Vonn back on top with downhill win
Italy’s Dominik Paris joined the pantheon of skiing greats who have won the World Cup’s most prestigious event, the Kitzbuehel downhill, twice after his latest triumph yesterday.
Paris previously won in 2013 and the Italian’s second victory down the notoriously difficult Streif course, in 1min 55.01sec, was his seventh win on the World Cup circuit. The 27-year-old joins a list of multiple winners including Didier Cuche (5), Franz Klammer (4), Swiss duo Franz Heinzer and Pirmin Zubriggen, and France’s Luc Alphand all winning three times.
“From the midpoint down it was very good,” Paris said. “It is one of the most beautiful races, I am really chuffed. “I have not been in such good shape in the downhill, but that’s a great start!”
Unheralded Valentin Giraud Moine claimed second, 0.21sec adrift, with French teammate Johan Clarey in third (+0.33) in perfect conditions with temperatures of -8 degrees Celsius (18F) and clear skies.
The Hahnenkamm, or rooster’s comb, the mountain on which the “Streif” piste lies, is widely recognised as the toughest course on the World Cup circuit, with racers touching 100kph within 8.5 seconds of leaving the start and hitting 140kph further down the piste.
Starting with bib number nine, Paris attacked from the off and picked a particularly good line in the bottom section of the 3.3km-long course that demands everything of man and material as racers fight not only creeping exhaustion but also a 3.5G centrifugal force to change direction into the final descent.
Coming into view of an estimated 50,000 flag-waving spectators packed into the picturesque Tyrolean town, Paris kept his nerve to blast through the finish line, his fist pumping the air in delight.
Fancied Norwegian Kjetil Jansrud finished well down the field, more than 2sec off the pace, a mistake at the top of the course costing him dear.
Austrian Matthias Mayer, the reigning Olympic downhill champion and winner of Friday’s super-G, finished eighth, at 0.75sec, despite words of encouragement from onlooking former California governor and Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Do it!” Schwarznegger intoned on the big screen, then deadpanning, to a raucous reception: “He’ll be back!”
As ever, the course claimed its victims, notably Austrian hope Max Franz and Switzerland’s Beat Feuz, who was third in the super-G.
Feuz tore down the piste and came into the final descent well in the lead, but the centrifugal forces got the better of him, the Swiss racer unable to get back on line and crashing heavily into the safety netting.
On each occasion, there were collective gasps of shock from the crowd, followed by a deathly minutes-long silence before widespread cheers as the respective racers got to their feet and waved to signal they were okay. — AFP