Aksel Lund Svindal skis to 3rd straight victory

Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won his third straight World Cup race, holding off teammate Kjetil Jansrud in a demanding downhill at Colorado's Beaver Creek.

Svindal was smooth all the way through a sun-splashed course Friday and finished in 1 minute, 42.34 seconds. He beat Jansrud by 0.30 seconds. Guillermo Fayed of France was third.

Canada's Erik Guay finished 1th, Benjamin Thomsen was 23rd, Manuel Osborne-Paradis was 35th, Morgan Pridy was 39th, and Tyler Werry was 46th. Jeffrey Frisch failed to finish.

The 32-year-old Svindal is quickly making up for lost time as he returns to the World Cup circuit after tearing his Achilles tendon last season. He captured both races in Lake Louise a week ago.

But this one was so harrowing he even contemplated applying the brakes in a few places — a definite no-no for a downhiller.

"It's so fast and that middle section — it's kind of risky," Svindal said. "I still have stomach pain, because I knew I had to charge hard in that section if I wanted to win, but I didn't feel like it. Every sense in your body is telling you to slow down a bit."

Of course, he didn't listen and wound up with the win for a fifth time in Beaver Creek.

This is a hill that certainly holds many pleasant memories for him — and some not-so-fond ones. In 2007, he crashed at Beaver Creek when he lost control over a jump and landed in the safety netting, breaking bones in his face and suffering a laceration to his groin and abdominal area. Svindal returned the next season and captured his second overall title.

He's off to a good start this season in his return from an Achilles injury he suffered while juggling a soccer ball.

Even Jansrud, his teammate and good friend, was stunned at how quickly Svindal flew through the course.

"That was a strong run," Jansrud said. "If he can do it, I know I can do it."

Jansrud was the defending champion on the Birds of Prey course and the favourite, especially after winning both training runs. He wasn't as fast as Svindal up top and never could make up the time in the gliding sections.

"It was tough, but I skied good," said Jansrud, who has been dealing on and off with a balky back. "I'm happy with the day."

One of the performances of the day belonged to American Andrew Weibrecht, who started way back in 34th and finished tied for fifth. The skier nicknamed "War Horse" attacked the course and received high-fives from fellow ski racers in the finish area after his run.

Svindal and Jansrud will be the favourites in a super-G race Saturday.