Vincent Kriechmayr from Austria skillfully navigated the challenging conditions to secure victory in a World Cup super-G event at Beaver Creek, Colorado. The competition was cut short after 31 racers due to strong winds affecting the course.
Clocking in at 1 minute, 6.77 seconds, Kriechmayr dominated the Birds of Prey course, edging out Norwegian competitor Fredrik Moeller by 0.56 seconds. His Austrian teammate, Raphael Haaser, claimed the third spot on the podium. Toronto’s James Crawford was the leading Canadian, finishing in seventh place, 1.30 seconds behind the winner.
During the event, Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland had a frightening crash as the 14th racer but managed to recover. Subsequently, the race experienced interruptions due to snowfall and high winds, leading to its eventual cancellation.
Kriechmayr commented on the challenging conditions post the initial break caused by Von Allmen’s crash, emphasizing the importance of fair conditions for all competitors. Despite the adversity, no racer after the delay could break into the top 10.
Marco Odermatt, the Swiss standout who triumphed in the season-opening super-G at Copper Mountain, struggled in the diminished light conditions, finishing in fifth place, 1.23 seconds behind Kriechmayr. Odermatt continued his impressive streak of 26 consecutive top-10 finishes in World Cup super-G races.
For Kriechmayr, this victory marked his 19th World Cup win and 24th podium finish in the super-G discipline, tying him with Stephan Eberharter for second place among Austrian men in super-G podium finishes. Hermann Maier holds the record with 38 podium finishes.
The top American performers were River Radamus in 12th place and Ryan Cochran-Siegle in 13th place, following his second-place finish in the downhill event. The Beaver Creek races will conclude with a giant slalom event, with live coverage available on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
