Craig Branch Beats Bode Miller to Secure Olympic Birth

November 30th, 2009

 

 

Australia’s Craig Branch has finished 28th at the Lake Louise Downhill skiing event in Canada. Craig finished one spot ahead of US ski racing star Bode Miller to secure himself the necessary entry criteria for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

The Alpine Skiing World Cup Tour has hit full throttle up north in Canada’s iconic ski resort of Lake Louise, where the best ski racers in the world did battle at the first of 8 world cup downhill events to be held this season. Australia’s Craig Branch was our only entrant with Jono Brauer sitting this one out, Jono is skiing and training in Canada but still building strength and confidence after last years knee injury.

Craig Branch – Race Face.

After two training runs, the race day was overcast, breezy with light snow falling and Craig skied to his second best world cup finish and a very solid 28th place, just 2 seconds off first place. This earns him vital World Cup points at his first 2010 season start. Interestingly, in all previous starts Craig has not faired well racing at this course (best finish in DH prior was 50th), however coming into this season in great physical shape and with loads of good training under his belt had every reason to give it a real go.

The great start to his campaign is good news, as next week Craig will race on one of his favorite tracks, Beaver Creek Colorado and get a top 30 start, as apposed to his current position (in the 60’s), which is possibly worth up to half a second in time as the track gets torn up and increasingly slower after 40 to 50 skiers.

Craig launching a huge air during the Lake Louise downhill course

Showing them a clean set of heals for his second win of the season, Switzerland’s Didier Cuche proved he is going to be a force to recon with in this Olympic season. In fact the Swiss team are looking real good with 8 of their 10 allowed starters finishing top 30 making World Cup points, four in the top ten.

The up and coming Canadian team also faired well, with two skiers in the top 10 and another 3 making top 30. One of the big stories was the lack luster results posted by the Austrian team, while their lead skier Michael Walchhofer skied a respectable 4th only two other skier managed a top 30 place.

We look forward to Beaver Creek where Mountainwatch.com will kick of its extensive world cup coverage including on ground video and interview of all the action in the lead up to the Olympics.

Lake Louise Results
1 – 18 – CUCHE Didier – 1974 – SUI – 1:50.31 – 0.00
2 – 9 – HEEL Werner – 1982 – ITA – 1:50.75 – 5.27
3 – 15 – JANKA Carlo – 1986 – SUI – 1:50.93 – 7.42

See full men’s race result list here.

The women are this weekend racing in Aspen Colorado. And with little natural snow and super slick fully water injected conditions the Ruthies world cup course proved tough. The best women racers in the world had a real battle to ski into the finish stadium with a clean run. With world cup big guns, US skier Vonn and German Riesch not factoring in the top ten the race came down to a battle of the big European ski nations, Austria, Italy, France and Germany.

The Italians were looking good dominating the early running and with only 5 skiers left to run held the top 4 spots. The youngest skier to qualify top 30 and get a second run was Federica Brignone after two solid runs she was sitting in the hot seat with a full second lead. However the big guns of GS skiing were still at the top and ready to slice it up.
19 year old Brignone held off all but two taking 3rd, her first World cup Podium. 2nd and arguably one of the best skiers on tour was Austrias Kathrin Zettel. Taking the win, with her third career podium and first win was Germanys Kathrin Hoelzl
No Australians took part in the women’s event.

See a full list of women’s results here.