European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 30, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                January 1973 the stars and stripes Page 25 Fie by k1jnt Johnson assistant sports editor Germany s4s Josef Walcher of who has been shadowed in the past three years by his Franz skied into us own stardom Here sunday by it Nitu the the of Thi world Alpine the a Jearold fifth starter on b overnight Snow clocked to grab the coveted Gold medal on the Kandahar West Germany Michael Veltho vet a scant Back of Walcher in taking the Silver another Werner captured the Bronze medal with a he beat outre ref of West by Only of a second in the race for the Krammer had to Settle for a fifth place tie with Switzerland Peter Mueller in it was a disappointing Day for the Amer Vruth Andy Mill of the top tied with Canadian Ken read for 22nd spot in Keith Patter son of Sun cracked 10 for 25th place and Karl Anderson of finished 28th the fourth american slalom Phil Mahre of White Man aged 36th place with time despite starting starting huh in afield of Mill Start Eden the 11th Anderson snowfall which continued through sunday morning made for a much slower course than it was for the past three Days naturally were said team director Hank had done Well in training but conditions were different the new wet Snow made it slower on All sections of the our certainly tried but it just didst run for us i believed i would when you be Lieve so strongly it must Walcher said at the finish line where be was mobbed by reporters and i made two he at the Start and in the to Ghang one of the steepest Section at the Bui then t did Well he said and that made up the Walcher said the overnight snows that upsets Krammer in Alpine downhill Mill is fastest yank in tie for 22nd spot impede several inches on the track did not affect his they did a great Job of removing the Snow on the Steep it was Only a Tittle slow on the he but two other preface favourites Krammer and Sepp Ferstl of West Ger Many saw their chances for Victory ruined by the slower it was not Good with the new Krammer 1 could have sidled Steve Porto nil of Canada finished seventh in of a second behind the Walter Vest of Switzer land was eighth in followed by an unheralded Vladimir in and Herbert Plank of Italy was Ike in Krammer said the defeat had unsettled his plans for joining the professional ski tour in the United if i had been world i would have gone Over immediately to the but now t have to wait and us disappointed austrian Walcher earned a favourites role by win Ning the last two world cup downhill races before the world both in lost Ferstl shared one of the victories with Winner of two world cup Down Hills ills season and another Ore race a also blamed his disappointing finish on the fresh in this kind of in not very Plank the which had stopped falling by race slowed the track an average of about three in saturdays fifth and final practice Krammer covered the course in lust Over nearly three seconds faster than sundays at the noon race skies were Cloudy and visibility was generally Good except the Kandahar track is considered relatively easy in comparison with other Down Hills in the european circuit because of its straighter but the track is far from the steepest sections have an Angle of 51 de Grees and the course average is 27 de skiers approach speeds of 130 kilo me ters an hour 72 Mohl in their Only three of the Field of70 skiers from 24 nations failed to finish the monday u a free Day in the we Klong Competition resumes tuesday with a women the leaders out e fran Fri pour to Cinks bar Tutti j Rex tit austrian Josef watcher captures Alpine Down adj edges West Germany Michael Veltho for Gold medal  kir1 Ami pm packers sign Osu Star Ohio a Ohio slate linebacker de a former Al big ten has signed a three year contract with the Green Bay hackers of the National football Thompson had a tryout with the new York jets but was Cut prior to the opening Wec Fher change dashed yank Alpine Hopes by Klint Johnson assistant sports editor Germany Sisi Andy the first broke a Boot buckle in the starting Gale and perhaps that was an Omen of things to come for the american the who car ried the top Hopes in sundays world championship finished in a tie for but he downplayed the Boot it didst bother me that those things just happen the overnight change in Snow conditions did seem to bother the entries which included Pete Karl an Derson and Phil who followed Mill my 28th and 36th we came into this race encouraged be cause our Guys were doing Well in train said team director Hank but things changed it had been icy in practice but it turned into a slow track with the Tauber refused to Lay the blame on usually considered of prime importance on a slow i always feel that blaming the Wax is a he skiing is a very complicated uting Robere Are a lot at variables involved including the the starting apparently West Germany Michael who finished just of a second behind Gold medallist Josef Walcher of Felt he had the right Combine lion of i woke up at 6 this said who comes from and All t could see was Ohhi i remembered i had starting time of is and i went Back to sleep feeling All was Andy Mill things happen Anderson looked at the list of results alter the race and the ones who had 1 the Best preparation but Walcher and Ecith arc also great i cant take that away from our Wax want that said Ander who comes from i stayed in my line but just didst ski that it was a combination of things that Hurt our Andy Mill and i both found that our skis would run fast and then Mill said he Felt the slower conditions had made him too on this kind of a youre so worried about get Ting off your line that you become Loo con he its just too bad thai the course  have bom like yester of course when you Are four seconds out of first place there Are a in of things you wish you had done who along with Anderson was selected As a team Only on said he would like o forget about this keep a Good attitude and concentrate on the slalom and giant he and Mahre Are entered in All three world championship mens while Mill and Anderson have finished their racing in this Ron of a con tender for a downhill starting spot until was one of the forerunners for sundays i Felt 1 could do Well said the 20 year old t had a ipod training run but i Haven raced that Many downhills this season and this course today was a lot i know that t can ski better than i you had la be very fast at the Halfway Point in this race to do Patterson feels that the course he races has As much to do with getting him up for a race As the significance of the event this is a world championship he bid 1 didst really get the adrenalin running Here like i did Al Buhl or this course the Kanda har u Long but not really that Treyve done a Fine Job of preparing it you can catch an Edge Here and still at Klub uht its of course i try to get up for every Patterson comes from a skiing family of five bribery and including who is on the women team his Ttye Arold an Alpine racer who had an knee operation sunday in Brothers and a former Alpine Are both into Cross country i race Pete said its Good for Alpine gives you in credible balance and its a Good change of were in a hotel outside of town Here Tei see and i think ill go for a Cross country cruise