ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. Friday’s Austrian domination of training run 3 at the Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup downhill translated into two top podium spots on Saturday.

Austria's Michael Walchhofer celebrates winning the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta on Saturday Nov. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

Austrian skier Michael Walchhofer powers his way in the Men's Downhill of the FIS Ski World Cup in Lake Louise, Canada. Walchhofer won the first downhill of the season here on Saturday, the 16th World Cup victory of his career and his 12th in the prestige discipline. (AFP/Bill Halliwell)

Michael Walchhofer, skiing in his last season on the World Cup tour won the season’s maiden downhill in a time of 1 minute, 47.78 just 0.45 ahead of countryman Mario Scheiber and Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal who finished in a tie for second place.

Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal celebrates after finishing second in the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta on Saturday Nov. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

Mario Scheiber of Austria, races down the course on his way to a third place finish in the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta on Saturday Nov. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

This is Walchhofer’s second victory at Lake Louise, the Austrian won here in 2003.

The victory ends a 630-day downhill drought for the Austrian speed squad. Klaus Kroell was the last Austrian to win a downhill race in Kvitfjell, Norway in March 2009. Kroell, who won the Friday's training run at Lake Louise finished in 6th place in a time of 1 minute, 48.89.

Both Walchhofer and Scheiber admitted the team had been under considerable pressure because of the downhill drought and a lackluster performance at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Whistler.

Bode Miller of the United States, races down the course on his way to an eight place finish in the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta on Saturday Nov. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Didier Cuche of Switzerland, races down the course on his way to ninth place finish in the men's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta on Saturday Nov. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

“We had a lot of pressure on the whole team because the downhill is very popular in Austria and we didn’t have a victory in it for two years, so the press and Austrian ski fans missed those victories - that I can do this today it’s not just great for me its perfect for the whole team,” Walchhofer said after the race.

“We had no victories in downhill for a long time and no Olympic medals in Whistler. This is a good start with a victory in the first race of the season. It’s important for the whole team and the coaches,” Scheiber added.

FISalpine.com
Saturday 27 November 2010

Austrian day of redemption at Lake Louise

Redemption was the theme of the day at the Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup downhill race with the Austrian speed squad taking the top spot and a share of second place.

Austria's Michael Walchhofer (C), Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal (R) and Austria's Mario Scheiber celebrate on the winners' podium in the Men's Downhill of the FIS Ski World Cup in Lake Louise, Canada. Walchhofer won the race with a time of 1:47.78, as Scheiber and Svindal tied for second with a time of 1:48.33. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)

Michael Walchhofer’s victory in time of 1-minute, 47.78 seconds ends a 20-month downhill drought dating back to Klaus Kroell’s victory in Kvitfjell, Norway in March 2009.

Austria’s Mario Scheiber and Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal tied for 2nd place 0.45 seconds off the the top spot.

Walchhofer, who is retiring after the current World Cup season becomes the oldest winner of a World Cup downhill at the ripe old age of 35-years, 7-months and 30-days. The previous record holder in this category was Switzerland’s Didier Cuche who was 20 days younger when he won the downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway last March.

“Sometimes I feel old when I’m with the downhill team but at home I feel young because I’m the youngest sibling in my family,” Walchhofer joked after the race.

The victory puts an end to a stressful period of time for the Austrian downhill squad who have been suffering the slings and arrows of an uber-critical home press corps and millions of victory-starved ski fans who have been distressed over the team’s lack of downhill wins.

The win, is in some ways, a redemption for the entire team and a great relief for Austria’s national alpine skiing psyche.

“We had a lot of pressure on the whole team because the downhill is very popular in Austria and we didn’t have a victory in it for two years, so the press and Austrian ski fans missed those victories - that I can do this today it’s not just great for me its perfect for the whole team,” Walchhofer said after the race.

“We had no victories in downhill for a long time and no Olympic medals in Whistler. This is a good start with a victory in the first race of the season. It’s important for the whole team and the coaches,” Scheiber added.

Pressure, however, was not on the mind of the man who tied Scheiber for 2nd place.

