 didn't, I'm also happy Unlucky 13 But it is a fact that things have not been and spends over $2 million, far more than any other that I won a silver.” American team competing here. The American coaches going well for the U.S. in this 13th Winter Olympics that P hil Mahre w ill put his skis away after the U.S. Ski NEWS. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 23 lyBO tried every way possible to make it sound like Mahre had began on the 13th day of February and w ill end after 13 team finishes the World Cup in April and probably won the gold, since it is the only medal won thus far by days. It is also possible that this could s till be a very become a carpenter. “I've lost a lot of interest in the any U.S. skiier. In fact, one coach said fla tly that it was. lucky Winter Games for the Americans. sport of skiing these past two years," he said. Somebody asked him why. D A IL Y With a little good fortune, the U.S. could win 13 — "This is a gold medal. We don't have any Olympic there's that number again — medals, which would be the medals, we just have championship medals,” said Harold “ There are other things in life besides skiing,” said a most ever. They won 12 on this same ground in 1932 and Schoenhaar. man who have given his life to the sport. “ That’s ju s t the that was this country’s best showing. way things are in America.” It was not the pressure that beat Mahre and robbed Mahre's medal, which was not really expected, was him from becoming the second-biggest story behind Eric The way things are in America today are better, the ninth fo r the U.S.. which is likely to win at least two Heiden. It was the perfection of the perfectionist thanks to P hil Mahre. A fte r his skiing accident last year, more medals in speedskating and hockey.