Guay finishes 4th in Bormio downhill

Canadian alpine skier Erik Guay just missed the podium in Bormio, Italy on Thursday, finishing fourth in the men's downhill.

"It’s frustrating to be fourth but all in all, I had a pretty solid run," said Guay. "It’s a really, really challenging downhill this year. I feel like I could have taken some chances in different areas."

The Mont-Tremblant, Que. native, whose time was two minutes, 2.45 seconds, would have secured his 16th career podium.  

Didier Defago of Switzerland was first in a time of 2:01.81, ahead of his countryman Patrick Kueng. Austria’s Klaus Kroell was third.

'On a positive note I’m still standing and my head’s good' —Canadian skier Robbie Dixon, who had a bad crash on the course last year

Defago had a nearly flawless run, showing that he has fully recovered from a knee injury that kept him out all of last season. It was his fourth career World Cup win, and his third in the downhill.

Calgary's Jan Hudec was 23rd, while Ben Thomsen of Invermere, B.C. was 32nd.

Robbie Dixon of Whistler, B.C., who sustained a concussion on the same hill last year, missed a gate Thursday.

"On a positive note I’m still standing and my head’s good," said Dixon. "There were some really good things to come out of the past couple of days. For the first training run, I was the most nervous I’ve ever been in the start. Downhill has been a bit of a struggle this year. A little mistake got me today."

Louis-Pierre Hélie, of Berthierville, Que., who also was injured on the same course last year, was 47th after recording a time of 2:06.74.