Cameron AlexanderB次元官网网址檚 impressive result in his first world championship race was no surprise to teammate James Crawford.
Alexander, from North Vancouver, B.C., finished in one minute 47.94 seconds, behind winner Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, to take the bronze medal in SundayB次元官网网址檚 menB次元官网网址檚 downhill at the alpine skiing world championships.
It was CanadaB次元官网网址檚 second medal of the worlds after Crawford won the super-G earlier this week.
Alexander was competing in his first race at a major championship.
B次元官网网址淛ust pushing and feeling like I was hanging on a bit,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e fighting and hanging on in downhill, usually it means youB次元官网网址檙e going fast. I had a couple of mistakes but they werenB次元官网网址檛 too costly.B次元官网网址�
Crawford stood third for a while before his time was beaten by Alexander and by AustriaB次元官网网址檚 Marco Schwarz, who finished four-hundredths of a second off the podium in fourth.
Crawford, who finished fifth, said he was B次元官网网址渘ot surprised at allB次元官网网址� with his teammateB次元官网网址檚 performance.
B次元官网网址淐am, heB次元官网网址檚 always had the speed, he has battled through some unfortunate injuries that have kind of sidelined him for a little while,B次元官网网址� Crawford said. B次元官网网址淗is speed and ability is right up there with me and the other guys on our team.B次元官网网址�
The race was interrupted for 20 minutes after Brodie Seger of North Vancouver awkwardly landed a jump and appeared to injure his right knee. Seger had to be taken off the hill on a stretcher.
Odermatt won gold by a large margin on Sunday, prompting French veteran Johan Clarey to label him the Roger Federer of skiing.
B次元官网网址淩oger did way bigger things then I do,B次元官网网址� Odermatt said. B次元官网网址�(But) like Roger, for me itB次元官网网址檚 very important to be a humble guy. To not just kill for the victory, to have big respect for all the other athletes. And I think this is what Roger (did).B次元官网网址�
Big mutual respect can also characterize the season-long rivalry between Odermatt and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 easy. If a guy is faster, you just have to respect it, then congratulate,B次元官网网址� Odermatt said.
Kilde finished 0.48 behind Odermatt to collect another silver after also finishing second in super-G.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a fun battle,B次元官网网址� the Norwegian said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 fun because we are so (nice) and we are humble, decent people. WeB次元官网网址檙e trying to do it in a good way. Fighting against Odermatt is always a joy. It brings a smile on my face more than anything. So thatB次元官网网址檚 cool.B次元官网网址�
Kilde, the pre-race favourite who won five World Cup downhills this season, smiled and hugged Odermatt in the finish area after being beaten.
B次元官网网址淲hen someone delivers a run like Odermatt did today, then itB次元官网网址檚 just hats off and just respect it,B次元官网网址� Kilde said.
Watched by 13,000 spectators, lots of them waving Swiss flags, ringing cow bells, and blowing air horns, Odermatt ended his four-year wait for a world championship medal in impressive style and let out a few screams after posting the fastest time.
B次元官网网址淚t was definitely something IB次元官网网址檇 never felt before, this scream at the finish,B次元官网网址� said Odermatt. B次元官网网址淎lso, those two minutes during AlexB次元官网网址檚 run, I was shaking all over my body like never before.B次元官网网址�
Odermatt had not won a medal in eight previous starts at senior world championships, after winning five golds at the 2018 junior worlds.
He had also never won a top-level downhill before, though he has finished runner-up in seven World Cup races.
B次元官网网址淚 knew something was possible but that it works like this is unbelievable,B次元官网网址� said Odermatt, who won Olympic gold in giant slalom a year ago.
Odermatt is the defending overall World Cup champion and is dominating the circuit again this season. His gold medal came three days after he finished fourth in the super-G, an event in which he was heavily favoured after winning four of this seasonB次元官网网址檚 six World Cup races.
B次元官网网址淭he fourth place from three days ago makes this gold even nicer,B次元官网网址� Odermatt said, adding that he B次元官网网址渨ent all-inB次元官网网址� on what was a risky but smooth and fluent run from top to bottom.
Kilde, who leads the World Cup downhill standings after winning five races this season, led Odermatt by 0.20 seconds at the first split but lost time on his Swiss rival once he entered the shady part of the course.
B次元官网网址淎 couple of turns I messed up a bit, on the top and in the middle,B次元官网网址� Kilde said. B次元官网网址淚 tried to charge, nearly nailed it. I gave it a battle and IB次元官网网址檓 happy with that.B次元官网网址�
The Norwegian praised Odermatt for his B次元官网网址渕ental strength.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淗e comes from a fourth place in super-G, which for the whole Swiss community was a disaster,B次元官网网址� Kilde said. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 an amazing athlete and he does great skiing.B次元官网网址�
The start of the LB次元官网网址橢clipse course was bathed in bright sunshine, but racers soon entered a lengthy shaded middle section through a forest before coming out into the sun again for the finish.
OdermattB次元官网网址檚 victory made it a Swiss downhill double after teammate Jasmine Flury won the womenB次元官网网址檚 downhill Saturday.
ItB次元官网网址檚 the first time since 2015 that the Austrian menB次元官网网址檚 team failed to medal in the marquee event of the world championships.
Defending champion Vincent Kriechmayr lost his chance at a medal when he struggled in the Trou Noir (Black Hole) midway down, where racers land a jump amid dark shade and cannot see the tracks and bumps of the course.
B次元官网网址淚t was a good run but you have to race error-free here, and I didnB次元官网网址檛 manage to do that. All in all, just not good enough,B次元官网网址� Kriechmayr said. B次元官网网址淥dermatt had the perfect run, for sure.B次元官网网址�
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