Beaver Creek Alpine Ski World Cup Downhill Races Preview

The Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup makes its return December 2-4, 2022 with two Downhills and a Super-G. The Birds of Prey weekend has been an iconic part of World Cup since 1997.

Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey racecourse was built during the summer of 1997 in preparation for the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championships. The racecourse was designed by Olympic Downhill gold medalist Bernhard Russi of Switzerland.

Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey racecourse was built during the summer of 1997 in preparation for the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championships. The racecourse was designed by Olympic Downhill gold medalist Bernhard Russi of Switzerland.

In 2017 the race was won by Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, one of his record four victories (2008, 2013, 2015, and 2017) on the Birds of Prey Downhill. He also won the Super-G in 2008.

Bode Miller in 2011 is the last USA skier to win the men's Downhill in Beaver Creek. Steven Nyman, third in 2014, was the last skier representing United States to finish on the podium in Beaver Creek Downhill.

After two races, the battle for the Crystal Globes in the speed disciplines seems to be confirmed as a fight between Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Marco Odermatt with the Austrians in the background. At the Lake Louise races, the Norwegian and Swiss shared victories in Downhill on Saturday and Super-G on Sunday.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde made it clear right at the start of the speed season on the "Men's Olympic Downhill" racecourse in Lake Louise that he wanted to successfully defend his Downhill World Cup Title. On Saturday, the Norwegian won the first Downhill of the 2022-2023 season ahead of Daniel Hemetsberger (+0.06 seconds) and Marco Odermatt (+0.10). The 30-year-old claimed his first career win on the Canadian slope. It's his seventh Downhill and 14th World Cup victory.

In the past 17 World Cup seasons, only Norwegians Kjetil Jansrud in 2014-2015, and Aksel Lund Svindal in 2015-2016 won the first two men's Downhill events of the season.

Last season, after winning the second Super-G held in Beaver Creek the day before, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won the Downhill. The Norwegian skied again very aggressively and managed to be the fastest man on the Birds of Prey racecourse.

Matthias Mayer finished in second place +0.66 behind Kilde. The Austrian had never been until 2021 on the Downhill podium in Beaver Creek, his best position was 9th place in 2014.

Beat Feuz completed the podium in third-place (+1.01) but was unsatisfied after making a big mistake hitting one of the gates.

In 2022 Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR) won the Downhill title finishing ahead of Beat Feuz. The Swiss athlete just missed his fifth Crystal Globe in the Downhill by 13 points. Feuz failed to win his fifth successive downhill crystal globe. The only man to collect five downhill globes is Franz Klammer, but the Austrian did not achieve this in successive seasons (1974-1975 to 1977-1978 and 1982-1983). Matthias Mayer Finished third in the Downhill standings.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is the fourth Norwegian man to win the Downhill Crystal Globe, after Lasse Kjus (1998-1999), Aksel Lund Svindal (2012-2013, 2013-2014), and Kjetil Jansrud (2014-2015).

Kilde is the ninth man to win both speed globes in a single season and the first since Kjetil Jansrud in the 2014-2015 season.

Since the start of 2018, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is the only Norwegian man to have won a World Cup Downhill event.

Last season win was the first time Kilde was on the podium in Beaver Creek. Until 2021 the best result in his six starts in the US Downhill was a 7th place in 2019.

This season, Beat Feuz is looking to grab his fifth Downhill crystal globe. The only man to collect five Downhill globes is Franz Klammer (1974-1975 to 1977-1978 and in 1982-1983).

Beat Feuz (13 victories) is one shy of equalling Michael Walchhofer and Aksel Lund Svindal (both with 14) in seventh place on the men's list for most World Cup Downhill wins. Franz Heinzer and Hermann Maier (both 15) are joint in the fifth position.

With 47, Feuz holds the men's record for most World Cup downhill podium finishes six more than any other skier (41 by Franz Klammer and Peter Müller). Last season the Swiss collected 7 World Cup downhill podiums, the same as in 2017-2018 and 2019-2020.

Last season Feuz achieved his only win in the second Downhill held in Kitzbühel. It was the third win on the Streif.

Beat Feuz won the Men's Downhill at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. The 35-year-old ski ace became the fourth man to complete the Downhill set of an Olympic title, world title, crystal globe, and a win on the Streif in Kitzbühel, after Jean-Claude Killy, Pirmin Zurbriggen, and Franz Klammer.

Beat Feuz was on the podium in the Downhill in Beaver Creek six times. Two wins in 2018 and 2019, three second places in 2011, 2014 and 2017, and one third place last season.

In 2019, due to strong wind in the top section, the Beaver Creek downhill start was lowered and cut out the top flat section, shortening the course by about 30 seconds. The shortened course saw Switzerland's Beat Feuz take his second Birds of Prey Downhill in a row. Feuz beat Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) and Johan Clarey (FRA) both in joint second place 0.41 seconds behind.

This season Matthias Mayer is hoping to become the first Austrian winner of the men's Downhill crystal globe since Klaus Kröll (2011-2012). Austrian skiers have won the Downhill globe a record 23 times in the men's Alpine Ski World Cup (21 by Switzerland).

In 2021-2022 Mayer finished on the podium in the Downhill three times (Lake Louise, Beaver Creek, and Kvitfjell).

In February Matthias Mayer claimed bronze in the Downhill at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Mayer also won the men's Super-G at the Olympic Winter Games, his third Olympic gold medal after Sochi 2014 (Downhill) and PyeongChang 2018 (Super-G). He became the third alpine skier to win gold at three different Winter Games, after Kjetil André Aamodt (Albertville '92, Salt Lake 2002, and Torino 2006) and Deborah Compagnoni (Albertville '92, Lillehammer '94, and Nagano 1998).

