For the World Cup men, it was a slow start to the speed season with Lake Louise and Beaver Creek canceled due to lack of snow. Lucky for them with December came rescheduled speed races in Val d’Isere, France, to replace the Colorado World Cup. The best male speed skiers in the world kicked out of the start gate for the season-opening downhill on Saturday.
Kjetil Jansrud did not let the scheduling shake up rattle him despite calling Beaver Creek one of his strongest hills. The Norwegian took his confidence and momentum from Friday’s super-G victory into Saturday, claiming the first downhill victory of the 2016-17 season with a time of 1:59.51 and winning his second race in as many days.
“The downhill is a good hill,” the Norwegian said. “I used to watch it on TV when I was a young kid. It looks fairly easy, but it’s not easy at all. You know we have the top section, but from one-third and down it’s very stressful, a lot of jumps, a lot of terrain, so it’s actually a difficult downhill.”
Jansrud surprised himself with his success and credits his offseason training.
“I think two victories, you got to stay humble,” he continued. “I’ve been skiing solid both days… I’m a little surprised that I’m sitting here with two victories, but that is probably a testimonial to my shape. I think I’m in good shape.”
Jansrud is now tied with Austrian Marcel Hirscher in the lead for the men’s overall title with 200 points.
Agence Zoom
On the podium, he was accompanied by last year’s downhill globe winner, Peter Fill, and fellow Attacking Viking Aksel Lund Svindal, who ended the day in second and third, respectively. The Italian was 0.26 seconds off of the winning pace, and Svindal was just 0.07 seconds behind Fill. They were the only athletes of the day to ski the course in under two minutes.
“Last year was really hard to ski when you have every time in the head, ‘You need to win the globe,'” Fill said. “Now, I have it and of course, I have the confidence to have a win, and I’m really free now to go fast and I will go fast now in every race.”
In addition to being Svindal’s second podium result in as many days, Saturday marked Svindal’s first downhill start since his dramatic crash in the Hahnenkamm last year, which forced him to miss the second half of the season due to a knee injury. Despite the months off of snow and the challenging hill, the World Cup veteran seems to be picking up right where he left off.
“The downhill was tougher than I expected,” Svindal reflected. “I think especially today the speeds were up. It was more difficult than expected.”
The Norwegian is already looking towards the next speed races, mentioning how quickly he was able to get back into race mode.
“One day you just want to try to make it down the hill, but then when you see that there’s a chance of doing good, it’s racing,” Svindal said. “So, of course for Val Gardena, I want to keep the same program and be fast enough that I can possibly be on the podium.”
The top American for the day was Steven Nyman in 15th place. He was ahead of Jansrud at the first and third splits on the long course, but was unable to maintain his lead in the second half. Travis Ganong also cracked the top 30, finishing in 22nd for the day. Andrew Weibrecht, Bryce Bennett and Jared Goldberg skied to 37th, 48th and 56th respectively.
“Everybody is still working out the kinks,” Weibrecht said. “It’s the first race series, so we’ll do it better next time.”
Erik Guay was the top Canadian in sixth place. His teammate Manuel Osborne-Paradis finished in 25th place, and Jeffrey Frisch skied to 53rd.
The men’s World Cup action continues on Sunday with the giant slalom in Val d’Isere.
Fans can stay up to date on World Cup news by downloading the new U.S. Ski Team – Ski Racing app for iOS and Android.
