Mayer streaks to Bormio World Cup downhill victory

BORMIO, Italy: Matthias Mayer streaked to victory in the men’s World Cup downhill in the Italian resort of Bormio on Wednesday, the Austrian admitting that anyone could have won given how tight the results were.

Mayer, gold medallist in downhill at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and in the super-G in Pyeongchang in 2018, topped speeds of 135km/h (84mph) to clock 1min 57.32sec down the famed Stelvio piste with the following 12 racers all finishing within a second.

It was Mayer’s 10th World Cup victory, six coming in the downhill, and follows on from his impressive form last year when he racked up four wins before the season was brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was a very challenging race today and a very close one,” said the 30-year-old Mayer.

“From start to finish you had to give it everything. You can’t say that this curve was better or that curve made the difference. When the race is so close anyone can win.”