Unstoppable!
The bird of prey in Colorado this year is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
And at this rate, it's a hat-trick that reaches out to him on Sunday on the sun-drenched route of the “
Birds of Prey
”, where the second descent will be contested, concluding the alpine skiing weekend.
“
It’s amazing.
I love being here, I love being back in competition.
Great weather, great conditions, a great crowd and good skiing, it's a good package
“, Rejoiced the Norwegian as in a dream. The winner of the 2020 Big Crystal Globe was Imperial. Starting in 19th position, he was 0.66 ahead of Austrian Matthias Mayer, Olympic champion in the specialty in 2014, who nevertheless believed he could climb to the top of the podium. On the third, is the Swiss Beat Feuz, quadruple holder of the small downhill globe, relegated to 1''1.
His compatriot Marco Odermatt took 15th place at 1''65 and retains the lead in the general classification (346 pts), ahead of Mayer (310 pts) and Kilde (229 pts) who therefore sends a strong message to the competition after this second demonstration, 24 hours after having struck a first big blow by winning the super-G. “
I just tried to do my best today. Since yesterday, I was all the more confident in the ability to ski well and keep my speed
», He explained soberly, after having flown over the descent.
His fourth victory in the specialty, the 8th in the World Cups.
In mid-December 2020, however, he was far from imagining regaining the joys of such success, when he ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee, during a super-G training in Austria at Hinterreit.
He was then second in the World Cup standings, finally won by Frenchman Alexis Pinturault.
Victory dedicated to Jansrud
The 29-year-old skier only returned to competition last weekend in Lake Louise, Canada. And Thursday at Beaver Creek, he could not finish the first super-G on the program. So we didn't have to wait any longer, before seeing it shine again. Friday, his victory in the super-G had a taste "
bittersweet
" by his own admission, because he witnessed the very worried witness of the impressive fall of his compatriot Kjetil Jansrud, who was finally able to get up and even down. the track on his skis, after having violently collided with the safety net on exiting a turn. And on Saturday, he had a word for his friend, whose first diagnosis revealed damage to the cruciate ligaments and internal lateral ligaments and who will return to Norway on Monday,announced the Norwegian Ski Federation. "
This victory is dedicated to Kjetil.
It was a really emotional day yesterday.
We should all applaud him for the attitude he had after he fell, going down, being a hero.
This race is for him,
”said Kilde.
