The second of two Downhill races in Val Gardena brought a well-known name to the top of the podium. Dominik Paris claimed victory with an unbeatable performance, edging Aleksander Aamodt Kilde by +0.44 seconds. It was the 22nd career World Cup victory for the 34-year-old Italian skier. It is the first victory for Paris in Val Gardena Gröden. The winner of the first Downhill on Thursday, Bryce Bennett rounded up the podium in third place 0.60 seconds behind Paris.
With 18 victories in Downhill, Dominik Paris is the active male skier to have won the most Downhill events in the World Cup. Only Franz Klammer (25), Peter Müller (19) and Stephan Eberharter (18) has won as many World Cup Downhill events among Men as Paris.
Dominik Paris was the last skier - other than Aleksander Aamodt Kilde or Vincent Kriechmayr - to celebrate a World Cup win in the Downhill, in Kvitfjell on March 5, 2022.
It's the first Italian win in the Saslong Classic since Kristian Ghedina won on December 14, 2001.
"I'm a little overwhelmed by what happened today. I didn't want to overdo it, which I sometimes do, so I tried to ski as smoothly as possible. This time I succeeded. I've been desperate lately because I no longer knew where to start to get better again. A weight has been lifted off my chest", Paris said.
After yesterday's disappointment Kilde was back on the podium in the same position he finished on Thursday in the shortened Downhill in the Saslong on Thursday.
"Yesterday's race was brutally close, but I checked it off. I didn't have to change that much. I think today I missed the victory in the Ciaslat, Paris was good there. Dominik is now back where he belongs", Kilde said.
Bryce Bennett has achieved his best results in the ski resort in the Dolomites two wins, a third place, and two fourth places.
"To be honest, today I felt better than on Thursday. It’s a lot to deal with, and I’ve never been in this position, where you ski well in a race and then you have another opportunity the same week, so to try and get past that mentally, and have a good run was a huge win for me", Bennet said.
Bennett consistency across the three days of speed racing in Val Gardena-Gröden gave him a total of 178 points to claim the Val Gardena Südtirol Ski Trophy.
After today's race Bennett and Kilde have the joint lead in the Men's Downhill Alpine Ski World Cup standings.