Cuche becomes oldest man to win ski downhill
Swiss skier Didier Cuche has won the season-opening men's World Cup downhill, becoming, at 35 years old, the oldest ever winner of the race.
Cuche, third in last season’s overall standings, earned his 11th World Cup victory in a time of one minute 50.31 seconds in Lake Louise in Canada on Saturday
He was followed by Italy’s Werner Heel in 1:50.75 and Switzerland’s Carlo Janka in 1:50.93.
Led by Cuche, it was a superb day in the Canadian Rockies for the Swiss who had five skiers in the top 11. Ambrosi Hoffmann came home fifth, Tobias Grünenfelder was ninth and Patrick Küng 11th.
“I’ve been frustrated here at Lake Louise, particularly in the downhill,” said Cuche, who also won the season-opening giant slalom in Sölden, Austria. “But I never give up and it happened today.”
“The Swiss team was so strong today; we have seven guys in the top 20. I’m confident now so we will see what will happen in the next days and weeks. Tomorrow is another day and I will do my best.”
A multi-talented skier, Cuche began his World Cup career in 1993 but needed five years to claim his maiden victory in 1998 at Kitzbühel. Over the last two seasons Cuche has enjoyed more regular wins, but he said it was too soon to think about February’s Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
“Maybe I won’t even be there in two months, maybe something could happen in the next hour,” he said. “That is the spirit I have had in the last few years, enjoy the moment.”
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