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The Norwegian Aleksander Kilde wins the Super-G in Kvitfjell and decides the discipline rating early.
The pedestal
- 1. Aleksander Kilde (NOR) 1:25.91 minutes
- 2. James Crawford (CAN) +0.07 seconds
- 3. Matthias Mayer (AUT) +0.12
Aleksander Kilde has to tremble for another 10 days for the downhill ball. The Norwegian was all the more relieved when, after Matthias Mayer’s run, he was the early winner of the Super-G classification. With start number 13, the Austrian was the last athlete who could have postponed the decision about the small ball with a win. However, Mayer was 12 hundredths short of Kilde, which “only” was enough for third place.
Nevertheless, Kilde started sweating again, not because of the discipline win, but because of the day’s win. With start number 19, the surprising James Crawford came dangerously close to the Norwegian. At the finish, however, Canadian Kilde was beaten by 0.07 seconds. For Crawford it is still the first podium finish in the World Cup.
The Swiss
- 5. Beat Feuz +0.31 seconds
- 6. Justin Murisier +0.71
- 9. Niels Hintermann +0.84
- 13. Stefan Rogentin +1.07
- 24.Ralph Weber +1.63
- 25. Marco Odermatt +1.68
When it came to the podium, Swiss-Ski had to give way to other nations for once. Beat Feuz came closest to the top 3. The downhill Olympic champion showed an excellent ride but missed the podium by 19 hundredths. For Feuz, 5th place is the second best result of the season in Super-G.
Justin Murisier radiated great satisfaction at the finish. The Valais giant slalom specialist finished right behind teammate Feuz with a strong performance. Only once did Murisier go even further in a Super-G. A year ago the result was 5th place in Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
Kilde is making up ground on Odermatt
Marco Odermatt will leave Norway with a disappointment. The man from Nidwalden, who had not quite been able to keep up with the best in the two downhills in Kvitfjell, did not manage the slope as desired in the Super-G either. The two-time winner of the season in this discipline lost more than one and a half seconds to winner Kilde.
After the speed weekend, Odermatt’s lead over Kilde in the overall World Cup has shrunk from 375 to 199 points. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old Swiss holds all the trumps in his own hands in the fight for the big crystal globe before the end of the season.
It was another sense of achievement for Niels Hintermann. After ranks 1 and 3 in the two downhills, the man from Zurich was also able to convince with 9th place in the Super-G in Kvitfjell.
Here’s how to proceed
The speed cracks are now enjoying a little more than a week’s break before the season finale in Courchevel. The last descent of the winter should take place on March 16th, the last Super-G on March 17th.
However, the next men’s races will take place next week. The technicians are guests on Wednesday for a slalom in Flachau, Austria. Two giant slaloms will follow in Kranjska Gora (SLO) at the weekend.