Guay wins Kvitfjell downhill with Ganong fourth

By Published On: March 1st, 2014Comments Off on Guay wins Kvitfjell downhill with Ganong fourth
Erik Guay charging hard in Kvitfjell (GEPA/Harald Steiner)

Erik Guay charging in Kvitfjell (GEPA/Harald Steiner)

It looked like Canadian Erik Guay was possibly seeking vengeance for disappointing Olympic results in Sochi. Fourth just one day earlier, on the opening morning of March in Kvitfjell, Norway, he came out of the start of the second downhill charging and never let up. Scrapped his way down the deceptively tricky Olympiabakken course, Guay collected his fifth career World Cup win and second of the season after claiming Val Gardena on Dec. 21. Taking a page out of Bode Miller’s book and executing better than Miller on this day, Guay pinched off a meter of course here and another meter there, registering the top speed as he flew into the final quarter-mile straight to the finish for a well-earned victory.

Frenchman Johan Clarey picked up second and Olympic champion Matthias Mayer, skiing flawlessly but without much risk in his line, placed third. American Travis Ganong, one day out from his first career podium, was a half a tenth from his claiming his second podium in as many days, but finished fourth.

Aksel Lund Svindal, with uncharacteristic small errors, placed sixth gaining just enough points to wrestle the lead of the World Cup overall standings away from a resting Marcel Hirscher, 942-955. With three races in Svindal’s wheelhouse (one downhill and two super Gs), but four that should favor Hirscher (slalom and giant slalom) the lead, he said, will need some padding. “Marcel is always among the top three,” he said.

While not as short as the lone training run or the race held Friday, Saturday’s race did begin at the super G start. The course was in better shape than it had been, but was still a bit rugged and provided plenty of challenge for the field. Small mistakes were compounded on the track where trying to generate speed proved next to impossible. The race had seven ties in total including a three-way tie for 17th.

“In the middle it is very soft,” said Guay. “I really have to thank my service man. I had a very good ski.”

It was only to the first split that Guay failed to take the lead, giving away .02 to the first timer, but from there, showing a willingness to take risk, he ripped and no one could really challenge him after that.

“It’s really fun skiing right now,” said Ganong. “I’m having a good time and the results are coming. Hopefully in Lenzerheide I can make that one last little step up to the top of the podium and then just carry all this momentum towards the World (Championships) in Beaver Creek. I’d like to continue on this streak, it’s really nice right now.”

Miller finished eighth, Marco Sullivan 24th, Steven Nyman 25th, Erik Fisher 32nd, Andrew Weibrecht 38th and Jared Goldberg 46th. For Canada, Jeffrey Frisch picked up his second best career result by finishing 17th. Manny Osborne-Paradis was 21st, Ben Thomsen posted 43rd and Jan Hudec 44th.

See more photos from this race in our gallery here

 

THE SCOOP

Men’s World Cup downhill, Kvitfjell, Norway, March 1, 2014

Equipment – Skier, skis/boots/bindings

1 Guay, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

2 Clarey, Head/Head/Head

3 Mayer, Head/Head/Head

4 Ganong, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

5 Jansrud, Head/Head/Head

6 Zurbriggen, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol

6 Svindal, Head/Head/Head

8 Miller, Head/Head/Head

9 Paris, Nordica/Nordica/Marker

10 Heel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

Men’s World Cup downhill, Kvitfjell, Norway, March 1, 2014. … It is the 27th race of the men’s 35 race schedule with eight race remaining. … It is the eighth of nine scheduled downhills. … It is the 52nd World Cup race hosted by Kvitfjell, the 26th downhill and the second of three races slated at the site this season with a super G remaining.

It is the fifth career World Cup win for Erik Guay and his second at Kvitfjell having won a super G at the site March 7, 2010. … It is his third downhill win and second of the season having won at Val Gardena Dec. 21. … It is the 73rd World Cup win for Canada. … Guay matches Gerry Sorensen and Ken Read for fourth on the all-time Canadian World Cup win list… he trails Laurie Graham (6), Steve Podborski (8) and Nancy Greene (13).

