Slovenia, and Yugoslavia before her, have not had many downhill champions. Tuesday, at Bormio Italy, Andrej Jerman boosted his national status to icon level becoming the first Slovene ever to win a second World Cup downhill. He had already been a national hero for being the only man to win one.

With an early bib number (5) and a confidence boosting training run win in his pocket, Jerman arced a workman-like path down the straight-forward Stelvio track then stood back and watched as the very best of the World Cup tried unsuccessfully to match his time. One by one they failed, often dropping back by the second interval timer despite having what the first interval said were faster skis.

Winless Mario Scheiber, the first man out of the start chute, scored his seventh career second place finish, and second in two straight downhills while third went to Swiss Didier Defago. Downhill standings leaders Michael Walchhofer and Didier Cuche finished fourth and sixth respectively.

North Americans got brushed off the list of top ten finishers completely. Canadians Manuel Osborne-Paradis finished 11th and Robbie Dixon 13th.  Steven Nyman led the U.S. in 17th. Marco Sullivan salvaged a couple of points in 29th.

SkiRacing.com
29/12/2009

Place   Bormio
(ITA)   Discipline   Downhill
Date   29.12.2009   Category   FIS World Cup
Race codex   0826   Gender   M
Valid for FIS Points   YES   TD Name   Berthod Martin (SUI)

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
 1  5  560332 JERMAN Andrej  1978  SLO   2:00.32  0.00
 2  17  510727 DEFAGO Didier  1977  SUI   2:00.85  5.81
 3  20  50041 WALCHHOFER Michael  1975  AUT   2:01.35  11.30
 4  7  191964 POISSON David  1982  FRA   2:01.55  13.49
 5  22  510030 CUCHE Didier  1974  SUI   2:01.60  14.04
 6  9  350032 BUECHEL Marco  1971  LIE   2:01.63  14.37
 7  28  510747 GRUENENFELDER Tobias  1977  SUI   2:01.83  16.57
 8  21  50753 KROELL Klaus  1980  AUT   2:01.93  17.66
 9  33  50833 GRUGGER Hans  1981  AUT   2:02.00  18.43
 10  16  102899 OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel  1984  CAN   2:02.03  18.76
 11  19  511313 JANKA Carlo  1986  SUI   2:02.10  19.53
 12  14  102961 DIXON Robbie  1985  CAN   2:02.13  19.86
 13  34  201606 KEPPLER Stephan  1983  GER   2:02.30  21.72
 14  13  293006 INNERHOFER Christof  1984  ITA   2:02.32  21.94
 15  31  560447 SPORN Andrej  1981  SLO   2:02.33  22.05
 16  4  533866 NYMAN Steven  1982  USA   2:02.46  23.48
 17  39  192932 FAYED Guillermo  1985  FRA   2:02.48  23.70
 18  42  511039 KREUZER Ralf  1983  SUI   2:02.51  24.03
 19  8  192746 THEAUX Adrien  1984  FRA   2:02.53  24.25
 20  18  421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund  1982  NOR   2:02.66  25.67
 21  47  380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko  1986  CRO   2:02.79  27.10
 22  36  191591 BERTRAND Yannick  1980  FRA   2:02.84  27.65
 23  51  561085 KRIZAJ Andrej  1986  SLO   2:02.87  27.98
 24  44  51327 PUCHNER Joachim  1987  AUT   2:02.89  28.19
 25  37  510498 ZUEGER Cornel  1981  SUI   2:03.08  30.28
 26  35  292291 THANEI Stefan  1981  ITA   2:03.14  30.94
 27  2  50858 STREITBERGER Georg  1981  AUT   2:03.17  31.27
 28  11  533131 SULLIVAN Marco  1980  USA   2:03.20  31.60
 29  3  50451 GRUBER Christoph  1976  AUT   2:03.29  32.58
 30  29  51215 BAUMANN Romed  1986  AUT   2:03.31  32.80
 31  45  990081 CASSE Mattia  1990  ITA   2:03.47  34.56
 32  23  191740 CLAREY Johan  1981  FRA   2:03.55  35.44
 33  46  201987 STRODL Andreas  1987  GER   2:03.59  35.87
 34  25  511139 KUENG Patrick  1984  SUI   2:03.77  37.85
 35  27  530939 WEIBRECHT Andrew  1986  USA   2:03.78  37.96
 36  53  193034 BOUILLOT Alexandre  1985  FRA   2:03.97  40.04
 37  6  561067 PERKO Rok  1985  SLO   2:04.23  42.90
 38  15  501076 OLSSON Hans  1984  SWE   2:04.35  44.21
 39  26  500150 JAERBYN Patrik  1969  SWE   2:04.40  44.76
 40  12  510767 HOFFMANN Ambrosi  1977  SUI   2:04.52  46.08
 41  38  201542 STRODL Peter  1982  GER   2:04.83  49.48
 42  48  294277 KLOTZ Siegmar  1987  ITA   2:05.01  51.45
 43  40  511682 FRAVI Jonas  1990  SUI   2:05.04  51.78
 44  52  293141 VARETTONI Silvano  1984  ITA   2:05.23  53.87
 45  41  150421 ZAHROBSKY Petr  1980  CZE   2:05.31  54.74
 46  43  193212 DURAND Jeremie  1986  FRA   2:05.61  58.04
 47  54  60159 VAN BUYNDER Frederik  1988  BEL   2:08.38  88.42
 48  49  291034 PLANK Andy  1989  ITA   2:08.48  89.52
Disqualified 1st run
   1  51005 SCHEIBER Mario  1983  AUT     
Did not start 1st run
   50  40171 BRANCH Craig  1977  AUS     
   32  532490 MACARTNEY Scott  1978  USA     
Did not finish 1st run
   30  290998 STAUDACHER Patrick  1980  ITA     
   24  534939 FISHER Erik  1985  USA     
   10  102263 GUAY Erik  1981  CAN

  Tweet