Avon, CO – The Birds of Prey World Cup race weekend at Beaver Creek started with an amazingly sunny day on Friday. A big crowd was present at the Talon Stadium for the second downhill of the season and cheered for the athletes, but one man was the man to beat, not only because he is a multiple globe winner, but also because he won both speed races staged so far this season. Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal clocked the fastest time to win the Audi Birds of Prey downhill 2016.

“Today’s race was tough with lots of rollers. The course setting was really fast but with those perfect conditions it’s not a problem, you can ski fast. Kjetil already said that yesterday and after watching his video, I knew that he is very strong here and I knew I had to do a perfect run if I want to go for it. I did some mistakes yesterday, and I pushed really hard today to win this race.”

Svindal’s teammate, and the other half of Norway’s Attacking Vikings, Kjetil Jansrud, agreed on Friday’s tough conditions, and knows where he lost the time that cost him the win.

“It was faster today, a little more icy, a little more wavy under the foot everywhere so it was tough to ski and it was one of the fastest Beaver Creek downhills we’ve had in many years. As you can see in the splits, I was losing in the top split so apart from that I was skiing good, so I’m happy, but Aksel just did something unbelievable up top, so that’s where he won the race.”

The podium was rounded out by Frenchman Guillermo Fayed. Thanks to his regularity last season, he could claim the 3^rd place of the downhill standings, but only made it to the podium twice so far (2^nd in Lake Louise and 3^rd in Kitzbuehel).

“I’m relieved that I claimed this podium spot today, especially since it’s not happening very often to me, but I still have to work a lot to catch up with the two guys in front of me. I’m almost surprised by my regularity and I wonder when the bad day will come, in the meantime I just enjoy being there day after day.”

Lake Placid, N.Y.’s Andrew Weibrecht reminded ski racing fans that he is still a threat in downhill, tying for fifth place after starting 34^th.. Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.) and Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) both grabbed top-15 spots, taking 12^th and 15^th, respectively.

“I think his wax technician crushed it,” Ganong said of Svindal’s run. “He was six to eight tenths ahead on the top flat which is unheard of. Steve Nyman is the best starter and glider in the world and he got beat by three tenths on the top.”

Overshadowed by the top 30 having finished, the crowd seemed to forget about Weibrecht. He had been on course for 30 seconds before the camera at Beaver Creek panned back to his run on the jumbotron. When he came down in fifth, tied with Switzerland’s Carlo Janko, he pumped his chest, stoked about the result—his best World Cup downhill finish.

“That run felt good. I was definitely hanging it out. A couple of times, I didn’t know if I gave away too much or risked a little too much, but I guess it was right in there,” said Weibrecht after his run. “I skied the way I wanted to all the way down.”

Squaw Valley’s Bryce Bennett also attacked from the back, skiing from bib 53 to take his first-ever World Cup points by finishing 29^th. “I haven’t scored World Cup points yet and that has been something I’ve wanted to do—almost too much,” said Bennett. “I had a few mistakes, but I just put everything into it. It was good to get a reward.”

The speed team returns on Saturday to race super G at Beaver Creek.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Alpine Ski World Cup
Birds of Prey – Beaver Creek, CO – Dec. 4, 2015
Men’s Downhill