Norwegian speed king Aksel Lund Svindal claimed victory in the men’s World Cup super-G yesterday, his maiden win on the notoriously tough Hahnenkamm mountain.
Svindal, reigning Olympic champion in the discipline, timed 1 minute, 14.48 seconds to finish 0.13 seconds ahead of Austrian Matthias Mayer, with Italian Christof Innerhof completing the podium 0.40 seconds back.
It was the 30-year-old’s third super-G victory of the season after wins in Lake Louise and Val Gardena, and the 20th of his career.
Photo: EPA
Svindal had been in the top six in the previous three super-G races in Kitzbuehel, including two podiums, but he had never before won in this or any other discipline.
Local favorite Benjamin Raich, the two-time world champion and a double Olympic gold medalist, also took to the gate for his 400th World Cup race.
The Austrian, who will be 35 next month, has 36 victories and 90 podium finishes in his career, as well as finishing in the top 10 a remarkable 214 times, but there was to be no addition to that illustrious record as the 2006 overall World Cup champion and five-time runner-up clocked 1:16.32, 1.84 seconds off the pace.
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