Osborne-Paradis claims Val Gardena downhill win

Manuel Osborne-Paradis of Canada clocked the fastest time at the men's World Cup downhill in Val Gardena (Italy). France's Johan Clarey was joint third with the Swiss Ambrosi Hoffmann.

AFP - Manuel Osborne-Paradis of Canada won the men's World Cup downhill race here on Saturday, seeing off Austrian Mario Scheiber by 0.13sec.
  
France's Johan Clarey and Swiss Ambrosi Hoffmann were joint third at 0.25.
  
"My target was to make the podium, but to win... It's great ahead of the Olympics," said 25-year-old Osborne-Paradis, who bagged a super-G win at Lake Louise on home snow three weeks ago.
  
The Vancouver native was third here last year and he triumphed having had to fight his way back from cruciate ligament injuries in both knees.
  
"It's obviously a special day on a piste where I was already successful last year," said the Canadian, who learnt to ski on the Olympic slopes of Whistler.
  
"It's also special as the number of injuries in our team is impressive. Five between the men and women. But we have to move on, we don't have a choice."
  
Scheiber, 25, has also made a successful comeback from injury.
  
"My friends and coaches always believed in me, insisting that I was still young. That was my motivation with each injury.
  
"I was out in 2003, 2005, twice in 2008, problems with knee ligaments, shoulder fractures. The Olympic Games? I'm not thinking about it. I'm focusing on the Bormio downhill (December 29), where I was twice third in 2005."
  
On a piste which played slower than in recent days owing to more clement conditions several other top names failed to shine as Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, fresh from winning the super-G, and Swiss Didier Cuche ended up well off the pace.
  
Michael Walchhofer of Austria, a four-time winner on the Saslong - including three wins in the downhill - likewise finished well beaten half a second off Osborne-Paradis.

Date created : 2009-12-19