Last season Matthias Mayer finished in second place in the Downhill held in Beaver Creek.The Austrian had never been, until 2021, on the Downhill podium in Beaver Creek, his best position was 9th place in 2014.

In 2023 Dominik Paris could join Peter Fill (2015-2016, and 2016-2017) as the only Italian winners of the men's Downhill crystal globe. Paris, winner of the 2018-2019 Super-G crystal globe, can become the first Italian skier, male or female, to win both speed globes.

With 17 wins Paris is one shy of equalling Stephan Eberharter (18) in third place on the men's list for most World Cup Downhill wins. He is the active male skier to have won most Downhill events in the World Cup. On the all-time Men's list, only Franz Klammer (25), Stephan Eberharter (21), and Peter Müller (20) have more Downhill races in the World Cup than Paris.

Dominik Paris (2), Vincent Kriechmayr (2), and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (3) are the only skiers to record multiple World Cup Downhill wins last season.

Dominik Paris was on the podium in the Downhill in Beaver Creek three times. One win in 2013, one second place in 2019, and one third place in 2018.

Marco Odermatt finished in third place in the Opening Downhill held in Lake Louise last week.

The Swiss won the Overall and Giant Slalom Crystal Globes and finished second in the Super-G and fourth in the Downhill standings.

Last season he was really close to becoming the first man to record World Cup wins in the Giant Slalom, Super-G, and Downhill in a single season since Didier Cuche did it in the 2009-2010 winter season.

Odermatt is the fifth Swiss man to win the Overall, after Peter Lüscher (1978-1979), Pirmin Zurbriggen (1983-1984, 1986-1987, 1987-1988, and 1989-1990), Paul Accola (1991-1992), and Carlo Janka (2009-2010).

At least one Swiss skier, Beat Feuz, Marco Odermatt, or Niels Hintermann, has finished on the podium in 11 of the 12 Downhill events in the men's World Cup last season. The only one without a Swiss on the podium was the first Downhill held in Kitzbühel.

Last season Marco Odermatt finished 15th in the Downhill at Beaver Creek. In his previous participation in 2019 he finished in 45th place.

Vincent Kriechmayr won the final Downhill of the season in Courchevel-Meribel. It was his second win of the season after the Downhill in Wengen and the eleventh of his career. He also won the final Super-G of the season in the French Ski Resort. Kriechmayr has got 12 wins (5 in the Downhill) and 27 podiums in the World Cup.

Kriechmayr (2), Dominik Paris (2), and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (3) are the only skiers to record multiple World Cup Downhill wins in the 2021-2022 season.

Kriechmayr won the ‪Lauberhorn‬ ‪Downhill‬ in Wengen. The Austrian, after being quarantined and missing both training sessions, played the role of the spoiler in the 2022 Downhill race in Wengen, edging Swiss hero Beat Feuz by 0.34 seconds to claim his first Downhill victory of the season. He joins Franz Klammer (3) and Stephan Eberharter (2) as the only Austrian men to win in Wengen multiple times in the World Cup.

Kriechmayr finished on second place in the Downhill in Beaver Creek in 2019, the only time he was on the podium in the Colorado's resort. Last season he was 9th.

In the first Downhill of the season in Lake Louise Daniel Hemetsberger finished on second place +0.06 seconds behind Kilde. It was the second World Cup podium for Daniel Hemetsberger after his third place in Kitzbühel in January 2022.

Hemetsberger can become the oldest first-time winner of a men's World Cup Downhill since Georg Streitberger (32) on 28 February 2014 in Kvitfjell.

The 31-year-old Austrian skier was at the start of the Downhill at Beaver Creek for the first time in his career and finished in eighth place.

Niels Hintermann finished on 7th place in the Opening Downhill in Lake Louise. Last season he was on the Alpine Ski World Cup Downhill podium 4 times. He ended in 7th position in the Downhill standings.

He won in Kvitfjell and was third in Val Gardena, Bormio, and the second Downhill held in the Norwegian ski resort.

After a couple of intense years because of injuries the 27-year-old speed specialist and Swiss National Champion 2022 is looking forward this season to challenge the big names of the Downhill.

Last season he finished in 7th place in the Downhill in Beaver Creek.

Johan Clarey, silver medallist in the Downhill at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, has collected eight World Cup podiums in the Downhill, but failed to win one. Only Heinrich Messner (10) and Mario Scheiber (8) have claimed as many World Cup downhill podiums without ever winning.

The 41-years-old French speed specialist could break the record for oldest man to win a World Cup event, set by Didier Cuche (37y-192d) in the Crans-Montana Super-G on 24 February 2012.

In 2019 Clarey was on the podium in Beaver Creek for the first and only time. He finished in second place in 2019.

Beaver Creek Downhill Winners:

2021 Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR)

2019 Beat Feuz (SUI)

2018 Beat Feuz (SUI)

2017 Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR)

2015 Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR)

2014 Kjetil Jansrud (NOR)

2013 Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR)

2012 Christof Innerhofer (ITA)

2011 Bode Miller (USA)

2009 Carlo Janka (SUI)

2008 Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR)

2007 Michael Walchfofer (AUT)

2006 Bode Miller (USA)

2005 Daron Rahlves (USA)

2004 Bode Miller (USA)

2002 Stephan Eberharter (AUT)

1997 Andreas Schifferer (AUT)

1997 Kristian Ghedina (ITA)

1988 Peter Muller (SUI)

1988 Franz Heinzer (SUI)