Top 10
1. Kjetil Jansrud (NOR) – Head / Head / Head
2. Peter Fill (ITA) – Peter Fill (ITA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
3. Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR) – Head / Head / Head
4. Bostjan Kline (SLO) – Stoeckli / Head / Tyrolia
5. Adrien Theaux (FRA) – Head / Head / Head
6. Erik Guay (CAN) – Head / Head / Head
7. Patrick Kueng (SUI) – Salomon / Salomon / Salomon
7. Dominik Paris (ITA) – Head / Head / Head
9. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
10. Valentin Giraud Moine (FRA) – Salomon / Salomon / Salomon
Official Results
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | Diff. | FIS Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 421483 | JANSRUD Kjetil | 1985 | NOR | 1:59.51 | 0.00 | |||
| 2 | 7 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 1:59.77 | +0.26 | 2.72 | ||
| 3 | 5 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:59.84 | +0.33 | 3.45 | ||
| 4 | 8 | 561216 | KLINE Bostjan | 1991 | SLO | 2:00.15 | +0.64 | 6.69 | ||
| 5 | 1 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 2:00.32 | +0.81 | 8.47 | ||
| 6 | 2 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 2:00.48 | +0.97 | 10.15 | ||
| 7 | 18 | 511139 | KUENG Patrick | 1984 | SUI | 2:00.56 | +1.05 | 10.98 | ||
| 7 | 9 | 291459 | PARIS Dominik | 1989 | ITA | 2:00.56 | +1.05 | 10.98 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 422139 | KILDE Aleksander Aamodt | 1992 | NOR | 2:00.68 | +1.17 | 12.24 | ||
| 10 | 22 | 194542 | GIRAUD MOINE Valentin | 1992 | FRA | 2:00.70 | +1.19 | 12.45 | ||
| 10 | 17 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | 2:00.70 | +1.19 | 12.45 | ||
| 12 | 10 | 191740 | CLAREY Johan | 1981 | FRA | 2:00.80 | +1.29 | 13.49 | ||
| 13 | 11 | 511383 | FEUZ Beat | 1987 | SUI | 2:00.83 | +1.32 | 13.81 | ||
| 14 | 15 | 192932 | FAYED Guillermo | 1985 | FRA | 2:00.85 | +1.34 | 14.02 | ||
| 15 | 13 | 533866 | NYMAN Steven | 1982 | USA | 2:00.91 | +1.40 | 14.64 | ||
| 16 | 14 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 2:00.95 | +1.44 | 15.06 | ||
| 17 | 16 | 53902 | MAYER Matthias | 1990 | AUT | 2:00.96 | +1.45 | 15.17 | ||
| 18 | 12 | 53980 | KRIECHMAYR Vincent | 1991 | AUT | 2:01.03 | +1.52 | 15.90 | ||
| 19 | 32 | 202059 | FERSTL Josef | 1988 | GER | 2:01.29 | +1.78 | 18.62 | ||
| 20 | 4 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 2:01.42 | +1.91 | 19.98 | ||
| 21 | 25 | 53817 | FRANZ Max | 1989 | AUT | 2:01.51 | +2.00 | 20.92 | ||
| 22 | 33 | 6290985 | BUZZI Emanuele | 1994 | ITA | 2:01.55 | +2.04 | 21.34 | ||
| 22 | 20 | 530874 | GANONG Travis | 1988 | USA | 2:01.55 | +2.04 | 21.34 | ||
| 24 | 19 | 50742 | REICHELT Hannes | 1980 | AUT | 2:01.56 | +2.05 | 21.44 | ||
| 25 | 23 | 102899 | OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel | 1984 | CAN | 2:01.75 | +2.24 | 23.43 | ||
| 26 | 24 | 54005 | STRIEDINGER Otmar | 1991 | AUT | 2:01.76 | +2.25 | 23.53 | ||
| 27 | 29 | 194298 | GIEZENDANNER Blaise | 1991 | FRA | 2:01.84 | +2.33 | 24.37 | ||