When asked if he felt any performance pressure due to new ski and headgear sponsors, Lund Svindal said he didn’t and confessed he’d done a lot of ski testing over the summer was extremely happy and confident with his new equipment set-up.

On the topic of pressure the Austrians have been feeling over the last year and a half - Lund Svindal was both understanding and sympathetic.

“They had a lot of bad luck last year I would say and it’s also sort of unfair because some of the stuff they did in the 90s was unbelievable. You can’t really expect a team to dominate like that, but the home crowd in Austria are used to a lot of podiums. They’re still the strongest downhill team in the world but give them credit even if they can’t dominate like they once did.”

Redemption was also on the menu for one of the friendliest and most talented racers on the World Cup tour - and it was a meal best served with a warm heart in front of a hometown crowd.

For nearby Banff, Alberta’s Jan Hudec, 2007 World Championship downhill silver medalist, and winner of the Lake Louise downhill in 2008, an 11th place finish was a reminder that he can still run fast with the best in the world.

Plagued by knee and back injuries his entire career, Hudec proved to himself, his coaches and the entire world that he’s still got what it takes to perform at the highest level on the World Cup tour.

After an emotional address to entire crowd, with his young son Oakland in his arms, Hudec admitted he didn’t even know if he was going to be able to ski until the very last minute.

“I’d need probably a million words to describe what happened today. I knew I had to have an inspired run. Thank God that I could even ski today because my back has been bugging me. I had to make a decision, I showed up to the hill late, I just went up to inspection and decided after inspection whether I was going to ski or not. I was feeling it. This is my home hill and even though I was in pain I knew if I had a good run and trusted my skis, my serviceman and my staff I could go down and have a good run. I’m a race day kind of guy so I knew I could turn it up a little bit. I’m just so blessed to be in that position right now.”

By Michael Mastarciyan
FISalpine.com
Sunday 28 November 2010

Place   Lake Louise (CAN)   Discipline   Downhill
Date   27.11.2010   Category   FIS World Cup
Race codex   0252   Gender   M
Valid for FIS Points   YES   TD Name   Lund Per (NOR)
       
