(Aspen) Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won the small downhill globe for the second year in a row, thanks to his sixth victory of the season over the distance, obtained on Saturday in Aspen (Colorado), where the World Cup of Alpine skiing.
It was enough for the 30-year-old skier to rank in the top five of this race to keep this trophy gleaned last year. But he couldn’t miss the opportunity to achieve it in the best possible way, on the land of his partner Mikaela Shiffrin, a few hours after the American won the World Cup for the fifth time, in Kvitfjell… in his own Norway.
He was ahead of the Canadian James Crawford by 61 hundredths, the Swiss Marco Odermatt finishing third at 63 hundredths. What bring the latter a little closer to the big crystal globe, which is promised to him.
The Austrian Vincent Krichmayr, who was the only one able to challenge Kilde’s domination of this specialty, finished at the foot of the podium at 70 hundredths.
The race took place under gray skies but in decent conditions, unlike the day before. The first descent had indeed been canceled halfway through the race, due to bad weather. This had frustrated the Norwegian Adrian Smiseth Sejersted, long in the lead but deprived of a first victory in the World Cup.
And the latter, Saturday, could not hope for a “happy ending”, since author of an error, he did not finish his race.