Giant Slalom, Men1

Switzerland’s Michael von Grünigen had won the World Cup GS in both 1996 and 1997, but in the 1997-98 season, Hermann Maier was leading the World Cup race. After the event was delayed one day because of a blizzard, Maier won this gold medal, winning both legs of the giant slalom, adding the gold to the one he had won in the Super G three days before. Von Grünigen never quite caught form, placing fifth on the first run, and sixth on the second run, eventually winning a bronze medal. The silver medal went to the surprising Austrian Stephan Eberharter. Five years before, this would not have been thought unusual, as Eberharter won gold medals at the 1991 World Championships in the Super G and Combined. But a series of injuries then derailed his career and he was even off the World Cup circuit for two full years. But Nagano marked his return to the top flight, as in 2002 at Salt Lake City he would win the gold medal, adding a gold in the Super G at the 2003 World Championships, and from 2002-2004 he won seven World Cup titles, including the overall in 2002 and 2003.