KITZBUEHEL, Austria — James Crawford has made history by becoming the first Canadian skier in 42 years to clinch the esteemed World Cup downhill event on the challenging Streif course. This remarkable achievement saw him share the podium with his teammate Cameron Alexander, who secured third place on Saturday.
Crawford, donning bib No. 20, delivered an exceptional performance, overtaking all the top contenders who had skied before him. He managed to surpass the then-leader Alexis Monney, pushing the Swiss racer into the second position and preventing the Swiss ski team from continuing their winning streak this season. “It’s definitely amazing. It’s been a dream of mine to win the classics,” Crawford expressed. He credited his successful approach and mindset for the victory, stating it enabled him to maintain top speed throughout the course.
Crawford’s dazzling performance was partly motivated by Alexander’s earlier run, which took place about 15 minutes before his own. “Cam and I go back and forth all the time in training and in racing,” Crawford remarked. He revealed that witnessing Alexander’s strong start inspired him, boosting his determination to excel and outpace him.
In front of a cheering crowd of 45,000 spectators, Monney initiated the competition with an early lead, showcasing impressive speed and seemingly on track for his second career victory following a recent win in Bormio. However, Crawford’s time edged Monney out by a narrow margin of just 0.08 seconds, marking this as Crawford’s inaugural win in the World Cup circuit. Alexander trailed closely behind in third place, 0.22 seconds off the pace, while Austria’s Daniel Hemetsberger finished fourth, 0.43 seconds behind.
“I have shown speed in downhill before and feel like I’ve been trying to get back to top speed for a while,” Crawford noted, overwhelmed with emotion about his victory. He added that winning in Kitzbuehel made the experience even more rewarding.
Monney, reflecting on the outcome, admitted that losing was painful after leading for most of the race, yet he acknowledged the unpredictable beauty of ski racing.
The last time a Canadian triumphed in the famous downhill event in Kitzbuehel was Todd Brooker in 1983. Moreover, it has been over a decade since two Canadian skiers stood on a World Cup podium together, the last occurrence being in February 2012 when Jan Hudec and Erik Guay achieved a one-two finish in Chamonix, France.
This stellar result for the Canadian contingent arrives just ten days prior to the start of the world championships, which will take place at another Austrian venue, Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Both Crawford and Alexander are required to perform exceptionally on the world stage, as they previously snagged medals at the championships in France two years ago—Crawford in super-G and Alexander finishing with a bronze in downhill.
Marco Odermatt, the reigning downhill world champion and three-time overall World Cup victor, secured sixth place this time. He acknowledged that his performance was solid but noted it was insufficient to win at Kitzbuehel. “A big goal and dream remains,” he remarked, emphasizing his aspiration for future competitions.
In the previous year’s event in Kitzbuehel, Odermatt finished second to the French skier Cyprien Sarrazin, who is recovering from a head injury sustained during a downhill training crash. Despite his recovery, Sarrazin reported suffering from double vision.
The classic Hahnenkamm races—celebrating their 85th edition—culminate with a slalom event on Sunday, boasting a total prize purse exceeding $1 million.
