KITZBUEHEL, Austria — Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won the second men’s World Cup downhill on the Hahnenkamm course Saturday, a day after the Norwegian narrowly avoided a high-speed crash on the challenging Streif.

Kitzbühel requires racers to face extreme fear. Anyone who has been on the Streif on race day knows that if a racer pushes out of the start with the intent to ski race, they deserve massive respect. The Streif is always frightening and today’s race started with poor light and ended worse. However, the only way to win World Cup races is to push beyond reasonable limits. However, the leader of the World Cup downhill standings, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, met all the challenges. He was undoubtedly the best. He is undoubtedly one of the strongest athletes in the sport. And even though he narrowly avoided disaster yesterday, today, he skied well and attacked every sector to win his second career, Kitzbühel, downhill. He could arc the ski where no one else would or could.

With his right hand bandaged after fracturing a bone during Thursday’s training, Kilde then needed an acrobatic recovery in the race the next day to escape a fall near the end of his run.

Kilde overcoming significant challenges and winning is no surprise. The man is impressive. However, it is just as exciting to see who else shares the podium.

Kilde was joined on the podium by two racers who have announced their retirement at the end of the season: 42-year-old French veteran Johan Clarey finished 0.67 seconds behind, and American downhiller Travis Ganong trailed by 0.95 in third. This was Clarey’s fourth Hahnenkamm downhill podium. Ganong has won two World Cup races, but this has to be among his best days in ski racing. It is the first Kitzbühel podium achieved by a US athlete since Bode Miller in 2014. It is also the first World Cup podium for a US male this season.

“My goal has always been to podium here,” said Ganong. “I mean, to win here, but the podium is great too.”

The victory made Kilde the first male skier to win five downhills in a single season since Austrian standout Stephan Eberharter won seven times in the 2001-02 campaign.

“That’s just Kitzbuehel. The weather is difficult, and the second training was not good, with the hand,” Kilde told Austrian broadcaster ORF.

“But today, I had a good feeling. I had no pain in my hand and gave full gas. I did everything I could do, I’m satisfied.”

Attended by 45,000 spectators, the downhill in the posh Austrian resort is the World Cup race with the highest prize money, paying 100,000 euros ($109,000) to the winner.

The other North American to shine is Canada’s 24-year-old Cameron Alexander. Alexander started with bib 27 and finished sixth. He used high ground speed and great skiing to achieve his third World Cup top ten. He has, notably, won a downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway.

“Today felt like I skied well,” said a pleased Alexander. “I had a solid run yesterday but there were a few mistakes that I wanted to clean-up. Did my best today to do that and it turned out really well. Kitzbühel is an insane place, coming into the finish with thousands of fans cheering felt really good. I’m stoked to build on this confidence heading into the next races and into the World Championships.”

Additionally, five other North Americans achieved Kitzbühel World Cup points. USA Ryan Cochran-Siegle, 20th, CAN Broderick Thompson, 21st. USA Bryce Bennett, 22nd, CAN Brodie Seger, 23rd and CAN James Crawford, 28th.

Today was the opposite of yesterday when the light improved toward the end of the race. Today visibility deteriorated. Only four athletes with bibs higher than 30 could achieve World Cup points. Two of the four were Canadians bib 40 Thompson and Seger bib 35. Switzerland’s Justin Murisier was the last to start and finish in the points. Murisier started 46th and ended the day in 18th place.

Ganong’s American teammate Jared Goldberg, who finished a career-best fourth on Friday, slid off the course into the safety netting. His race suit ripped open in the fall but Goldberg got up and skied down with no apparent injuries.

Olympic downhill champion Beat Feuz in the final World Cup race of his career finished two seconds off the pace in 16th. Feuz, who won three downhills in Kitzbuehel and 16 World Cup races in total, announced his retirement last December.

It was the last men’s World Cup downhill before the Feb. 12 world championship race in Courchevel, France.

The race weekend in Kitzbuehel ends with a slalom Sunday.

Ski Racing Media tips our hat to everyone who left the start with the intent to race.

Analysis of the fastest three, top 30 North Americans, and top 30 results

Kitzbühel January 21st top 30 downhill results

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is a developing story, stay tuned for updates.