CHAMONIX, FRANCE — American Marco Sullivan won his first World Cup race in his ninth season on the U.S. team, capitalizing on his gliding skills to win the Kandahar downhill Saturday.
Sullivan covered the 2.08-mile course in 2 minutes, 0.11 seconds, edging discipline leader Didier Cuche of Switzerland by 0.40 seconds.
“I knew I could kill ’em with my gliding if I could carry my speed off the top,” said Sullivan, a two-time Olympian.
Andrej Jerman of Slovenia was third and American Bode Miller finished seventh. Miller, who finished in 2:00.91, was faster than Sullivan during the first two stages of the course but lost time at the bottom.
“I had bib No. 11 and that’s my sister’s favorite number. I talked to her last night and told her I was gonna lay one down for her,” Sullivan said.
Karbon wins giant slalom.
OFTERSCHWANG, GERMANY – Despite a broken left thumb, Denise Karbon captured a giant slalom World Cup event for her fifth victory in six races. She finished with a combined time of 2 minutes, 22.26 seconds.
Overall leader Nicole Hosp of Austria finished second, 0.08 behind. Elisabeth Goergl of Austria was third. Lindsey Vonn, a former Ski Club Vail member, remained second in the overall rankings by finishing sixth in 2:22.84, and teammate Julia Mancuso was 11th.
Footnotes. France’s Guilbaut Colas won a World Cup moguls event in Ste-Adele, Quebec, finishing with 26.38 points. Russia’s Ekaterina Stolyarova won the women’s event in 26.01. American Michelle Roark was third. Olympic cross country champion Chandra Crawford charged to victory in the women’s freestyle sprint on her home course at Canmore (Alberta) Nordic Centre.
