Skiers from around the world gathered at Beaver Creek Mountain to compete in multiple World Cup races.
The Beaver Creek Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup has grown to become a legendary event in the ski world. The mountain is home to the Birds of Prey racecourse.
The downhill race scheduled for Sunday at noon was canceled due to high winds.
Franz has fastest time in downhill training at Beaver Creek
Max Franz of Austria was the fastest racer in a downhill training run along the demanding Beaver Creek course.
Franz’s time of 1 minute, 39.91 seconds wound up 0.40 seconds ahead of Matthieu Bailet of France.
Adrian Smiseth Sejersted of Norway was third.
The American contingent was in the field a day after it was announced one of their racers tested positive for the coronavirus and was ruled out for the four World Cup races this week at Beaver Creek, Colorado.
The other members of the U.S. team were retested and kept apart from fellow racers.
Odermatt wins Birds of Prey super-G; Canadian surprising 3rd
Marco Odermatt of Switzerland smoothly glided through the steep and sun-drenched Birds of Prey course to win a men’s super-G World Cup race.
It’s the second victory of the young season for the 24-year-old Odermatt. He captured a giant slalom race in Austria in October.
Odermatt navigated the technical course in a time of 1 minute, 08.61 seconds to hold off Austria’s Matthias Mayer.
The real surprise on a warm day at Beaver Creek was the performance of Canadian Broderick Thompson.
Thompson found a fast line to wind up third and knock Germany’s Andreas Sander off the podium.
Back from knee injury, Kilde wins super-G; Ganong takes 3rd
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway has won a World Cup super-G race less than a year after tearing a ligament in his right knee.
Kilde finished a tricky and technical Birds of Prey course in 1 minute, 10.26 seconds to edge Swiss racer Marco Odermatt on Friday.
American Travis Ganong wound up third with a fast early run that held up as he earned his first World Cup podium finish in the super-G.
The 29-year-old Kilde joins Bjarne Solbakken and Aksel Lund Svindal as the only Norwegian racers to capture a super-G event in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Kilde's teammate Kjetil Jansrud slid into the protective fencing after falling and injured a ligament in his knee.
Norway's Jansrud hurts knee in crash, needs more evaluation
Five-time Olympic medalist Kjetil Jansrud of Norway will return home to be evaluated after damage was detected to the cruciate ligament in his knee following his crash during a World Cup super-G race.
The team announced the update and said it was too early to say if surgery would be necessary.
Jansrud will head back with the team Monday.
The Winter Olympics in Beijing are two months away and Jansrud’s considered a strong medal contender.
Jansrud was about 25 seconds into his super-G run and setting up for a hard turn on the challenging Birds of Prey course when he spun out. He slid across the snow and bounced into the fence.
Kilde captures World Cup downhill for 2nd straight win
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway captured a World Cup downhill race with an aggressive run for his second win in as many days.
It’s more proof the 2019-20 overall World Cup champion is returning to top form after tearing his ACL less than a year ago and with the Winter Olympics in Beijing just two months away.
Starting 19th overall, Kilde finished in 1 minute, 39.63 seconds to edge Austrian racer Matthias Mayer by 0.66 seconds.
Beat Feuz of Switzerland was third, while Italian racer Matteo Marsaglia turned in a surprise run from bib No. 28 to take fourth.
Kilde won the super-G Friday in just his third race back from a training crash last January.
