Avon, CO – Travis Ganong produced another strong result finishing seventh on Wednesday in the second Audi Birds of Prey downhill training run before the race was canceled after 45 racers due to difficult visibility. Austria’s Michael Walchhofer, who won the season’s opening downhill in Lake Louise, Canada, last weekend, led the run in 1:48.34. Canada’s Erik Guay produced an admirable 4th.n”The course is in great shape. It’s a little slicker than it was the first day – you can really take at it. It’s pretty fun,” said Ganong, of Olympic Valley, Calif., who was 24th Tuesday. “It’s my first top-10 in a training run or anything, so I know I have the speed.”

Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller, of Franconia, N.H., led a tight string of U.S. with 11th followed by Steven Nyman (Heber, Utah) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) in 12th and 13th.

“The snow is really smooth and it’s super turny,” said Miller, who kicked out after a near 45-minute hold. “There isn’t one point where you aren’t going from left to right. The visibility was surprisingly good when I ran, despite the hold.”

“It’s nice to be on a course I’m really comfortable with and try to throw down a good run,” said Weibrecht, the Olympic super G bronze medalist. “Today was definitely a step in the right direction. I can build on this and I know I can still ski race now.”

A third training run is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. MT.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Beaver Creek, CO
December 1, 2010

Downhill Training
1. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 1:48.34
1. Peter Fill, France, Italy, 1:48.34
3. Hans Grugger, Austria, 1:48.40
4. Erik Guay, Canada, 1:48.41
5. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 1:48.65