Beat Feuz's downhill win underlines status as Olympic favourite

Beat Feuz won the last men's World Cup downhill race before the Olympics to underline his status as a gold-medal favourite on Saturday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

The world champion, second in Kitzbuehel, Austria last week, completed the 3.3-kilometre Kandahar course in one minute 55.39 seconds, beating both Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr and Italy's Dominik Paris by 0.18 seconds.

Benjamin Thomsen finished 20th for the top Canadian result. Manuel Osborne-Paradis was 28th, Broderick Thompson was 31st, and Brodie Seger 43rd to round out the Canadians in the field. 

Switzerland's Beat Feuz captures 3rd World Cup gold of season

7 years ago

Duration 2:23

Feuz's win vaulted him over Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway for 1st in the World Cup downhill rankings, making him the favourite heading into the Olympics.

It was the third win of the season for Feuz, his 15th overall, and it ensured the Swiss took the lead in the downhill standings from Aksel Lund Svindal. Feuz, who was 10 points behind the Norwegian, now leads him by 40.

Svindal's wait for a podium finish in Garmisch-Partenkirchen continues after placing fourth in his eighth race on the Kandahar course, 0.28 behind Feuz.

Home favourite Thomas Dressen, who ended Germany's 13-year wait for a men's downhill win in Kitzbuehel, finished 0.53 behind in seventh, while another German, Andreas Sander, was on course to beat Feuz but lost time after the final jump and finished 11th.

A mistake after starting cost Christof Innerhofer any chance of winning. The Italian, who was quickest in both training sessions, finished 1.15 off the pace.

Americans Steven Nyman, Jared Goldberg and Wiley Maple skipped the race to rest ahead of the Olympics.