Aleksander Aamodt Kilde wins downhill Crystal Globe with triumphant victory at Aspen in United States

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won the downhill Crystal Globe for the second time in his career on Saturday night in Aspen.

There was a concern that the event might have been affected by weather but ultimately the competition was completed.

The win is also the Norwegian’s sixth of the World Cup season.

The 30-year-old star won a World Championship title earlier this year, but was looking to win his fourth discipline title, and his second consecutive downhill.

The competitors were released swiftly as a result of a predicted incoming storm, and with the sudden appearance of it yesterday, the organisers took little risk of a repeat. There was a slight delay as Nils Allegre and Simon Jocher crashed out consecutively, requiring repairs to the netting.

Friday’s action was cancelled as a result of wind and poor visibility, and it was the first time on the calendar since 2017 so many of the skiers were unfamiliar with the layout.

In order to ensure that the race result would stand, at least 30 competitors had to finish before any abandonment of the event.

The second spot went to Canada’s James Crawford, with the final podium place taken by Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt.

Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr took fourth spot, and Frenchman Johan Clarey fifth place. The highest finish for a home country athlete was Bryce Bennett, just scraping into the top 10.

Sunday sees the competition move over to the Super G in Colorado, in the US, in what is the penultimate downhill competition of the season.

The event also marked the retirement of American Steve Nyman, who boasts three World Cup wins, but the 41-year-old has now chosen to bow out close to the end of the season.

The final event is scheduled to be in two weeks’ time on March 15 in Andorra.

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