BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway won a World Cup super-G race less than a year after tearing a ligament in his right knee.
Kilde finished a tricky and technical Birds of Prey course in 1 minute, 10.26 seconds to edge Marco Odermatt – the super-G winner the day before – by a scant 0.03 seconds.
American Travis Ganong wound up third with a fast early run – he was second to go – that held up to earn his first World Cup super-G podium finish.
The 29-year-old Kilde joins Bjarne Solbakken (2003) and Aksel Lund Svindal (2008) as the only Norwegian racers to capture a World Cup super-G event in Beaver Creek.
This was Kilde’s third race back since tearing his ACL during a crash last January. He said this victory validates that he´s on the right path with the Beijing Olympics two months away.
“Amazing feeling,” said Kilde according to AP. Kilde added this was a “bittersweet day” with teammate and good friend Kjetil Jansrud hurting his shoulder and knee when he slid into the fencing after falling.
Jansrud was able to ski down the hill and congratulate Kilde before leaving the venue.
“Hopefully, he´s doing OK, but we´ll see,” said Kilde, the 2019/20 overall World Cup champion. “He´s a very good friend of mine, and I support him in anything.”
Ganong became the first American to earn a spot on a super-G podium at Beaver Creek since Ted Ligety (second) and Andrew Weibrecht (third) in 2015. Ligety was part of the broadcast team for the race.
The 33-year-old Ganong said starting early helped him even if he didn’t have a course report.
“I actually love going early because I can kind of turn my brain off,” Ganong said.
“That´s more when I have these special runs … when I´m like more relaxed and just performing.”
There will be a pair of downhill races on the Birds of Prey course on Sunday.
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