It is a career-best World Cup result and the third career downhill podium for Johan Clarey. The bulk of his best finishes have come from early season races.

It is the third career World Cup podium for Matthias Mayer, the Olympic downhill champion. He has never won a World Cup but was second in the 2013 Kitzbuehel super G and this season’s Lake Louise super G.

It is the second best career World Cup finish for Travis Ganong, the best, a third, being scored yesterday on the same hill. … It is the seventh World Cup top 10 scored at Kvitfjell for Bode Miller. … It is the second best career placing for Jeffrey Frisch, and the second best scored at Kvitfjell having placed 12th at the site in DH in 2007. … Manuel Osborne-Paradis matches his eighth best placing at Kvitfjell. … He won a downhill at the site in 2009. … It s the sixth scoring result a Kvitfjell for Marco Sullivan. … It is the ninth career scoring result at Kvitfjell for Steven Nyman.

With eight races remaining, Aksel Lund Svindal (sixth in race) regains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 982-955 over Marcel Hirscher (did not race). … Svindal is the only skier in the top five who participated in the race. … Alexis Pinturault is third with 774pts. … Ted Ligety is fourth with 629pts, Bode Miller seventh with 496 and Guay climbs to 11th with 411pts.

With one race remaining, Svindal leads the downhill standings 515-360 over Hannes Reichelt (did not race). … Guay is third at 357pts… Miller seventh with 232pts.

Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup standings 4395-3012 over France. … Norway is third with 2441pts. … The U.S. is fifth with 1953pts and Canada tenth with 931pts.

 

