For the second consecutive day the Xfinity Birds of Prey Super G course at Beaver Creek was a challenge for the world’s best ski racers. While 14 racers on Friday failed to finish the demanding course, Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde finished in first, followed by Thursday’s Super G winner Marco Odermatt, of Switzerland, in second and American Travis Ganong in third.
Ganong, sporting bib No. 2, was sitting in first place after his run and then had to patiently, and anxiously, await the rest of the field to secure his podium finish. For Ganong, competing on home snow in front of family, friends and Team USA fans, it’s his first Xfinity Birds of Prey podium — he finished second in the World Championships Downhill in 2015 in Beaver Creek. It’s also his first podium in World Cup Super G races.
Kilde’s win is the 10th by a Norwegian at the Xfinity Birds of Prey and the seventh overall of his career. The winner of the overall World Cup title for the 2019-20 season that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kilde spent much of last season injured and returned to competition a week ago at Lake Louise, Canada.
Among the DNFs were Romed Baumann (bib 1), Kjetil Jansrud (bib 13), Ryan Cochran-Siegle (bib 18) and local standout River Radamus (bib 49).
The rest of the Americans finished outside of the World Cup points with Erik Arvidsson finishing 35th, Bryce Bennett in 39th and Steven Nyman finishing 40th.
The Xfinity Birds of Prey are off to a thrilling start with two Super Gs in the books. Saturday’s Downhill starts at 11 a.m., followed by Sunday’s Downhill at noon.
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