ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway soared down the course putting down the fastest time in the first training run for the opening men's downhill race of the World Cup season at Lake Louise on Wednesday (Nov. 24) edging off Austrian Hans Grugger to second place by .07 of a second. The Swede Patrik Jaerbyn was another .07 back.

Aksel Lund Svindal, of Norway ,soars down the course on his way to the fastest time in the first training run for the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta, on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

It was the first of three scheduled training runs on the Men's Olympic Downhill track before the actual race is held Saturday (Nov. 27).

Svindal, last season’s triple Olympic medalist, has never yet won the downhill at Lake Louise but has taken to top spot on the podium in the Lake Louise super G twice. This season's super G will be held Sunday (Nov. 28).

The 29-year-old Grugger had four top 10 finishes last season and has seven World Cup downhill podiums in his career while the oldest racer on the circuit, 42-year-old Jaerbyn, has podiumed three times but never won a World Cup race in his career.

Patrik Jaerbyn, of Sweden, soars down the course during the first training run for the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta, on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal had the fastest time on a bitterly cold day in Wednesday's first training for the opening men's downhill race of the World Cup season.

Last year’s winner Didier Cuche (SUI) was the top Swiss in eleventh place.

With Bode Miller the top American was seventh while Robbie Dixon finished 15th as the top Canadian.

Bode Miller, of the United States, soars down the course during the first training run for the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta, on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Leaving the gate : US skier Steven Nyman departs at the start gate during the first training in the Men's Downhill of the FIS Ski World Cup in Lake Louise, Canada. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)

The first downhill race of the season will be held Saturday (Nov. 27), followed by a super-G on Sunday (Nov. 28).

A total of 84 racers completed the training.

FISalpine.com
Thursday 25 November 2010

RESULTS
First training for men's World Cup downhill
on Saturday at Lake Louise, Alberta (CAN)

1. Aksel Lund Svindal (Nor) 1:49,97.
2. Hans Grugger (Aut) 0,07 behind.
3. Patrik Järbyn (Swe) 0,14.
4. Klaus Kröll (Aut) 0,18.
5. Andrej Jerman (Slo) 0,23.
6. Michael Walchhofer (Aut) 0,29.
7. Bode Miller (USA) 0,33.
8. David Poisson (Fra) 0,39.
9. Christof Innerhofer (Ita) 0,60.
10. Georg Streitberger (Aut) 0,63

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