Bennett snatches surprise win in first downhill of the season / Photo: Tiziana FABI - AFP
-
South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
-
Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
-
South African voters report smoother local election but declining IEC trust
-
UN members approve talks on treaty protocol against environmental crime
-
Dolly Parton museum and Nashville hotel open after singer’s death
-
Family-run West Sussex beach café prepares for first winter season
-
George and Amal Clooney attend New York political-comedy reading
-
CT scans reveal health and burial clues from Egypt’s Braided Lady mummy
-
British buyers pay substantial premiums for period-home appearance
-
Oxford faces complaints over lecturer’s classroom attire
-
Thomas Markle released to house arrest after child-abuse-image charge
-
Kyren Wilson and John Higgins reach International Championship snooker final
-
Dawn of War 4 developers chose Adeptus Mechanicus for tactical variety
-
New Zealand and Tonga meet for place in Rugby League World Cup final
-
Italy face unbeaten South Africa in Turin Nations Championship match
-
Reports of unsafe AI-toy responses renew calls for child-safety rules
-
ChatGPT interactive interface feature tested across six custom tools
-
Juneau food network combines difficult supply routes with deep sharing traditions
-
Freshways milk-price cut deepens pressure on UK dairy farms
-
India climbs green-transition ranking after first emissions decline in 25 years
-
Labour and National remain virtually tied as New Zealand vote count advances
-
Trump names Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff after midterm losses
-
The Good Daughter adapts Karin Slaughter thriller with Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy
-
Restored Albanian tower houses anchor new rural tourism trail
-
Heavy-lift drone evacuates wounded Ukrainian soldier from frontline kill zone
-
Sonia Gandhi reflects on family tragedy and reluctant political career
-
Morrison says West Brom recovered after pressure from successive derby losses
-
Pope Leo begins three-country South American tour in Uruguay
-
Britain considers 2027 state visit for Ukraine’s Zelensky
-
Khawaja says entire Australia camp knew of 2018 ball-tampering plan
-
China and Gabon Upgrade Ties to 'Shared Future' Amid Strategic Pact
Bennett snatches surprise win in first downhill of the season
American skier Bryce Bennett was the surprise winner of the first men's World Cup downhill of the season at Val Gardena in Italy on Thursday.
The 31-year-old edged favourite Aleksander Kilde by just 0.03 seconds to claim only his second World Cup win. His previous success also came in the same event at Val Gardena two years ago.
Marco Odermatt, who won the giant slalom at Val d'Isere on Saturday, completed the podium, finishing 0.05sec behind Bryce.
Odermatt, who is still waiting for his first World Cup downhill success, is now level with Marco Schwarz at the top of the overall standings with 160 points, 36 ahead of Manuel Feller.
Thursday's downhill was only the third event in the men's calendar to be completed with seven of the nine cancelled because of bad weather.
Wearing bib 34, Bryce benefitted from from faster conditions, particularly at the bottom of the Saslong, warmed by the sun.
He deprived Kilde, silver medallist in the 2023 world championships in the discipline, of a fourth victory in the Dolomites resort.
A second downhill, this time over the entirety of the formidable Saslong, is scheduled for Saturday during a busy programme of four events in four days. On Friday, the men will switch to super-G.
Prior to last Saturday's giant slalom, the only other race to go ahead was a slalom in Gurgl, Austria.
The season's giant slalom opener in neighbouring Soelden was cancelled, before two downhills in Zermatt-Cervinia (Switzerland/Italy) were also scratched.
The races at the American resort of Beaver Creek -- two downhills and a super-G -- were wiped out by heavy snowfall and high winds.
N.AbuHussein--SF-PST