Cuche wins in Kitzbühel
Swiss ski veteran Didier Cuche has won the downhill in the Austrian resort of Kitzbühel, becoming the first man to win the classic race for the fifth time.
His victory comes just two days after the 37-year-old speed specialist from Le Pâquier in canton Neuchâtel announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the season.
Cuche, already the oldest skier to win a World Cup race, overtakes Austrian great Franz Klammer who won the downhill in Kitzbühel four times in the 1970s and 80s.
His time on the Streif course was 1:13.28 in heavy snowfall to beat Austrian pair Romed Baumann and Klaus Kröll by 0.24 and 0.30 seconds.
Overhanging cloud cover and snowfall led to the organisers lowering the starting gate which shortened the 3.3-kilometre course to 2 km.
Cuche is the reigning World Cup downhill and Super-G champion and won three previous downhill titles in 2010, 2008 and 2007, along with a giant slalom title in 2009.
He was named 2011 Swiss of the Year by television viewers earlier this month.
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