Ganong secures career-first win on unfamiliar terrain

It was the last day of racing in 2014, but it will be remembered as a day of firsts — the first running of a men’s World Cup downhill on the Deborah Compagnoni slope of Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, and the first career win for American Travis Ganong.

What a way to celebrate the New Year for the 26-year-old, whom many had suspected was on the verge of this moment for some time. Ganong picked up his career-first podium in Norway last spring and snagged a top-five result in Beaver Creek earlier this month. The victory comes on the heels of a third-career win for Ganong’s teammate Steven Nyman last week in Val Gardena.

A former stop on the women’s tour (last used in 2005) and rescheduled from Bormio, the Santa Caterina course was shortened Sunday due to high winds earlier in the day, which resulted in a winning run of 1 minute, 32.42 seconds for Ganong. Coupled with the fact that the men only skied a single training run on Friday, the circumstances were ripe for a first-time winner.

“It was a perfect run, I think, so pretty awesome,” said Ganong. “I always love a new challenge, a new slope. It was really cool the mountains are huge here and it was really fun to ski here.”

On a course characterized as fairly steep and technical out of the start, followed by a gliding section in the middle and then a final sweeping, more technical finale, Ganong was disciplined in his tuck out of the start. He clearly won the race, however, in the final third, overcoming then-leader Otmar Striedinger of Austria, who ultimately finished fourth. Ganong’s run proved enough to fend off later attacks form Matthias Mayer and Dominik Paris, who finished closely in second and third.

“I went really, really straight in a couple of areas and it was really smooth. I was able to carry speed all the way down the whole hill. The last big carousel turn, I did it perfectly. I don’t think I could do it again if I tried. … The snow was perfect today. It was like real winter snow. Val Gardena last week was like rotten manmade, this was like full winter, cold snow — really fun to ski,” said Ganong.

The later racers seemed to benefit from the earlier guinea pigs, as dark, flat-light conditions crept over the course and unfamiliar micro-terrain made for difficult tactical decisions by athletes and coaches. The Austrians appeared to be dialing in the line, especially on the the upper part of the course. In addition to Mayer, they placed 4-6, likely to the chagrin of Austrian fans and media, as top spot on the podium continues to elude them in downhill this season.

“It feels good, my knee feels good,” said the runner-up Mayer, who’s fighting back from an preseason tweak. “I really had some time in the last weeks for training, and my shape is getting better and better. … Today it was difficult. It was a little bit windy up there, and you don’t know, maybe in a half-hour it was more windy. … It was amazing snow, I loved it. It was a little bit aggressive, fast and bumpy too.”

Certainly all eyes were also on overall contender Kjetil Jansrud, who ran 20th and skied aggressively up top but couldn’t hang on through the middle and lower part of the course. When it was all said and done, Jansrud finished an uncharacteristic 17th, missing the speed podium for the first time this season.

Meanwhile, Steven Nyman, who had a promising training run earlier in the week, struggled through the more technical parts of the course, especially the bottom third where Ganong was able to capitalize. Nyman wound up 15th on the day.

“I skied the way I wanted to ski, it just wasn’t good. It was a little too round,” said Nyman. “I thought I hit the line I wanted to hit, but only having one training run, it’s tough. I didn’t see exactly where I needed to go. I’m happy with the way I executed but my approach was wrong.

“Trim as much off the line as you can.” That was the message Nyman radioed up to his teammates, which may have aided in the win.

“(Ganong) has so much potential,” said Nyman of his teammate. “To get his first win is huge and I want to keep (the speed team’s momentum) rolling. As a group, it’s so much fun. I have experience with Daron and Bode, and now if we can get a core group together and get these young guys firing … this is three podiums in a row for America, so hopefully we can keep it going.”

Certainly an honorable mention needs to go out to Austrian Markus Duerager, skiing first out of the start, who may have set the record for longest gate-dragging in a World Cup event. It was at least a couple hundred meters, after the gate became wrapped around him early in the run. Duerager was ultimately able to shake it off (literally) and finished the run 45th.

American Jared Goldberg finished in the points in 24th for his best result so far this season.

The men’s World Cup tour will take the rest of the year off and resume Jan. 6 with the slalom at Zagreb, Croatia.

The Scoop

By Hank McKee

1. Ganong, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2. Mayer, Head/Head/Head
3. Paris, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
4. Striedinger, Blizzard/Tecnica/
5. Baumann, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
6. Reichelt, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
7. Ferstl, Nordica/Nordica/
8. Clarey, Head/Head/Head
9. Defago, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
10. Weber, Head/Head/Head

Men’s World Cup downhill, Santa Caterina, Italy, Dec. 28, 2014:

• It is the 14^th race of the men’s 36 race 2014-15 World Cup scheduled with one cancellation (Munich city event). … It is the fourth of ten scheduled downhills. … Santa Caterina replaces neighboring Bormio on the men’s calendar. … Santa Caterina has hosted 20 plus women’s World Cup races, but has not previously hosted a men’s World Cup race.
• It is the first World Cup victory for Travis Ganong. … His previous best had been third at Kvitfjell Feb. 28, 2014. … It is the  276^th American win. … Ganong is the 39^th American to win a World Cup race … 17^th to win a downhill. … It is the sixth U.S. win of the season.
• Winning margin is .09 … top nine finishers are within the same second … top 36 within two seconds.
• It is the seventh career World Cup podium result for Matthias Mayer … his third in downhill. … It is his second podium of the season, the previous in super G at Lake Louise Nov. 30.
• It is the eighth career World Cup podium result for Dominik Paris … the sixth in downhill. … It is his fourth podium of the season and second in downhill.
• It is the third best of five scoring finishes this season for Steven Nyman. … It is the sixth career scoring result for Jared Goldberg. … his second – and best – of the season. … It is the 72^nd career scoring result for Marco Sullivan … his second of the season.
• Kjetil Jansrud (17^th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 624-578 over Marcel Hirscher (did not race). … Dominik Paris is third with 405pts. … Ted Ligety (did not race) is seventh with 326pts and Ganong slides into tenth at 209pts. …
• Jansrud leads the downhill standings 294-220 over Paris. … Ganong is now tied with teammate Steven Nyman for third at 191pts. …
• Austria maintains the lead of the men’s Nations Cup stanings 2121-1305 over France. … Italy is third with 1274. … The US is sixth at 953 and Canada ninth at 384pts.

Results