71.   Olympic downhill champion Katja Seizinger of Germany also promises to be a contender during the World Cup campaign, which opens here for the fourth straight season.

72.   Peter Runggaldier of Italy was sixth, ahead of world champion Atle Skaardal of Norway, Frenchman Luc Alphand, the World Cup downhill champion.

73.   Seizinger, Olympic downhill champion, also won the super-giant World Cup last season.

74.   The Austrians feted their sixth downhill Olympic champion in raucous style by waving flags and ringing cowbells.