The FIS Alpine World Cup men’s downhill race thundered down the slopes of Val Gardena, Italy, on Thursday, December 14, 2023. Taking the lead, the grand 2023 Saslong Classic, a multi-day extravaganza spanned from December 14 to December 16. The event spotlighted an exhilarating downhill run on December 14, an electrifying super-G race on December 15, and a final thrilling downhill event on December 16.

On this third and final day of the event, December 16, a great frenzy ensued as a surprising twist unfolded. Shriffin’s boyfriend defied all predictions by clinching the second position on the podium. This unexpected turn in the climax of the Saslong Classic in Val Gardena did more than just add spice; it heightened the excitement even further.

FIS Alpine: Race standings and top finishes

In a recent race, Aleksander secured second place, surpassing last season’s super-G dominator, Marco Odermatt. However, Dominik Paris (Ita) clinched the top spot, completing the race in 1:59.84, with Kilde finishing at 2:00.28. Meanwhile, Marco Odermatt (Sui) stood seventh, completing the race in 2:00.76.

In the race standings, Bennett B. secured third place with a time of 2:00.44, trailing by 0.60 seconds, while Sarrazin C. followed closely in fourth position, clocking in at 2:00.49, just 0.65 seconds behind. Crawford J. claimed fifth place with a time of 2:00.51, lagging by 0.67 seconds, while Allegre N. finished sixth at 2:00.71, trailing by 0.87 seconds. Schwarz M. secured ninth place at 2:00.79, lagging by 0.95 seconds, while Hintermann N., Goldberg J., and Von Allmen F. finished within intervals of 1.13 to 1.22 seconds behind the leader, claiming the remaining positions in the top twelve.

Val Gardena’s downhill triumph

American skier, Bryce Bennett sprung a surprise by winning the Val Gardena downhill in the delayed start to the World Cup speed series following numerous postponements earlier owing to bad weather. He finished with a time of 2:58.81, beating defending downhill king Aleksander Aamodt Kilde by just 0.03 seconds.

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However, Marco Odermatt, who won the overall World Cup twice, got the third position with a deficit of only 0.05 seconds. The U.S. team’s success continued after Mikaela Shiffrin’s victory in St. Moritz, Switzerland, with Bennett’s triumph marking the team’s sixth Val Gardena victory.

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