Lake Louise (AB), Canada – Veteran U.S. Ski Team downhiller Marco Sullivan parlayed a strong training run on Thursday plus two weeks of training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain in Colorado into a third place downhill finish in the Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup, the opening speed event of the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season.

“It’s set in immediately. It was a little bit emotional at the finish,” said Sullivan, of Squaw Valley, Calif. “Just to have that happen after a few down years and to start out the year like this, is beyond my expectations.”

Starting 42nd, Sullivan hit a perfect line to tie with Austrian Klaus Kroell .64 seconds behind winner Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway. Austria’s Max Franz was second.

Saturday’s result marked Sullivan’s first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium result since 2009 and the fourth of his 13-year career with the U.S. Ski Team.

“I wouldn’t still be racing if I didn’t think I could still compete,” asserted Sullivan, who paid upwards of $20,000 out of his own pocket to rejoin the U.S. team this season. “This year, my place on the team was a little bit in jeopardy. I lost a lot of sponsors. I worked really hard this summer and for it to show on the first race of the year was special.”

Sullivan switched to Atomic skis and boots in the off-season and spent a long six-week stretch in Chile to dial in his new equipment. He had been training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain since late October before traveling to Lake Louise.

“I had a couple of herniated discs in my back this spring and didn’t do a whole lot for three months, except for therapy for that,” Sullivan explained. “Once I was finally feeling good, I spent a six-week block in Chile and really got comfortable on the new equipment.

“We showed up at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper and it was in great shape. The training was fantastic and that really gave me some confidence. I came up to Lake Louise, knowing I could do something good. My goal was top 10 and to exceed that was awesome.”

Downhill Junior World Champion Ryan Cochran-Siegle, of Starksboro, Vt., was 25th for the USA, the best downhill World Cup result of his career. U.S. teammates Travis Ganong and Steven Nyman finished back to back in 39^th and 40^th, respectively. Andrew Weibrecht, of Lake Placid, N.Y., failed to finish his first run.

The Canadian squad enjoyed success at home on Saturday as well, as reigning world downhill champion Erik Guay, of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, finished sixth, while Canadian veterans John Kucera and Manuel Osborne-Paradis made strong returns from injury. Jan Hudec, of Calgary, Alberta, was 17th.

“If I ski the whole course the way I skied the bottom and the top part I will be absolutely competitive,” said Guay. “It’s not so much the course itself – it’s the way I’m skiing it. For the moment I’m just missing the volume (of time on snow).”

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Lake Louise Winterstart – Lake Louise (AB), Canada – Nov. 24, 2012
Men’s Downhill