Pristine blue skies and solid snow conditions in Val d’Isere, France, made for a dream-like start to the men’s World Cup super-G season on Friday, and marked the first use of the new speed start order, which was approved by the FIS this summer.
Attacking Vikings Kjetil Jansrud and Aksel Lund Svindal topped the podium, coming in first and second place. This was Jansrud’s seventh World Cup super-G win, and he’s the first Norwegian to win at the venue since Atle Skaardal – now the women’s World Cup Chief Race Director – in 1995.
“Every race you want to have this kind of feeling between taking risks and also being in control and also just skiing fast and I think today was probably on the safe side, but it proves how difficult a super-G it was,” Jansrud shared.
The men were certainly challenged, many struggling to stay ahead of the turns and maintain a fast line.
“If you saw [Alexis ] Pinturault, for example, he was charging, he was looking good and leading until he made a mistake, so it was a race today where I don’t think anyone really had the perfect run,” he continued.
Svindal was obviously excited about his first run back after injuring his knee at the Hahnenkamm last season. Running bib 5, he came into the finish ahead of Slovenia’s Bostjan Kline by 0.28 seconds, and pumped his fists in the air to mark the miraculous comeback. The Norwegian ultimately finished the day in second place after his teammate came down two racers later to take over the lead.
“I hadn’t been pushing anything since Kitzbuehel kind of, so I needed to really get into the race mode,” Svindal said. “My attitude was kind of I’d rather have a chance for a good race and make a mistake and be number 20 or 30 than do a safe run and be 15.”
Rounding out the podium was Dominik Paris, an Italian speedster who was a contender for the downhill globe last season. This third-place result marked his fifth time on a World Cup super-G podium.
“I’m happy with my start today,” he said. “It was good. I tried to push hard in the section where I saw it was straight. Feeling was okay. In super-G, I feel confident, so it’s good stand on the podium.”
Paris was accompanied in the top 10 by last season’s World Cup downhill globe winner Peter Fill of Italy, who ended the day in eighth place. Also in the top 10 was American Downhiller Travis Ganong, earning seventh place just three-quarters of a second behind Svindal.
The next-fastest American was Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who made an impressive jump from bib 61 to 15th place and earned his best World Cup super-G result ever.
“It’s my best World Cup result,” Cochran-Siegle said. “I got 15th in Schladming at World Champs just because I got lucky and someone got DQed in front of me, so to do it here in a World Cup starting so far back was pretty amazing. I wasn’t really expecting anything. I was just trying to send as hard as possible, and make it down.”
Andrew Weibrecht and Ted Ligety of the U.S. Ski Team also cracked the top 30, ending the day in 18th and 29th respectively. Teammates Steven Nyman, Brennan Rubie, Jared Goldberg, and Bryce Bennett finished in 33rd, 34th, 50th and 53rd. Thomas Biesemeyer did not finish after a crash landing in the fence. He was able to get up and remove himself from the netting under his own power.
The northern neighbors had a solid day with Erik Guay taking 11th place and Dustin Cook earning 13th place. Fellow Canadians Manuel Osborne-Paradis and Erik Read finished in 37th and 40th place while Trevor Philp did not finish. Their former teammate, Jan Hudec of the Czech Republic, had a rough start to the season, finishing in 62nd place.
Men’s racing continues on Saturday with the downhill in Val d’Isere while the ladies race in Lake Louise.
