European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 8, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 25 Winter olympic for openers it s All downhill Glamour event gets games going from wire reports Val dts Ere France olympic skiers have never raced on anything like the face Belle Varde site of sundays Glamour Alpine event of the Winter games the menus downhill. The 1.8-mile course is dominated by sweeping bends. It has none of the Speed of a traditional downhill and no time for doing anything but carving turn after turn from Start to finish. It does no to make it unanimous but american Down Hiller . Kitt would like to say a Nice going to Bernhard Russi and the French organizers on their new olympic course. A i congratulate them because they got a lot of flak last year and a lot of it was from me a Kitt said. A i think the course is pretty Good. Its More consistent so far As Speed goes. The turns Are better they Arentt quite As tight As they were last year. Overall its much better a Kitt said. A some of the bumps Are shaved so you can go faster  face Bellegarde the twisting course designed by former Swiss Champion Russi especially for the Winter olympics got its first test of fire on thursday the beginning of three Days of training for sundays downhill. A a it a the most physically demanding course that we be Ever seen a said German Markus Wasmeier who set the Pace during the first Day of training thursday and again Friday. A there is no Chance to get a feel for your skis on a Flat. Its nothing but carving turns. Id love to have just one Little Flat America s . Kitt catches some air during thursday s training for sunday s olympic downhill. Passage but it Isnit  besides the turns which give the piste the feel of a supergiant slalom there Are two jumps. A a they re Long but Safe a Wasmeier said. A you get a lot of  the Russi design also includes the Couloir de la Arcolie a Middle Section which shoots racers Between a passage carved in Rock. Its named for the Small Blue Mountain Flowers which grow in the area during summer. The finishing Schuss sends competitors through a final narrow area and Down to the end after something under two minutes of constant turning and ski edging. One big advantage is that spectators can see nearly the entire course from the finish area a Sharp contrast to traditional downhills which Are usually out of sight to All but viewers on the Mountain itself. The French world cup men were the first to get a taste of the track two years ago. Franck Piccard a super giant slalom Gold medallist from Calgary said he had fun his first time Down. A we were like kids playing champions a he said. A we would try to be Brave and go through passages at full Speed. A the Guy who wins will have Albertville just stepping Stone for four time olympian Koch by Stephan Nasstrom Les daisies France a of All athletes in these Winter olympics perhaps Lone can match Cross country skier Bill Cochs remarkable comeback. Koch 36, whose last olympic Start was in he 50-Kilometer race at the 1984 Sarajevo 3ames, squeezed into the . Olympic earn after nearly six years retirement. But Koch the Only american Ever to Vin an olympic Cross country ski medal s hardly a medal contender Here. His big Oal is the 1994 Winter games in Lille Lammer Norway. A this is Only the beginning a Koch said thursday after his first workout on the olympic trails. A i just want to be skiing veil. I done to know where i stand compared to the  he does know where hell stand at to jays opening ceremonies. He a been Hosen unanimously to carry the Ameri an Flag. After that the sex vermonter who has ived in Eugene ore., for almost a decide will find out monday when he opens is fourth olympic Campaign in the Nenus 30k classical style race. Koch a Silver medallist in the 30k at the 1976 olympics perfected the freestyle or skating technique in the Early 1980s. But this technique Nas passed him by. A the principles of classic skiing remain the same and in be spent a lot of years skiing that a he said. A a that a my strength and that a where my Best chances  Koch will make up his mind about other races depending How he does in the 30k. Skiing one leg in the 40k relay is a possibility but the 50k is out. He has not skied the longest and most demanding event in eight years. A 1982 world cup Champion Koch stopped competing on the International level after the 1984 season. In september 1986, he announced his retirement ending a 15-year career. Koch decided to come Back after competing in a Continental cup race in april last year at big Mountain Montana. He trained on his own through the summer and joined the . Ski team in Alaska in october. The Only problem when he resumed training was that he picked up his workouts at the same High intensity with which he used to train nearly a decade ago. A it was too much a he said. A when i was training while i was competing i was in shape. I overlooked the fact i Wasny to in shape when i started  he made the olympic team after a bizarre ending at the . Cross country championships last month. He was disqualified for using the skating technique in the 30k classical style race out made a successful Appeal and finished in a tie for seventh in the Point standings after the four races. Team officials originally had been Given permission by the . Olympic committee to select six men and six women but had the option to choose two More athletes based on results or discretion. They did and Koch became a four time olympian. A a in a very pleased where in be come in 1011 months of training a he said. A but the big gains Are always to be made in the first few months. Now we be come to the hard part where we have to keep on  like most other nations the . Team came to this resort at the foot of Mont Blanc Europe a highest Peak from pre olympic training at other High attitude Alpine venues. The finishing area at Les daisies is at 5,248 feet above sea level. The americans have been training near Cortina Italy since Jan. 23. Koch was sick most of the time but has been healthy in the last couple of Days. To be a talented technician a a Piccard said. A a he la need a lot of strength but above All the instincts to react to the right Way when faced with the  world cup racers will get used to the track but skiers from warm weather locations like Mexico and Senegal might discover More Challenge than they were looking for. Quot pure Down Hillers like Switzerland a Franz Hinzer Winner of four events this season must be included among the favourites. Racers with a Good feel for turns also will be in Contention. Austrian Guenther Mader among the top three during practice could come into his own. A this is a special downhill a said Mader who has won two career super a events. A a training in technical disciplines May prove to be an  Switzerland a Paul Accola who leads the world cup Overall standings is another favorite. The 24-year-old has a Chance at More than one medal before the olympics end feb. 23. Norway a atle skaardal and Rob Boyd of Canada arc sidelined by injuries suffered in crashes a month ago at Gar Misch part Skirchen Germany. Wasmeier was timed at 1 minute and 52.64 seconds thursday. Mader at 1 52.87, was second followed by three frenchmen a Denis Ray Christophe Fivel and Piccard. Good weather is forecast for the next 48 hours with Snow predicted to move into the area on race Day. Race time is 12 15 . Koch on the olympic thursday