Svindal Wins Downhill Race, Walchhofer Takes Cup

Austrian Michael Walchhofer secured the downhill trophy despite missing a gate.

Aksel Lund Svindal scored important points in the contest for the overall Alpine skiing World Cup when he won the downhill at the finals on Wednesday.

Austrian Michael Walchhofer secured the downhill trophy despite missing a gate, after his only remaining rival for the title, compatriot Klaus Kroell, finished too far back to overtake him.

Svindal, the 2007 World Cup champion who missed most of last season after a dreadful crash in Beaver Creek, could claim back the overall title in the absence of the man who took over from him last season, American Bode Miller.

The Norwegian, who shot back to form earlier this season by winning a downhill and a super-G slalom back in Beaver Creek, clocked one minute 22.26 seconds on a course shortened because of fog, to beat one of his leading rivals for the overall title, Swiss Didier Cuche, by 0.20 seconds.

Swede Hans Olsson was third, 0.36 adrift.

Svindal, who won the super-combined world title in Val d'Isere last month, has always done well in Are, winning in the Swedish resort in 2006 before becoming downhill world champion on the same piste two years ago.

"There's something special with this piste. I never skied a bad race here. It's here that I won my first World Cup downhill and my first downhill world title," said Svindal, who now leads the overall standings 72 points ahead of Austria's Benni Raich.

Cuche is third, 86 points behind.

"I hope we don't have to wait for the last day's slalom to decide on the outcome of the season," added Svindal.

Neither Cuche nor Svindal are slalom specialists and they would rather avoid having to take part in the discipline to secure the title.

Kroell had needed to finish first or second to beat Walchhofer to the downhill cup but had to settle for ninth place.

Svindal and Cuche are expected to be the leading contenders again in Thursday's super-G.

"To claim back the World Cup would be great but I have already achieved so much this winter that above all I want to enjoy myself on the slope," Svindal said.