Austrian skier Vincent Kriechmayr took the lead in the second and final training session on Thursday for the downhill race in the World Cup on the Stelvio course. Kriechmayr finished with a narrow lead of 0.04 seconds ahead of Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, a Norwegian who won the previous downhill race in Val Gardena.
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde secured victory in the Val Gardena downhill in Italy with a total time of 1:56:13 seconds. Kilde dominated the competition with nearly a full second lead over his nearest competitor, marking his first World Cup win since February 2016. Kilde joined Max Franz from Austria on the podium, with a gap of 0.86 seconds separating them, while Beat Feuz from Switzerland claimed the third spot, trailing by 0.92 seconds.
The race showcased the talent of American downhill skiers, with three racers finishing within the top 10 positions. Bryce Bennett led the American contingent in fourth place, trailing by 0.98 seconds, followed by Steven Nyman in fifth place, just 1.05 seconds behind. However, Thomas Biesemeyer finished in 27th place, and Wiley Maple in 28th place, facing disappointment in the competition.
Kriechmayr has an impressive record, having won three World Cup races in his career, including two super-G races and one downhill event. The downhill competition is set to take place on Friday, followed by a super-G event on Saturday. Super-G, short for Super Giant Slalom, is an alpine skiing racing discipline. Kriechmayr, who learned skiing from his father and a ski instructor from Salzburg, Obertauern, also clinched victory in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