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Top 10
- Kjetil Jansrud (NOR) – Head / Head / Head
- Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR) – Head / Head / Head
- Dominik Paris (ITA) – Head / Head / Head
- Carlo Janka (SUI) – Rossignol / Look / Rossignol
- Bostjan Kline (SLO) – Stoeckli / / Head
- Beat Feuz (SUI) – Head / Head / Head
- Travis Ganong (USA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
- Peter Fill (ITA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
- Andreas Sanders (GER) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
- Max Franz (AUT) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
Official Results
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | Diff. | FIS Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 421483 | JANSRUD Kjetil | 1985 | NOR | 1:21.66 | 0.00 | |||
| 2 | 5 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:21.83 | +0.17 | 2.25 | ||
| 3 | 6 | 291459 | PARIS Dominik | 1989 | ITA | 1:22.07 | +0.41 | 5.42 | ||
| 4 | 11 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | 1:22.10 | +0.44 | 5.82 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 561216 | KLINE Bostjan | 1991 | SLO | 1:22.11 | +0.45 | 5.95 | ||
| 6 | 16 | 511383 | FEUZ Beat | 1987 | SUI | 1:22.37 | +0.71 | 9.39 | ||
| 7 | 27 | 530874 | GANONG Travis | 1988 | USA | 1:22.41 | +0.75 | 9.92 | ||
| 8 | 14 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 1:22.42 | +0.76 | 10.05 | ||
| 9 | 8 | 200379 | SANDER Andreas | 1989 | GER | 1:22.57 | +0.91 | 12.04 | ||
| 10 | 24 | 53817 | FRANZ Max | 1989 | AUT | 1:22.79 | +1.13 | 14.94 | ||
| 11 | 29 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 1:22.83 | +1.17 | 15.47 | ||
| 12 | 15 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 1:22.85 | +1.19 | 15.74 | ||
| 13 | 17 | 100558 | COOK Dustin | 1989 | CAN | 1:22.88 | +1.22 | 16.14 | ||
| 13 | 13 | 53831 | HIRSCHER Marcel | 1989 | AUT | 1:22.88 | +1.22 | 16.14 | ||
| 15 | 61 | 6530319 | COCHRAN-SIEGLE Ryan | 1992 | USA | 1:22.90 | +1.24 | 16.40 | ||
| 16 | 28 | 53933 | SCHWEIGER Patrick | 1990 | AUT | 1:22.94 | +1.28 | 16.93 | ||
| 17 | 10 | 50742 | REICHELT Hannes | 1980 | AUT | 1:22.98 | +1.32 | 17.46 | ||
| 18 | 19 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | 1:23.06 | +1.40 | 18.52 | ||
| 19 | 53 | 194298 | GIEZENDANNER Blaise | 1991 | FRA | 1:23.12 | +1.46 | 19.31 | ||
| 19 | 33 | 194190 | ROGER Brice | 1990 | FRA | 1:23.12 | +1.46 | 19.31 | ||
| 21 | 41 | 6190176 | BAILET Matthieu | 1996 | FRA | 1:23.21 | +1.55 | 20.50 | ||
| 22 | 3 | 422139 | KILDE Aleksander Aamodt | 1992 | NOR | 1:23.23 | +1.57 | 20.76 | ||
| 23 | 1 | 53902 | MAYER Matthias | 1990 | AUT | 1:23.25 | +1.59 | 21.03 | ||
| 24 | 31 | 193967 | MUFFAT-JEANDET Victor | 1989 | FRA | 1:23.26 | +1.60 | 21.16 | ||
| 25 | 25 | 511981 | WEBER Ralph | 1993 | SUI | 1:23.30 | +1.64 | 21.69 | ||
| 26 | 58 | 202535 | DRESSEN Thomas | 1993 | GER | 1:23.34 | +1.68 | 22.22 | ||
| 27 | 37 | 511139 | KUENG Patrick | 1984 | SUI | 1:23.41 | +1.75 | 23.14 | ||
| 28 | 68 | 191740 | CLAREY Johan | 1981 | FRA | 1:23.50 | +1.84 | 24.34 | ||
| 29 | 22 | 534562 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | 1:23.57 | +1.91 | 25.26 | ||
| 30 | 35 | 6290985 | BUZZI Emanuele | 1994 | ITA | 1:23.60 | +1.94 | 25.66 | ||
| 31 | 32 | 511513 | CAVIEZEL Mauro | 1988 | SUI | 1:23.63 | +1.97 | 26.05 | ||