| 28 | 48 | 422310 | SEJERSTED Adrian Smiseth | 1994 | NOR | 2:01.93 | +2.42 | 25.31 | ||
| 29 | 26 | 50753 | KROELL Klaus | 1980 | AUT | 2:02.01 | +2.50 | 26.15 | ||
| 30 | 34 | 511981 | WEBER Ralph | 1993 | SUI | 2:02.04 | +2.53 | 26.46 | ||
| 31 | 21 | 200379 | SANDER Andreas | 1989 | GER | 2:02.05 | +2.54 | 26.57 | ||
| 32 | 52 | 561255 | CATER Martin | 1992 | SLO | 2:02.07 | +2.56 | 26.78 | ||
| 33 | 45 | 512124 | HINTERMANN Niels | 1995 | SUI | 2:02.09 | +2.58 | 26.99 | ||
| 34 | 46 | 990081 | CASSE Mattia | 1990 | ITA | 2:02.13 | +2.62 | 27.40 | ||
| 35 | 30 | 511529 | GISIN Marc | 1988 | SUI | 2:02.15 | +2.64 | 27.61 | ||
| 36 | 31 | 194190 | ROGER Brice | 1990 | FRA | 2:02.21 | +2.70 | 28.24 | ||
| 37 | 28 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | 2:02.28 | +2.77 | 28.97 | ||
| 38 | 54 | 202535 | DRESSEN Thomas | 1993 | GER | 2:02.35 | +2.84 | 29.70 | ||
| 39 | 27 | 191964 | POISSON David | 1982 | FRA | 2:02.58 | +3.07 | 32.11 | ||
| 40 | 50 | 54157 | DANKLMAIER Daniel | 1993 | AUT | 2:02.73 | +3.22 | 33.68 | ||
| 41 | 38 | 54009 | WALDER Christian | 1991 | AUT | 2:02.77 | +3.26 | 34.10 | ||
| 42 | 37 | 194368 | RAFFORT Nicolas | 1991 | FRA | 2:02.93 | +3.42 | 35.77 | ||
| 43 | 36 | 53933 | SCHWEIGER Patrick | 1990 | AUT | 2:03.09 | +3.58 | 37.44 | ||
| 44 | 41 | 201811 | STECHERT Tobias | 1985 | GER | 2:03.26 | +3.75 | 39.22 | ||
| 45 | 35 | 53968 | BERTHOLD Frederic | 1991 | AUT | 2:03.34 | +3.83 | 40.06 | ||
| 46 | 44 | 561217 | KOSI Klemen | 1991 | SLO | 2:03.40 | +3.89 | 40.69 | ||
| 47 | 60 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 2:03.71 | +4.20 | 43.93 | ||
| 48 | 57 | 6530104 | BENNETT Bryce | 1992 | USA | 2:03.72 | +4.21 | 44.03 | ||
| 49 | 40 | 202196 | BRANDNER Klaus | 1990 | GER | 2:03.92 | +4.41 | 46.13 | ||
| 50 | 47 | 194167 | MUZATON Maxence | 1990 | FRA | 2:03.93 | +4.42 | 46.23 | ||
| 51 | 42 | 560447 | SPORN Andrej | 1981 | SLO | 2:04.03 | +4.52 | 47.28 | ||
| 52 | 55 | 511808 | SCHMED Fernando | 1991 | SUI | 2:04.08 | +4.57 | 47.80 | ||
| 53 | 39 | 103512 | FRISCH Jeffrey | 1984 | CAN | 2:04.20 | +4.69 | 49.05 | ||
| 54 | 62 | 6291029 | BATTILANI Henri | 1994 | ITA | 2:04.42 | +4.91 | 51.36 | ||
| 55 | 49 | 294904 | PANGRAZZI Paolo | 1988 | ITA | 2:04.50 | +4.99 | 52.19 | ||
| 56 | 56 | 934643 | GOLDBERG Jared | 1991 | USA | 2:04.57 | +5.06 | 52.92 | ||
| 57 | 59 | 110324 | VON APPEN Henrik | 1994 | CHI | 2:05.34 | +5.83 | 60.98 | ||
| 58 | 63 | 700830 | ZAMPA Adam | 1990 | SVK | 2:05.98 | +6.47 | 67.67 | ||
| 59 | 64 | 30149 | SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier | 1980 | ARG | 2:08.96 | +9.45 | 98.84 | ||
| 60 | 65 | 460071 | ACHIRILOAIE Ioan Valeriu | 1990 | ROU | 2:09.44 | +9.93 | 103.86 | ||
| Did not start 1st run | ||||||||||
| 61 | 202345 | SCHWAIGER Dominik | 1991 | GER | ||||||
| 51 | 531452 | BIESEMEYER Thomas | 1989 | USA | ||||||
| Did not finish 1st run | ||||||||||
| 58 | 511847 | MANI Nils | 1992 | SUI | ||||||
| 53 | 102271 | HUDEC Jan | 1981 | CZE | ||||||
| 43 | 511513 | CAVIEZEL Mauro | 1988 | SUI | ||||||
About the Author: Gabbi Hall
