Double victory in the Downhill for Matthias Mayer and Beat Feuz, double victory in the Super-G for Kjetil Jansrud and Mayer. Kitzbühel was dominated by the HEAD World Cup Rebels. Both winners - Mayer and Jansrud - used a new model of ski. That was topped by Elena Curtoni in the Downhill in Bansko on Saturday with her first World Cup victory. Lara Gut-Behrami celebrates her first podium finish this season in the Super-G.
"It was a great weekend. Celebrating a double victory in both speed disciplines in Kitzbühel makes it perfect. Kjetil was using a new model of ski in the Super-G, as did Matthias in the Downhill," reports HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "Saturday was a superb day for our women's team. Elena was already very close on Friday. She has fought long and hard for this victory. Lara's third place is also extremely pleasing. That was a big step in the right direction."
Bib number 13 brought luck to Matthias Mayer. When the Austrian athlete swooped into the finish at the end of the Downhill in Kitzbühel on Saturday, he bowed to the crowd and shouted out in joy. Mayer knew that he had served up an awesome race. "There's nothing more awesome for me than swooping into the finish in front of thousands of spectators. It is unbelievable. It is only natural to feel the tension. I was looking forward to this run because I knew that I had a good chance of winning," explained Matthias Mayer at the finish. Beat Feuz landed in second place just 22 hundredths of a second behind Mayer. With this second place the Swiss athlete continues to hold a clear lead in the Downhill World Cup.
23rd World Cup victory for Kjetil Jansrud in Super-G
The HEAD World Cup Rebels already had reason to celebrate on Friday at the Super-G in Kitzbühel. For Kjetil Jansrud it was his 23rd World Cup victory, bringing him right back to the top after more than a year. "Winning here is something that is very special for me," said a delighted Jansrud, who had already stood on top of the podium at the Downhill event in Kitzbühel in 2015. Just 16 hundredths of a second behind, Matthias Mayer nailed the double victory for HEAD on Friday. Six among the top 11 - that was the impressive result of the HEAD World Cup Rebels in the Super-G.
First World Cup victory for Elena Curtoni
All the more sensational was the performance of the HEAD women's team on Saturday at the second Downhill run in Bansko. Elena Curtoni crossed the finish line with bib number 28 in a time of 1 minute 29.31 seconds. For the 28-year-old from Italy this meant first place and her first victory in a World Cup race. Austria's Elisabeth Reisinger was pleased with her best World Cup result so far in seventh place. Lara Gut-Behrami achieved her first podium finish this season in the Super-G in Bansko on Sunday.
