Madonna di Campiglio, Italy (Monday, December 15, 2003) - Chip Knight (Stowe, VT) took advantage of an early second-run start Monday night and posted the third-fastest time to leap into 10th place in the second World Cup slalom of the season. Ivica Kostelic of Croatia, the 2002 World Cup slalom champion and reigning world champ, overcame another knee injury for the victory.

Kostelic, who said he felt something pop in his right knee early in his final run, had a two-run time of 1:33.26 with Italy's Giorgio Rocca second in 1:33.57. Kostelic, who had five knee surgeries (four on his right knee, one on his left) before his breakout '02 season – which started with a victory at the Chevy Truck Aspen Winternational, said che would undergo an MRI Tuesday.

Knight was 29th in the first run, giving him the No. 2 start for the final run under the lights. He tore through the clean course and finished in 1:37.49 for the third-best result of the two-time Olympian's World Cup career.

Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) and Jimmy Cochran (Keene, NH) – two World Cup rookies – were .12 and .15 away from making the second run. Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) went down on his side during the first run and finished, but did not qualify for the final run.

"I'd much rather have a strong first run and second run," Knight said, "but I took advantage of the opportunity...

"It was great. I was not so fast on the first run but I positioned myself well," he said, "and got to run on a clean course. Then I was able to ski like I do in training and had a good run."

Knight said he couldn't find a rhythm on the two courses because the short length of the slalom hill meant course-setters shoehorned gates into an abbreviated hill. "I skied the first run instead of punching it," he said. "The guys said I looked solid but I wasn't going for it the way I should have been; I don't ski first or second in many runs, so it was nice to have the clean course."

U.S. Men's SL/GS Head Coach Mike Morin said, "Chip's second run was impressive. It was right up there with some of the best runs he's made in training. It was exciting to see him ski as well as he skied." He also was impressed – "You can't say anything bad about a guy who was ripping it" – with Tom Rothrock (Cashmere, WA), who was 10th in the first run and apparently heading for the top 10 when he straddled a gate plus the newcomers, Ligety and Cochran.

"Everybody's been impressed with those two guys – Jimmy both in Alta Badia [Sunday's GS] and both of them here. They're showing they're so close to qualifying; they've been skiing so well," Morin said.

The men's next World Cup races are downhill and super G Friday and Saturday in Val Gardena with a giant slalom Sunday in Alta Badia.


MEN'S ALPINE WORLD CUP
Madonna di Campiglio, ITA – Dec. 15
Men's Slalom (Night)

1. Ivica Kostelic, Croatia, 1:33.26
2. Giorgio Rocca, Italy, 1:33.57
3. Manfred Pranger, Italy, 1:33.68
4. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 1:33.83
5. Manfred Moelgg, Italy, 1:34.10
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U.S. skiers:
10. Chip Knight, Stowe, Vt., 1:35.27
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Disqualified 2nd run: Tom Rothrock, Cashmere, Wash.

Did not qualify for 2nd run: Ted Ligety, Park City, Utah; Jimmy Cochran, Keene, N.H.; Bode Miller, Franconia, N.H.; Jesse Marshall, Pittsfield, Vt.


WORLD CUP STANDINGS (10 races)
1. Hermann Maier, Austria, 405 points
2. Hans Knauss, Austria, 308
3. Andreas Schifferer, Austria, 307
4. Bjarne Solbakken, Norway, 273
5. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 270
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U.S. skiers
7. Miller, 263
11. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, Calif., 211
49T. Knight, 40
59T. Rothrock, 29
65T. Jake Fiala, Frisco, Colo., 22
69. Dane Spencer, Boise, Idaho, 20
74T. Bryon Friedman, Park City, Utah, 15
105. Scott Macartney, Redmond, Wash. 5