Italy's Giuliano Razzoli led after the first of two slalom runs Saturday 43/100 seconds ahead of Slovenia Mitja Valencic and Austria's Benjamin Raich in third, while Felix Neureuther (Germany), Manfred Pranger (Austria), Bode Miller and Ted Ligety (both USA) went off course early. He was therefore not the only prominent skier who failed to finish in the light of difficult conditions with slushy snow, foggy skies and deep ruts forming quickly in the course.
Germany's Felix Neureuther skied out in the first run of the Olympic slalom. After posting a good intermediate time, the skier from Garmisch-Partenkirchen lost balance and went-off course after 27 seconds sitting too far back with his center of gravity.
"At the Olympics everyone risks everything. If you want to compete for a medal, you have to take risks," said Neureuther. The 25-year-old was considered a favorite after his victory in Kitzbuehel and his eighth place in the Olympic giant slalom.
It is no consolidation for Neureuther that other top medal contenders also did not finish the first run. Neureuther, whose mother Rosi Mittermaier watched the race from the finish area at Whistler Creekside, was really excited to be competing in the Olympic slalom but missed the chance to continue Germany's Olympic alpine skiing medal surge. The German ladies have collected a total of three Olympic gold medals; two were won by Maria Riesch, who leaves the Vancouver Games with a gold in the super combined and a gold in slalom, while Viktoria Rebensburg unexpectedly claimed gold in giant slalom.
"The fact that the women have earned gold medals, is of little use to me. It may help the overall team atmosphere," Neureuther meant immediately before the slalom race. The last medal for Germany's Alpine men was won 16 years ago, when Markus Wasmeier became a two-time Olympic champion clinching gold in super G and giant slalom at the 1994 Lillehammer Olymic Games.
Wearing bib No. 15, Neureuther blazed down the top of the course, posting a respectable intermediate time, only 0.20 seconds behind first-run leader Razzoli Giuliano from Italy. But in the middle section of the course, Neureuther lost his rhythm as his center of gravity shifted too far back for a moment making it difficult to control his skis. He eventually could not make the next gate and went off-course.
"I feel terribly sorry for Felix. He was so happy to race here. Now we will have to comfort him. It went so quickly, I cannot tell what exactly happened. In the first moment, it is hard to understand and accept. It is so sad, "said Neureuther's mother Rosi Mittermaier.
For Neureuther the Winter Games in Vancouver ended with a big disappointment after a good start finishing eighth in giant slalom. The German does not seem to be a big event skier, having DNFed three times of four Olympic Alpine races. At the 2009 World Championships in Val d'Isère, he narrowly missed a medal coming in fourth. Two years ago he appeared destined to make a medal being in second after the first run at the World Championships in Are, Sweden but then skied out in the second run. In 2006, after two DNFs in slalom and giant slalom at the Turin Winter Olympics, Neureuther faced a lot of criticism.
Neureuther was disappointed after his failure to finish the race. "But life goes on, I'm only 25," he said. "Slalom is a discipline that is not very forgiving," he added, "but I am still one of the world's best slalom skiers."
