Kriechmayr leads Austrian 1-2 in Val Gardena super-G with Odermatt third

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SELVA DI VAL GARDENA, Italy (AP) — Former world champion Vincent Kriechmayr led a strong Austrian showing to win a high-speed super-G in Val Gardena on Friday.

For his 17th career World Cup win — split almost evenly between downhill (9) and super-G (8) — Kriechmayr finished a narrow 0.02 seconds ahead of teammate Daniel Hemetsberger.

Marco Odermatt, who dominated the super-G discipline last season, placed third, 0.03 back. The two-time defending overall World Cup winner was visibly upset, screaming at himself in the finish.

The course, set by a French coach, was relatively straight. That meant that racers could accelerate to more than 110 kph (68 mph) — not far off the speeds of the downhill on the Saslong course. Conditions were virtually perfect.

“It was probably one of the easiest super-G’s I’ve ever skied on the World Cup circuit,” Odermatt said.

Marco Schwarz finished fifth as Austrians took three of the top five spots.

“Today it looks much better than yesterday,” Hemetsberger said, referring to how only one Austrian — Stefan Babinsky in sixth — placed in the top 15 of the downhill won by American skier Bryce Bennett on Thursday.

Toronto’s James Crawford, who finished fifth in downhill on Thursday, was sixth in Friday’s super-G. Crawford won gold in super-G at last season’s world championship.

Fellow Canadians Cameron Alexander, of North Vancouver, B.C., placed seventh, and Calgary’s Jeffrey Read finished tied for 10th.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde struggled all of the way down and then jumped too far on the lower section of the course, which meant he had to brake hard to clear the next gate. The Norwegian, who was the only skier other than Odermatt to win a World Cup super-G last season, finished outside the top 30, a distant 1.09 behind.

“I was a little too keen today. I wanted it too much. I went a little too hard, and that’s not the way to do it when it’s easy like this,” Kilde said.

Kriechmayr took gold in downhill and super-G at the 2021 world championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo. But he hadn’t won a super-G since the finals of the 2021-22 season in Courchevel-Meribel.

Krichemayr celebrated his run by holding up his right index finger to signify No. 1.

“I tried to give 100% every gate,” Kriechmayr said. “The run was pretty good. I’m proud of it.”

For Hemetsberger, it was only his fourth career podium result.

Cyprien Sarrazin of France finished fourth.

As usual in Val Gardena, where there is improved light for later starters, the final results were not certain until nearly the very end.

Adrien Theaux placed 13th with the No. 59 bib and Bennett placed 14th with the No. 62 bib.

Andreas Ploier, another Austrian, fell hard on the lower section, and was taken away on a stretcher.

Jared Goldberg was the top American in 10th.

It was the opening super-G of the season after bad weather wiped out a race in Beaver Creek, Colorado, two weeks ago.

Another downhill is scheduled for the Saslong on Saturday, then the circuit heads over the Gardena pass for giant slaloms in Alta Badia on Sunday and Monday.

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