Kriechmayr wins super-G for 2nd victory at World Cup finals

COURCHEVEL, France (AP) — Vincent Kriechmayr won the super-G at the World Cup Finals on Thursday, one day after his downhill victory on the same Eclipse course that will stage the men’s races at the 2023 skiing world championships.

The 30-year-old Austrian won both speed races at the 2021 worlds in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Kriechmayr earned his 12th career victory on the World Cup circuit by beating Marco Odermatt by 0.53 seconds. Odematt, the overall World Cup champion from Switzerland, who was also runner-up in downhill. Swiss teammate Gino Caviezel was third, 0.75 behind.

The race had no impact on the crystal globe trophies.

Odermatt has already sealed the overall title and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde clinched the super-G discipline title by winning four of the previous six races.

Kilde placed fourth Thursday, racing one hour after his girlfriend, Mikaela Shiffrin, placed second in the women’s race to secure her fourth overall World Cup title.

Shiffrin watched the race and went to the finish hut to greet Kilde. The 2020 men’s overall champion will finish second in the standings behind Odermatt.

The men’s leaderboard was dominated by skiers with low bib numbers racing soon after the 11:30 a.m. start. Kriechmayr picked the No. 3 bib in the choice of odd-numbered start slots given to top-ranked skiers.

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Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men’s World Cup Finals super-G, in Courchevel, France, Thursday, March 17, 2022.