James Crawford became the first Canadian skier in 42 years to win the prestigious World Cup downhill on the Streif course in Kitzbuhel, Austria, sharing the podium with his third-placed teammate Cameron Alexander on Saturday.
Wearing bib No. 20 and coming down after all pre-race favourites had completed their runs, Crawford bumped Alexis Monney into second position.
The Swiss skier took an early lead as the fourth starter and looked set for his second career victory, weeks after triumphing in Bormio on the downhill course to be used for next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics. Alexander also finished third in that race.
But Toronto’s Crawford, the super-G world champion, upset the field and beat Monney by just 0.08 seconds for the Canadian’s first career World Cup win.
WATCH | Crawford earns his maiden World Cup victory in the Kitzbuhel downhill:
Canada’s Jack Crawford wins the men’s World Cup downhill race on the famed Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuhel, Austria with the winning time of 1:53.64.
Alexander, from North Vancouver, B.C., trailed by 0.22 in third.
“I’ve been looking for my first World Cup win for a while and for it to come in Kitzbuehel is surreal. I don’t have words to describe the feelings,” said Crawford. “I’ve had good speed for a while now and I was able to go out today and ski free, with no expectations, and just send it from top to bottom.
“I’m still a little in shock but I think I’ll feel the win when I’m hoisting the Kits trophy tonight with my teammates and my parents.”
The last Canadian winner of the iconic downhill in Kitzbuehel was Todd Brooker in 1983. Ken Read also finished third that day to give Canada a double podium.
“To celebrate this with Cam in third is incredible,” said Crawford. “And it’s special to be associated with Todd Brooker and Ken Read. They are legends who have played a role in supporting me in my career.”
WATCH | Alexander races to bronze in Kitzbuhel downhill:
Cam Alexander from North Vancouver, B.C., finishes third in the men’s World Cup downhill race in Kitzbuhel, Austria. Alexander joins the winner and countryman Jack Crawford on the podium.
The last time two Canadian downhillers shared a World Cup podium was in February 2012, when Jan Hudec won and Erik Guay finished third in Chamonix, France.
The impressive result for the Canadian team came 10 days before the start of the world championships at another Austrian resort, Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Crawford in super-G and Alexander, who took bronze in downhill, won medals at the worlds in France two years ago.
Alexander is in sixth, while Crawford ranks seventh in the season’s downhill Crystal Globe standings after Saturday’s results.
WATCH | Crawford reflects on historic downhill win alongside Alexander:
Crawford ended a 42-year drought, winning the Kitzbuhel downhill while teammate Alexander finished in third.
Downhill world champion and three-time overall World Cup winner Marco Odermatt finished sixth, a day after the Swiss star triumphed in the super-G.
“It was a solid race, not the best, and with not the best race you can not win Kitzbuehel, the downhill,” Odermatt said. “A big goal and dream remains.”
The 85th edition of the Hahnenkamm races end with a slalom on Sunday.
Watch live coverage of alpine World Cup events on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. A live streaming schedule is available here.
WATCH | Crawford in shock after ending Canada’s downhill drought:
Watch Toronto’s Jack Crawford post-race interview, after he became the first Canadian since Todd Brooker in 1983 to win the World Cup downhill race in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
