Canada's Crawford wins, Alexander third at WC downhill event
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KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) — James Crawford became the first Canadian skier in 42 years to win the prestigious World Cup downhill on the Streif course, sharing the podium with his third-placed teammate Cameron Alexander on Saturday.
Wearing bib No. 20 and coming down after all pre-race favourites had completed their runs, Crawford bumped Alexis Monney into second position.
The Swiss skier took an early lead as the fourth starter and looked set for his second career victory, weeks after triumphing in Bormio on the downhill course to be used for next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics. Alexander also finished third in that race.
But Toronto's Crawford, the super-G world champion, upset the field and beat Monney by just 0.08 seconds for the Canadian’s first career World Cup win.
Alexander, from North Vancouver, B.C., trailed by 0.22 in third.
“I’ve been looking for my first World Cup win for a while and for it to come in Kitzbuehel is surreal. I don’t have words to describe the feelings,” said Crawford. “I’ve had good speed for a while now and I was able to go out today and ski free, with no expectations, and just send it from top to bottom.
"I’m still a little in shock but I think I’ll feel the win when I’m hoisting the Kits trophy tonight with my teammates and my parents."
The last Canadian winner of the iconic downhill in Kitzbuehel was Todd Brooker in 1983. Ken Read also finished third that day to give Canada a double podium.
“To celebrate this with Cam in third is incredible," said Crawford. "And it’s special to be associated with Todd Brooker and Ken Read. They are legends who have played a role in supporting me in my career.”
The last time two Canadian downhillers shared a World Cup podium was in February 2012, when Jan Hudec won and Erik Guay finished third in Chamonix, France.
The impressive result for the Canadian team came 10 days before the start of the world championships at another Austrian resort, Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Crawford in super-G and Alexander, who took bronze in downhill, won medals at the worlds in France two years ago.
Alexander is in sixth, while Crawford ranks seventh in the season’s downhill Crystal Globe standings after Saturday's results.
Downhill world champion and three-time overall World Cup winner Marco Odermatt finished sixth, a day after the Swiss star triumphed in the super-G.
“It was a solid race, not the best, and with not the best race you can not win Kitzbuehel, the downhill,” Odermatt said. “A big goal and dream remains.”
The 85th edition of the Hahnenkamm races end with a slalom on Sunday.
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