Lenzerheide, Switzerland – Under difficult light conditions Swiss ski racing veteran Didier Cuche earned his fourth career World Cup downhill title last Wednesday at the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide.nCuche finished fourth in the race behind winner Adrien Theaux of France, yet jumped to second all-time for men’s downhill titles behind Austrian skiing legend Franz Klammer. He made up 0.17 seconds on the bottom section of the course to put enough distance between himself and Austria’s Michael Walchhofer, who was 11th in 1:23.64, to claim the Crystal Globe. The U.S. Ski Team’s Ted Ligety, of Park City, Utah, was 19th.

“It’s cool. It’s impressive, especially with what he can do at his age, especially in downhill,” Ligety said of the 36-year-old Cuche. “To bring himself down a hill like this, especially in such flat light, and he has to throw it down because of the title is just a testament to him that he was able to still get fourth place. He would have been two seconds faster if he ran earlier in the sun shine, for sure. It’s really testament to how good he is.”

Canada’s Erik Guay, of Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, finished 13th.

“I didn’t ski with enough confidence. I wasn’t feeling it today,” said Guay. “I’m a little disappointed with where I finished. I feel a little exhausted, to be honest.”

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Finals
Lenzerheide, Switzerland – March 16. 2011
Downhill

1. Adrien Theaux, France, 1:22.94
2. Joachim Puchner, Austria, 1:22.95
3. Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, 1:23.10