| 32 | 42 | 561255 | CATER Martin | 1992 | SLO | 1:23.64 | +1.98 | 26.19 | ||
| 33 | 30 | 533866 | NYMAN Steven | 1982 | USA | 1:23.67 | +2.01 | 26.58 | ||
| 34 | 52 | 934568 | RUBIE Brennan | 1991 | USA | 1:23.74 | +2.08 | 27.51 | ||
| 34 | 36 | 202196 | BRANDNER Klaus | 1990 | GER | 1:23.74 | +2.08 | 27.51 | ||
| 36 | 45 | 54009 | WALDER Christian | 1991 | AUT | 1:23.77 | +2.11 | 27.91 | ||
| 37 | 54 | 102899 | OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel | 1984 | CAN | 1:23.79 | +2.13 | 28.17 | ||
| 38 | 40 | 422310 | SEJERSTED Adrian Smiseth | 1994 | NOR | 1:23.80 | +2.14 | 28.30 | ||
| 38 | 9 | 53980 | KRIECHMAYR Vincent | 1991 | AUT | 1:23.80 | +2.14 | 28.30 | ||
| 40 | 63 | 103729 | READ Erik | 1991 | CAN | 1:23.82 | +2.16 | 28.57 | ||
| 41 | 48 | 511352 | VILETTA Sandro | 1986 | SUI | 1:23.91 | +2.25 | 29.76 | ||
| 42 | 50 | 6290845 | BOSCA Guglielmo | 1993 | ITA | 1:23.93 | +2.27 | 30.02 | ||
| 43 | 21 | 50858 | STREITBERGER Georg | 1981 | AUT | 1:23.99 | +2.33 | 30.82 | ||
| 44 | 12 | 990081 | CASSE Mattia | 1990 | ITA | 1:24.00 | +2.34 | 30.95 | ||
| 45 | 39 | 422073 | NETELAND Bjoernar | 1991 | NOR | 1:24.01 | +2.35 | 31.08 | ||
| 45 | 23 | 511638 | TUMLER Thomas | 1989 | SUI | 1:24.01 | +2.35 | 31.08 | ||
| 47 | 43 | 54005 | STRIEDINGER Otmar | 1991 | AUT | 1:24.13 | +2.47 | 32.67 | ||
| 48 | 38 | 561217 | KOSI Klemen | 1991 | SLO | 1:24.18 | +2.52 | 33.33 | ||
| 49 | 67 | 194495 | FAIVRE Mathieu | 1992 | FRA | 1:24.30 | +2.64 | 34.92 | ||
| 50 | 51 | 934643 | GOLDBERG Jared | 1991 | USA | 1:24.35 | +2.69 | 35.58 | ||
| 51 | 57 | 511808 | SCHMED Fernando | 1991 | SUI | 1:24.36 | +2.70 | 35.71 | ||
| 52 | 49 | 194542 | GIRAUD MOINE Valentin | 1992 | FRA | 1:24.38 | +2.72 | 35.97 | ||
| 53 | 62 | 6530104 | BENNETT Bryce | 1992 | USA | 1:24.47 | +2.81 | 37.16 | ||
| 54 | 64 | 110324 | VON APPEN Henrik | 1994 | CHI | 1:24.60 | +2.94 | 38.88 | ||
| 55 | 71 | 700830 | ZAMPA Adam | 1990 | SVK | 1:24.91 | +3.25 | 42.98 | ||
| 56 | 66 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 1:25.28 | +3.62 | 47.88 | ||
| 57 | 60 | 561067 | PERKO Rok | 1985 | SLO | 1:25.36 | +3.70 | 48.93 | ||
| 58 | 72 | 380335 | ZUBCIC Filip | 1993 | CRO | 1:25.47 | +3.81 | 50.39 | ||
| 59 | 55 | 6291029 | BATTILANI Henri | 1994 | ITA | 1:25.52 | +3.86 | 51.05 | ||
| 60 | 59 | 481327 | TRIKHICHEV Pavel | 1992 | RUS | 1:25.68 | +4.02 | 53.17 | ||
| 61 | 73 | 30149 | SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier | 1980 | ARG | 1:26.35 | +4.69 | 62.03 | ||
| 62 | 26 | 102271 | HUDEC Jan | 1981 | CZE | 1:27.94 | +6.28 | 83.06 | ||
| Did not start 1st run | ||||||||||
| 75 | 180534 | SANDELL Marcus | 1987 | FIN | ||||||
| 65 | 310426 | VUKICEVIC Marko | 1992 | SRB | ||||||
| Did not finish 1st run | ||||||||||
| 74 | 460071 | ACHIRILOAIE Ioan Valeriu | 1990 | ROU | ||||||
| 70 | 150644 | KRYZL Krystof | 1986 | CZE | ||||||
| 69 | 103865 | PHILP Trevor | 1992 | CAN | ||||||
| 56 | 6290540 | DE VETTORI Matteo | 1993 | ITA | ||||||
| 47 | 531452 | BIESEMEYER Thomas | 1989 | USA | ||||||
| 46 | 422278 | WINDINGSTAD Rasmus | 1993 | NOR | ||||||
| 44 | 511529 | GISIN Marc | 1988 | SUI | ||||||
| 34 | 202059 | FERSTL Josef | 1988 | GER | ||||||
| 20 | 194364 | PINTURAULT Alexis | 1991 | FRA | ||||||
| 18 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | ||||||
| 2 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | ||||||
About the Author: Gabbi Hall
