WC: 3rd and Final Training Run, US on top.
Even thought the big guns usually hold back a bit in training, the Austrian usually like to have a strong showing. Friedman is skiing fast, almost 2/10 in front.
Hopefully Bode is hanging back lurking, but hasn't doen historically well on this course.
If he has a strong showing in the Sg and DH, it's possible for him to capture the title depending on Eberharter's and Maier's performance.
Bryon Friedman was fastest in Friday's third and final downhill training run going into Saturday's downhill World Cup at Kvitfjell, Norway.
Friedman covered the 1994 Olympic downhill course in 1:45.39, well ahead of runner-up Michael Walchhoffer of Austria, at 1:45.58. World Cup overall challenger Benjamin Raich was fifth as the Austrians had the five fastest runs after Friedman.
Hermann Maier was seventh while downhill points leader Stephan Eberharter was 13th at 1:46.12. Daron Rahlves was the next-best American at 1:46.36 while World Cup leader Bode Miller was 27th at 1:46.80.
Kvitfjell, Norway
Downhill Training Run 3
March 5, 2004
1. Bryon Friedman (U.S.) 1:45.39
2. Michael Walchhoffer (Austria) 1:45.58
3. Fritz Strobl (Austria) 1:45.59
4. Andreas Schifferer (Austria) 1:45.70
5. Benjamin Raich (Austria) 1:45.71
6. Marc Bottollier-Lasquin (France) 1:45.75
7. Hermann Maier (Austria) 1:45.80
8. David Poisson (France) 1:45.88
9. Marco Buechel (Liechtenstein) 1:45.92
10. Antoine Deneriaz (France) 1:45.93
Also:
12. Vincent Lavoie (Canada) 1:46.09
13. Stephan Eberharter (Austria) 1:46.12
19. Daron Rahlves (U.S.) 1:46.36
27. Bode Miller (U.S.) 1:46.80
32. Jakub Fiala (U.S.) 1:47.08
>> Kvitfjell speed events key to Miller's hopes
American Bode Miller will have to ski the best speed races of his life this weekend if he is to thwart a challenge to his World Cup leadership from Hermann Maier, Reuters reported.
Miller, seeking to become the first American since Phil Mahre in 1983 to win the overall title, leads the standings with 1084 points, eight more than Austrian Maier with six races left in the season.
The 26-year-old from New Hampshire has never finished higher than 20th on the Kvitfjell course in Norway, where speed specialist Maier has been a regular on the podium.
Miller said he would not take any risks in Saturday's downhill and Sunday's super-G races that will set the scene for a showdown at the World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, from March 10-14.
"I don't take risks, I just ski the same all the time, I've been in the top five in the downhill before," Miller told Reuters. "And I'm always looking to win."
Four of the six races left are speed events where three-time overall champion Maier has the advantage. Miller's best World Cup downhill finish was fifth in Bormio in 2002 and his best this season was seventh in Kitzbuehel.
Miller, runner-up to Austrian Stephan Eberharter last year in the overall standings, is one of only four racers to score points this season in each of alpine skiing's four disciplines.
But Maier, seeking to crown a stunning return after almost losing a leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, is not the only Austrian breathing down Miller's neck.
Returning to form after a back injury last month, Eberharter was third fastest in training runs on Wednesday and Thursday and could clinch the downhill title at Kvitfjell. He has 671 points to Maier's 508.
Eberharter, 34, is fourth in the overall standings with 961 points behind slalom specialist Benjamin Raich, who has 999.
Miller said Kvitfjell held no special charm even though Americans have often done well there. Tommy Moe won the 1994 Olympic title on the course and teammate Daron Rahlves scored a maiden World Cup win in 2000.
The Norwegian crowd will be without local favorites Lasse Kjus and Kjetil Andre Aamodt, both of whom are injured. In their absence, the main hope for Norway is Bjarne Solbakken, who won a super G in December at Beaver Creek, Colorado, and is 13th in the overall standings.
