COURCHEVEL, France—Canada’s James Crawford narrowly won the men’s super-G at the alpine skiing world championships on Thursday.
Crawford, who started 10th on Courchevel’s sparkling Leclipse piste, finished in 1:07.22, just 0.01s faster than Norwegian Alexander Amott Kilde, to take home the gold medal.
Kilde, who finished ninth in the starting hat, had little time to celebrate coming out on top, but the medal was his first from the Senior World Championships.
Hometown hero Alexis Panturault, Tuesday’s overall winner, must settle for bronze and 0.26 pace after setting the fastest time wearing number 8 and raising hopes of a second win. I didn’t.
“To go down in history as Canada’s World Champion is very surreal,” Crawford said.
Kilde felt he lost gold in one turn, but the Canadian deserved it.
“I felt like I hit 99% of the course today, but there is one turn I didn’t hit very well. I think it could have come out,” he added.
“It’s 1/100. It’s sour, but I’ll take it.”
Switzerland’s overall World Cup leader, Marco Odermatt, was fourth on the course set by the Swiss coach and surprisingly failed to win a medal.
Austria’s Marco Schwarz, who started 21st, set the fastest time in the third sector and looked like a nice late surprise, but made a big mistake on the way to the finish and dropped out of contention for the podium. .
The gold medal was Crawford’s first as a combined bronze medalist at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but despite two downhill podium finishes this season, she has yet to win a World Cup race.
The 25-year-old is Canada’s first Super-G World Champion since Eric Guay in St. Moritz in 2017.
“For the last two years I have been looking to win races and I just haven’t been able to do it. And today, at the World Championships, I was able to do that, so it’s a little easier,” he said. rice field. Crawford.
He said he didn’t feel any pressure before the race.
“Considering where my skis were and how I was feeling, I don’t think there was any pressure,” he added.
“I felt great the whole time,” he said of his run. “I felt like I was putting pressure in the right places. The equipment was great and carving. When I crossed the finish line I was a little surprised.
“I felt good today. Nothing special.”
Austrian 2021 Super-G champion Vincent Krichmeier finished in 12th place.
2019 Super-G World Champion Dominique Paris of Italy pushed too aggressively and crashed hard at speed after catching a ski edge at the gate.
Paris appeared to be in a bit of pain, but was able to get up, took off her skis, and slowly walked off the slope waiting for Odermatt to go next.
Italian skiers all wore black armbands in mourning the death of downhill silver medalist Elena Fanchini from cancer on Wednesday 2005.