Friedman nails first top 10 in Chamonix

Daily News Staff Report, Jan 11th, 2004

CHAMONIX, France - Stephan Eberharter of Austria skied first Saturday and no one touched him as he collected his first win of the season, winning the Arlberg Kandahar downhill in 1 minute, 59.08 seconds with Bryon Friedman of Park City, Utah grabbing his first World Cup top 10 in a three-way tie for 10th place.

Daron Rahlves was 15th. Frisco's Jake Fiala placed 53rd.

Outdoor Life Network, which follows the World Cup tour all season, will broadcast coverage of the race tonight at 5 p.m. with a rebroadcast Sunday at 3 p.m.

Coverage also is available for online viewing at www.alpinerace.com.

It was the 26th win of his glittering career for Eberharter, 34, the overall and downhill/super-G World Cup champion the last two seasons.

Lasse Kjus of Norway was second in 1:59.39 - the lone non-Austrian in the first eight racers - with Michael Walchhofer third at 1:59.83.

Friedman, skiing 28th, had been second and third in the two training runs and carried that confidence into the race.

Bode Miller finished 34th.

The men have a slalom Sunday, which - added to the downhill -will produce the first combined event of the season. Friedman and Miller are in the combined field, too.