Cameron Alexander strong and ready to launch from the start hut in the first World Cup downhill of the season is a novel feeling for him.

Knee injuries limited the 26-year-old ski racer from North Vancouver, B.C., early in the last two seasons before he posted big results in the back half.

Alexander claimed world championship bronze in menB次元官网网址檚 downhill in Courcheval, France in February.

He became the first Canadian since 2014 to win a World Cup downhill in March 2022 in Kvitfjell, Norway.

A catastrophic knee injury Dec. 13, 2020 in Val-dB次元官网网址橧sere, France sidelined him for a year. Alexander reinjured in the spring of 2022 and managed pain heading into the world championship.

HeB次元官网网址檒l race downhills in Beaver Creek, Colo., for the first time since his rookie World Cup season. The first of two on the Birds of Prey course is Friday, followed by SundayB次元官网网址檚 super-G.

B次元官网网址淗ealth-wise, my knee is the best its ever felt,B次元官网网址� Alexander said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been nice having a full off-season, full pre-season under my belt coming into racing.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 excited to see how I stack up in the first race of a World Cup season when IB次元官网网址檓 healthy and ready to go.B次元官网网址�

Lake Louise, Alta., is no longer the traditional start of the international speed season for both men and women. The 2022 menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 World Cups in Banff National Park were the last.

The womenB次元官网网址檚 speed races have been replaced by giant slaloms Saturday and Sunday in Mont-Tremblant, Que. Alpine Canada chief executive officer Therese Brisson says sheB次元官网网址檚 searching for a menB次元官网网址檚 speed site in Western Canada.

The world governing body of skiing and snowboarding (FIS) has twice attempted to start the speed season earlier in November by scheduling Zermatt-Cervinia races that start in Switzerland and finish in Italy.

An intriguing idea has yet to produce a live race. Weather conditions forced the cancellation of the event a second straight year, so Beaver Creek is the menB次元官网网址檚 opener for 2023-24. The first of three training runs is Tuesday.

Alexander and reigning world super-G champion James (Jack) Crawford of Toronto lead a Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 downhill team of 20-somethings who have been pushing each other into the worldB次元官网网址檚 elite.

Crawford, CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Jeff Read and Brodie Seger of North Vancouver rank in the worldB次元官网网址檚 top 28 in super-G. Seger wonB次元官网网址檛 race in Beaver Creek as heB次元官网网址檚 coming back from a knee injury sustained in France.

Crawford, 26, was a downhill medallist three times last season with two silver and a bronze. He placed third in Beaver Creek.

Broderick Thompson of Whistler, B.C. was a super-G bronze medallist in Beaver Creek two years ago. Kyle Alexander and Riley Seger join their older brothers on the Canadian team.

B次元官网网址淲e have some high-level super-G skiers in our group, but thatB次元官网网址檚 a strength thatB次元官网网址檚 just going to help us build our downhill,B次元官网网址� Canadian team coach John Kucera said.

B次元官网网址淪ome of those guys who are still not in the top 30 in downhill have had some really fast training runs, top-10 training runs, winning sections out there. When it comes to racing, itB次元官网网址檚 just about not trying to do too much, but trusting what youB次元官网网址檙e doing is going to work and putting it together on the days that matter most.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to be just as strong in downhill as we are in super-G. WeB次元官网网址檙e going to be a true multi-discipline speed team.B次元官网网址�

The top 30 finishers earn prize money and points toward rankings. A top-30 start bib is an advantage because those skiers race a more pristine race course than those starting later. Kucera wants more Canadian men in the top 30 more often this season.

B次元官网网址淚 would expect to see a bigger step forward this year,B次元官网网址� said Kucera, who was the menB次元官网网址檚 world downhill champion in 2009. B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 want to just see one or two guys successful. We have seven racers here who we feel can do something.

B次元官网网址淚 think we can have multiple guys in the top 30 and multiple guys pushing for the podium every week and thatB次元官网网址檚 our goal.B次元官网网址�

Kucera describes the menB次元官网网址檚 downhill team as B次元官网网址渢he tightest group youB次元官网网址檙e ever going to see.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he major thing with us is weB次元官网网址檙e all very close and have known each other for a long time,B次元官网网址� Alexander explained. B次元官网网址淲e grew up racing together. WeB次元官网网址檝e very, very competitive with each other, but itB次元官网网址檚 in a healthy way where it doesnB次元官网网址檛 cause any strife between anybody.

B次元官网网址淓verybody believes they can beat the other guy, so when you see somebody else on the team have a big result, youB次元官网网址檙e excited for the guy, but youB次元官网网址檙e like B次元官网网址榤an, that could have been me.B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 just like a building up and off each other all the time and just pushing each other consistently.B次元官网网址�

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