Svindal sees patience finally pay o≠

The Norwegian captures a victory in Switzerland’s famed alpine ski race on his 10th attempt.

wengen, switzerland» Aksel Lund Svindal was due some good luck and a win on the historic Lauberhorn hill. He got both Saturday.

Svindal won a tricky World Cup downhill in challenging weather, finally winning Switzerland’s classic alpine ski race on his 10th attempt to retake the overall standings lead.

The Norwegian stunned the appreciative crowd of 22,000 by being 1.52 seconds faster than early leader Klaus Kroell of Austria down the shortened 2.7-kilometer course.

Only Hannes Reichelt came close, racing immediately after Svindal and just 0.19 seconds slower, pushing teammate Kroell into third.

No one racing after Svindal and Reichelt had a chance as fog rolled in, and snow slowed the course.

“I have had some bad luck in Wengen before,” said Svindal, the dominant downhill racer of this generation whose first eight visits here left him far from victory. “It was good to have some good luck.”

Still, it was far from easy after the sunshine highlighting a fast racing line for No. 4 starter Kroell was long gone when the top two finishers overcame poor visibility as Nos. 18 and 19.

“How many races do you have in you where you are able to go to that extreme? Not many,” said Svindal, who has won four of the five downhills this season.

Svindal earned his 100 race points that lifted him 15 ahead of Marcel Hirscher, the four-time defending champion from Austria. Hirscher does not race downhill, and starts among the favorites in the slalom Sunday.

Norway has swept the three-race Wengen meeting so far after Kjetil Jansrud edged Svindal for victory in the combined Friday.