Swiss skier Mauro Caviezel gets 1st World Cup win at age 32
Caviezel takes the win at Val d'Isere, France super-G event
At age 32, Swiss skier Mauro Caviezel got the first win of his late-blooming career in a World Cup super-G on Saturday in Val d'Isere, France.
Caviezel topped a podium with two racers getting their first career top-3 finishes. He finished in one minute 1.34 seconds, 10-100ths of a second faster than Adrian Smiseth Sejersted of Norway (1:01.44) and 0.54 clear of Austrian Christian Walder (1:01.88).
Caviezel's victory came at a special place in the French Alps. At Val d'Isere 19 years ago, his childhood idol Silvano Beltrametti was left paralyzed by a crash in downhill.
Beltrametti has since been a mentor for Caviezel, who comes from the same Graubunden region of Switzerland.
WATCH | Mauro Caviezel ekes out win by 10-100ths of a second:
Caviezel won the opening super-G wearing the red bib, noting he won the discipline standings last season. That title was earned with consistency — top-5 placings in all six races — without a signature win.
Toronto native James Crawford was tops among the four Canadian skiers in 40th, clocking one minute 3.50 seconds, 2.16 seconds back of Caviezel. He was followed by Brodie Segar of North Vancouver, B.C., (41st, 1:03.58), Broderick Thompson of Whistler, B.C. (45th, 1:04.15) and Vancouver's Riley Seger (48th, 1:04.76).
Travis Ganong's fourth place, 0.76 back, was his best Wo.15) World Cup result in nearly four years. The American racer won a downhill in January 2017 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
The result was unofficial with lower-ranked racers yet to start.