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
 1  20  50041 WALCHHOFER Michael  1975  AUT   1:47.78  0.00
 2  19  51005 SCHEIBER Mario  1983  AUT   1:48.33  6.79
 2  18  421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund  1982  NOR   1:48.33  6.79
 4  31  510890 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan  1981  SUI   1:48.42  7.90
 5  6  191740 CLAREY Johan  1981  FRA   1:48.51  9.01
 6  14  50753 KROELL Klaus  1980  AUT   1:48.89  13.70
 7  16  511313 JANKA Carlo  1986  SUI   1:48.92  14.07
 8  12  532431 MILLER Bode  1977  USA   1:49.04  15.55
 9  21  510030 CUCHE Didier  1974  SUI   1:49.05  15.67
 10  7  511139 KUENG Patrick  1984  SUI   1:49.13  16.66
 11  42  102271 HUDEC Jan  1981  CAN   1:49.31  18.88
 11  28  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica  1979  CRO   1:49.31  18.88
 13  17  102899 OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel  1984  CAN   1:49.33  19.13
 14  53  50858 STREITBERGER Georg  1981  AUT   1:49.35  19.37
 14  9  560447 SPORN Andrej  1981  SLO   1:49.35  19.37
 16  11  292455 FILL Peter  1982  ITA   1:49.41  20.11
 17  10  50833 GRUGGER Hans  1981  AUT   1:49.48  20.98
 18  49  511383 FEUZ Beat  1987  SUI   1:49.50  21.22
 19  41  191591 BERTRAND Yannick  1980  FRA   1:49.65  23.08
 20  39  511529 GISIN Marc  1988  SUI   1:49.66  23.20
 21  23  192746 THEAUX Adrien  1984  FRA   1:49.90  26.16
 22  33  50625 RAICH Benjamin  1978  AUT   1:49.96  26.90
 23  29  293006 INNERHOFER Christof  1984  ITA   1:49.99  27.27
 24  15  102263 GUAY Erik  1981  CAN   1:50.00  27.39
 25  59  201987 STRODL Andreas  1987  GER   1:50.01  27.52
 25  36  51327 PUCHNER Joachim  1987  AUT   1:50.01  27.52
 27  8  560332 JERMAN Andrej  1978  SLO   1:50.04  27.89
 28  4  510747 GRUENENFELDER Tobias  1977  SUI   1:50.20  29.86
 29  58  201606 KEPPLER Stephan  1983  GER   1:50.22  30.11
 29  34  291459 PARIS Dominik  1989  ITA   1:50.22  30.11
 31  27  102961 DIXON Robbie  1985  CAN   1:50.26  30.60
 32  5  191964 POISSON David  1982  FRA   1:50.31  31.22
 33  61  150398 BANK Ondrej  1980  CZE   1:50.43  32.70
 34  22  292514 HEEL Werner  1982  ITA   1:50.48  33.32
 35  38  533866 NYMAN Steven  1982  USA   1:50.57  34.43
 36  37  530874 GANONG Travis  1988  USA   1:50.59  34.68
 37  3  530939 WEIBRECHT Andrew  1986  USA   1:50.60  34.80
 38  51  192932 FAYED Guillermo  1985  FRA   1:50.62  35.05
 39  35  294277 KLOTZ Siegmar  1987  ITA   1:50.64  35.29
 40  26  51215 BAUMANN Romed  1986  AUT   1:50.72  36.28
 41  45  561087 MARKIC Gasper  1986  SLO   1:50.74  36.53
 42  25  380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko  1986  CRO   1:50.90  38.50
 43  72  531452 BIESEMEYER Thomas  1989  USA   1:51.13  41.34
 44  63  103271 THOMSEN Benjamin  1987  CAN   1:51.14  41.46
 45  65  511352 VILETTA Sandro  1986  SUI   1:51.15  41.59
 46  55  293550 MARSAGLIA Matteo  1985  ITA   1:51.18  41.96
 47  60  103090 HELIE Louis-Pierre  1986  CAN   1:51.29  43.31
 48  40  290998 STAUDACHER Patrick  1980  ITA   1:51.30  43.44
 49  13  501076 OLSSON Hans  1984  SWE   1:51.38  44.42
 50  47  292291 THANEI Stefan  1981  ITA   1:51.45  45.29
 51  68  491129 TERRA Ferran  1987  SPA   1:51.46  45.41
 52  52  180570 ROMAR Andreas  1989  FIN   1:51.70  48.37
 53  62  561216 KLINE Bostjan  1991  SLO   1:51.78  49.36
 54  43  150421 ZAHROBSKY Petr  1980  CZE   1:51.86  50.35
 54  2  533131 SULLIVAN Marco  1980  USA   1:51.86  50.35
 56  44  53817 FRANZ Max  1989  AUT   1:51.88  50.59
 57  48  511405 OREILLER Ami  1987  SUI   1:51.93  51.21
 58  57  193560 PASQUIER Alexandre  1987  FRA   1:52.03  52.44
 59  71  191746 DE TESSIERES Gauthier  1981  FRA   1:52.36  56.52
 60  64  100558 COOK Dustin  1989  CAN   1:52.64  59.97
 61  70  380298 SIROKI Tin  1987  CRO   1:52.98  64.17
 62  69  220656 DRAKE Ed  1986  GBR   1:53.12  65.90
 63  54  530165 BRANDENBURG Will  1987  USA   1:53.16  66.39
 64  1  500150 JAERBYN Patrik  1969  SWE   2:06.15  226.68
Disqualified 1st run
   46  511634 SPESCHA Christian  1989  SUI     
Did not start 1st run
   32  421483 JANSRUD Kjetil  1985  NOR     
   30  510767 HOFFMANN Ambrosi  1977  SUI     
Did not finish 1st run
   67  421954 LYSDAHL Espen  1990  NOR     
   66  501230 ERICSSON Daniel  1987  SWE     
   56  534939 FISHER Erik  1985  USA     
   50  294911 PATSCHEIDER Hagen  1988  ITA     
   24  561067 PERKO Rok  1985  SLO