Idle Alphand Wins

Without stepping on a pair of skis the last two days of the season, Luc Alphand made history.

Kjetil Andre Aamodt’s comeback bid fell short, enabling Alphand to become the first downhiller to win the men’s World Cup overall title and the first Frenchman since Jean-Claude Killy in 1968.

Alphand built a lead over Aamodt based solely on downhill and super-G results this season, then watched from the finish line Saturday and Sunday as Aamodt closed the deficit but couldn’t overtake him.

Aamodt, of Norway, trailed Alphand by 70 points entering the men’s slalom - the final event of the season. He needed to finish at least second but wound up seventh as Finn Christian Jagge of Norway won.