RESULTS

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  16  102263 GUAY Erik 1981 CAN  1:22.17  0.00
 2  9  191740 CLAREY Johan 1981 FRA  1:22.52  +0.35  5.84
 3  8  53902 MAYER Matthias 1990 AUT  1:22.74  +0.57  9.50
 4  14  530874 GANONG Travis 1988 USA  1:22.79  +0.62  10.34
 5  19  421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR  1:22.80  +0.63  10.50
 6  31  510890 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan 1981 SUI  1:22.82  +0.65  10.84
 6  22  421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund 1982 NOR  1:22.82  +0.65  10.84
 8  20  532431 MILLER Bode 1977 USA  1:22.89  +0.72  12.00
 9  21  291459 PARIS Dominik 1989 ITA  1:23.02  +0.85  14.17
 10  6  292514 HEEL Werner 1982 ITA  1:23.04  +0.87  14.51
 11  13  50858 STREITBERGER Georg 1981 AUT  1:23.13  +0.96  16.01
 12  18  511139 KUENG Patrick 1984 SUI  1:23.14  +0.97  16.17
 13  28  293141 VARETTONI Silvano 1984 ITA  1:23.17  +1.00  16.67
 14  11  50753 KROELL Klaus 1980 AUT  1:23.18  +1.01  16.84
 15  17  293006 INNERHOFER Christof 1984 ITA  1:23.22  +1.05  17.51
 16  2  510727 DEFAGO Didier 1977 SUI  1:23.27  +1.10  18.34
 17  33  103512 FRISCH Jeffrey 1984 CAN  1:23.30  +1.13  18.84
 17  29  54005 STRIEDINGER Otmar 1991 AUT  1:23.30  +1.13  18.84
 17  23  53936 DUERAGER Markus 1990 AUT  1:23.30  +1.13  18.84
 20  10  53817 FRANZ Max 1989 AUT  1:23.33  +1.16  19.34
 21  25  102899 OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel 1984 CAN  1:23.36  +1.19  19.84
 22  7  51215 BAUMANN Romed 1986 AUT  1:23.39  +1.22  20.34
 23  38  511529 GISIN Marc 1988 SUI  1:23.43  +1.26  21.01
 24  27  533131 SULLIVAN Marco 1980 USA  1:23.44  +1.27  21.17
 25  3  533866 NYMAN Steven 1982 USA  1:23.45  +1.28  21.34
 26  42  501076 OLSSON Hans 1984 SWE  1:23.51  +1.34  22.34
 26  15  192746 THEAUX Adrien 1984 FRA  1:23.51  +1.34  22.34
 28  57  201606 KEPPLER Stephan 1983 GER  1:23.54  +1.37  22.84
 29  34  53968 BERTHOLD Frederic 1991 AUT  1:23.60  +1.43  23.84
 30  35  511847 MANI Nils 1992 SUI  1:23.69  +1.52  25.34
 31  51  194542 GIRAUD MOINE Valentin 1992 FRA  1:23.73  +1.56  26.01
 32  39  534939 FISHER Erik 1985 USA  1:23.79  +1.62  27.01
 33  24  51332 SCHEIBER Florian 1987 AUT  1:23.81  +1.64  27.34
 33  5  191964 POISSON David 1982 FRA  1:23.81  +1.64  27.34
 35  67  561255 CATER Martin 1992 SLO  1:23.82  +1.65  27.51
 36  48  150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE  1:23.84  +1.67  27.84
 36  4  192932 FAYED Guillermo 1985 FRA  1:23.84  +1.67  27.84
 38  66  530939 WEIBRECHT Andrew 1986 USA  1:23.85  +1.68  28.01
 39  26  511383 FEUZ Beat 1987 SUI  1:23.87  +1.70  28.34
 40  59  294277 KLOTZ Siegmar 1987 ITA  1:23.93  +1.76  29.34
 40  12  292455 FILL Peter 1982 ITA  1:23.93  +1.76  29.34
 42  32  202059 FERSTL Josef 1988 GER  1:24.08  +1.91  31.84
 43  46  103271 THOMSEN Benjamin 1987 CAN  1:24.13  +1.96  32.68
 44  1  102271 HUDEC Jan 1981 CAN  1:24.23  +2.06  34.35
 45  30  511313 JANKA Carlo 1986 SUI  1:24.24  +2.07  34.51
 46  43  934643 GOLDBERG Jared 1991 USA  1:24.28  +2.11  35.18
 47  62  491151 DE LA CUESTA Paul 1988 SPA  1:24.31  +2.14  35.68
 47  44  380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko 1986 CRO  1:24.31  +2.14  35.68
 49  54  53837 KRAMER Manuel 1989 AUT  1:24.34  +2.17  36.18
 50  55  103385 PRIDY Conrad 1988 CAN  1:24.37  +2.20  36.68
 51  50  990081 CASSE Mattia 1990 ITA  1:24.40  +2.23  37.18
 52  41  560447 SPORN Andrej 1981 SLO  1:24.41  +2.24  37.35
 53  36  511352 VILETTA Sandro 1986 SUI  1:24.62  +2.45  40.85
 54  53  194167 MUZATON Maxence 1990 FRA  1:24.63  +2.46  41.01
 55  47  481705 GLEBOV Alexander 1983 RUS  1:24.66  +2.49  41.52
 56  64  422139 KILDE Aleksander Aamodt 1992 NOR  1:24.68  +2.51  41.85
 57  65  422134 BJERTNESS Endre 1992 NOR  1:24.73  +2.56  42.68
 58  37  53981 KROELL Johannes 1991 AUT  1:24.75  +2.58  43.02
 59  45  100558 COOK Dustin 1989 CAN  1:24.76  +2.59  43.18
 60  52  103612 PRIDY Morgan 1990 CAN  1:24.83  +2.66  44.35
 61  60  202196 BRANDNER Klaus 1990 GER  1:24.87  +2.70  45.02
 62  69  422073 NETELAND Bjoernar 1991 NOR  1:24.99  +2.82  47.02
 63  58  193034 BOUILLOT Alexandre 1985 FRA  1:25.07  +2.90  48.35
 64  56  194368 RAFFORT Nicolas 1991 FRA  1:25.18  +3.01  50.18
 65  63  200379 SANDER Andreas 1989 GER  1:25.51  +3.34  55.69
 66  70  170131 FAARUP Christoffer 1992 DAN  1:26.62  +4.45  74.19
Did not start 1st run
 68  192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA
 61  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO
Did not finish 1st run
 49  220695 CRAWFORD Douglas 1987 GBR
 40  293550 MARSAGLIA Matteo 1985 ITA

 

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”