Norway’s Jansrud tops Kitzbuehel downhill training

KITZBUEHEL, Austria: Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud topped Wednesday’s training for the famed World Cup downhill at the Austrian resort of Kitzbuehel.

Jansrud, reigning world downhill champion and Olympic silver medallist in the discipline at Pyeongchang in 2018, clocked 1min 56.68sec down the Streif course, widely regarded as the toughest on the circuit.

The Norwegian, who won the Kitzbuehel downhill in 2015, came home 0.04sec ahead of Jared Goldberg, one of four Americans in the top 14. France’s Johan Clarey was third quickest (+0.20sec), ahead of Swiss Carlo Janka, Germany’s Andreas Sander and local favourite Matthias Mayer, gold medallist in downhill at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and in the super-G in 2018.

Racers have another chance to test themselves on the Hahnenkamm mountain in training on Thursday before racing proper begins Friday with a super-G. The downhill is on Saturday, with a slalom on Sunday.