First there was the gold in super-G, the opening men's event, something of a surprise for an Italy team that hadn't won a race all season, men's or women's. Then came bronze in the downhill, On Monday, Innerhofer closed out his trifecta with silver in the super-combined.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany ? Christof Innerhofer of Italy is leaving the world championships with three medals from three races ? one in every color ? and each has its own story.

First there was the gold in super-G, the opening men's event, which was something of a surprise for an Italy team that hadn't won a race all season, men's or women's.

Then came bronze in the downhill, run under completely different conditions from the super-G ? warm and slushy compared to icy and bumpy.

On Monday, Innerhofer closed out his trifecta with silver in the super-combined, and was joined on the podium by his roommate and best friend, bronze medalist Peter Fill.

"Every medal is different," he said. "The first medal, I had not dreamed of that. After the downhill, third place was like a gold medal as the snow was not like I prefer it. And now I feel as happy as if I won three golds."

The 26-year-old Innerhofer became the first Italian to take home three medals from a worlds since Zeno Colo in 1950 in Aspen, Colorado.

"I still don't believe it. I just tried to leave it all out there and risk everything," Innerhofer said. "Right now everything is working for me. It's my moment, my world championships."

At 1.86-meters (6-foot-1) and nearly 100 kilograms (220 pounds), Innerhofer has the physique of a downhiller and has been labeled as a future contender for years. But until this point, he has struggled to break through, remaining on the brink of greatness.

Bothered by a back injury for several seasons, Innerhofer won his only World Cup race two years ago, taking the physically demanding downhill on home snow in Bormio. He finished fourth in the super-G at the last worlds in Val d'Isere, France ? missing the podium by five hundredths ? and was sixth in the super-G at last year's Vancouver Olympics.

Innerhofer's best previous result this season was third in Bormio and a few weeks ago Italy head coach Claudio Ravetto put him on the spot.

"He took me aside and told me the time had come to show what I'm worth, show if I'm a champion or not," Innerhofer said. "His words really helped."

Known as "Inner" to his teammates, the 26-year-old comes from Gais, a small town in the Val Pusteria of the German-speaking Alto Adige region, which provides 13 of the 24 members of Italy's team at these worlds.

While it may not be his first language, Innerhofer's personality is very Italian. He's extroverted and loves being the center of attention.

"I'm more handsome than the sun in Garmisch," he said after the downhill, joined by his father Gottfried, a retired car bodyshop worker. "He worked for 40 years and my entire family made a lot of sacrifices so I could ski."

Fill also owes a lot to his father, who has been suffering from salivary inflammation and has been in a coma.

"He is the most important person in my life, he made it possible that I became a ski racer," Fill said. "This season has become a minor matter to me. When I was not skiing well, it was difficult for him as well.

"It's great to be on the podium with Christof. He had these two medals on his bedside table, so I thought, 'I want one as well now.'"

Innerhofer acknowledged how much the medal meant to Fill, then described how the two teammates get along, with a piece of his customary humor.

"We're very different. I'm more extroverted and he's more serious and precise," Innerhofer said. "He keeps the room in order. To sum it up, Peter is the ideal wife!"

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/
2011-02-14-3993172857_x.htm#
 
 
 

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