Canadians quick down the Saslong in final training run

By Published On: December 19th, 2013Comments Off on Canadians quick down the Saslong in final training run
Guay in Val Gardena training (GEPA/Wolfgang Grebien)

Guay in Val Gardena training (GEPA/Wolfgang Grebien)

The unusually rough Saslaong course scheduled for the 50th men’s World Cup downhill race at Val Gardena, Italy this weekend provided a rugged test that seemed to suit the Canadians.

In training today (Dec. 19) Erik Guay registered the fastest time down the 2.14-mile track with teammate Manuel Osborne-Paradis in third behind Wednesday’s fastest skier, Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway. Peter Fill of Italy was fourth and American Travis Ganong was the fifth fastest.

Joahim Puchner was the fastest Austrian on the day in tenth. Last season’s winner Steven Nyman, the literal poster boy for the event this year, was 11th and Bode Miller 17th.

“It is best to be fully and mainly concentrated to ride this descent in training,” said Svindal, “otherwise it will be too dangerous.”

This was proved true by Dominik Paris, the winner from Kitzbuehel and Bormio last season, as he crashed hard in the first training run and did not start today. He is day-to-day with a muscle injury in the lower left leg.

Friday is race day in Val Gardena and all eyes will be on Svindal in the super G, as he has won the last two editions of the race. Only Austrian Michael Walchhofer has been able to do the same.

In addition, Norway has won 99 men’s races in World Cup history. Tomorrow Svindal and Kjetil Jansrud will both look to deliver the 100th victory for their country.

 

Downhill training results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
 1  17  102263 GUAY Erik 1981 CAN  1:57.48
 2  19  421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund 1982 NOR  1:57.70
 3  26  102899 OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel 1984 CAN  1:58.20
 4  24  292455 FILL Peter 1982 ITA  1:58.46
 5  25  530874 GANONG Travis 1988 USA  1:58.65
 6  11  421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR  1:58.86
 7  34  201811 STECHERT Tobias 1985 GER  1:58.87
 8  30  292514 HEEL Werner 1982 ITA  1:59.11
 9  71  501076 OLSSON Hans 1984 SWE  1:59.19
 10  27  51327 PUCHNER Joachim 1987 AUT  1:59.32
 11  23  533866 NYMAN Steven 1982 USA  1:59.34
 12  20  50753 KROELL Klaus 1980 AUT  1:59.38
 13  52  194542 GIRAUD MOINE Valentin 1992 FRA  1:59.39
 14  21  511139 KUENG Patrick 1984 SUI  1:59.41
 15  7  51332 SCHEIBER Florian 1987 AUT  1:59.52
 16  13  191740 CLAREY Johan 1981 FRA  1:59.59
 17  9  532431 MILLER Bode 1977 USA  1:59.77
 18  47  510890 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan 1981 SUI  1:59.83
 19  14  53817 FRANZ Max 1989 AUT  1:59.84
 20  10  50858 STREITBERGER Georg 1981 AUT  1:59.89
 21  37  53981 KROELL Johannes 1991 AUT  1:59.92
 22  16  510727 DEFAGO Didier 1977 SUI  1:59.98
 23  49  54005 STRIEDINGER Otmar 1991 AUT  2:00.02
 24  4  533131 SULLIVAN Marco 1980 USA  2:00.06
 25  42  191591 BERTRAND Yannick 1980 FRA  2:00.18
 26  33  202059 FERSTL Josef 1988 GER  2:00.25
 26  22  50742 REICHELT Hannes 1980 AUT  2:00.25
 28  28  561067 PERKO Rok 1985 SLO  2:00.27
 29  58  201606 KEPPLER Stephan 1983 GER  2:00.29
 29  18  192746 THEAUX Adrien 1984 FRA  2:00.29
 29  6  51215 BAUMANN Romed 1986 AUT  2:00.29
 32  15  293006 INNERHOFER Christof 1984 ITA  2:00.32
 33  39  534939 FISHER Erik 1985 USA  2:00.36
 34  3  53902 MAYER Matthias 1990 AUT  2:00.46
 35  41  293141 VARETTONI Silvano 1984 ITA  2:00.57
 36  45  380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko 1986 CRO  2:00.66
 37  46  192932 FAYED Guillermo 1985 FRA  2:00.70
 38  56  103385 PRIDY Conrad 1988 CAN  2:01.11
 39  65  102961 DIXON Robbie 1985 CAN  2:01.21
 39  51  53936 DUERAGER Markus 1990 AUT  2:01.21
 41  8  191964 POISSON David 1982 FRA  2:01.27
 42  1  560447 SPORN Andrej 1981 SLO  2:01.32
 43  67  200379 SANDER Andreas 1989 GER  2:01.33
 44  40  293550 MARSAGLIA Matteo 1985 ITA  2:01.35
 45  35  103512 FRISCH Jeffrey 1984 CAN  2:01.37
 46  36  511352 VILETTA Sandro 1986 SUI  2:01.44
 47  38  511313 JANKA Carlo 1986 SUI  2:01.56
 48  54  194167 MUZATON Maxence 1990 FRA  2:01.80
 49  62  294277 KLOTZ Siegmar 1987 ITA  2:01.96
 50  69  201987 STRODL Andreas 1987 GER  2:01.99
 51  70  150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE  2:02.00
 52  61  103271 THOMSEN Benjamin 1987 CAN  2:02.06
 53  50  990081 CASSE Mattia 1990 ITA  2:02.10
 53  5  102271 HUDEC Jan 1981 CAN  2:02.10
 55  2  194190 ROGER Brice 1990 FRA  2:02.12
 56  57  501439 HEDIN Douglas 1990 SWE  2:02.32
 57  12  511383 FEUZ Beat 1987 SUI  2:02.33
 58  53  103612 PRIDY Morgan 1990 CAN  2:02.39
 59  63  202196 BRANDNER Klaus 1990 GER  2:02.40
 60  64  53980 KRIECHMAYR Vincent 1991 AUT  2:02.42
 61  59  193034 BOUILLOT Alexandre 1985 FRA  2:02.44
 62  68  422139 KILDE Aleksander Aamodt 1992 NOR  2:02.51
 63  48  481705 GLEBOV Alexander 1983 RUS  2:02.91
 64  55  53837 KRAMER Manuel 1989 AUT  2:02.95
 65  66  491151 DE LA CUESTA Paul 1988 SPA  2:03.04
 66  72  561217 KOSI Klemen 1991 SLO  2:03.29
 67  44  934643 GOLDBERG Jared 1991 USA  2:03.35
 68  43  934518 DANIELS Nick 1991 USA  2:03.47
 69  80  170131 FAARUP Christoffer 1992 DAN  2:03.51
 70  60  510997 BERTHOD Marc 1983 SUI  2:03.96
 71  75  20267 ESTEVE Kevin 1989 AND  2:04.74
 72  77  660021 DANILOCHKIN Yuri 1991 BLR  2:05.00
 73  78  670058 KOSHKIN Dmitriy 1986 KAZ  2:05.13
 74  79  400237 MEINERS Maarten 1992 NED  2:05.47
 75  81  430472 KLUSAK Michal 1990 POL  2:05.62
 76  76  670037 ZAKURDAEV Igor 1987 KAZ  2:06.29
 77  73  530939 WEIBRECHT Andrew 1986 USA  2:14.20
Did not start 1st run
 74  192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA
 32  534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA
 31  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO
 29  291459 PARIS Dominik 1989 ITA

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”