A recap from Downhill Training Today

Today was a classic case of “hurry up and wait” as the world’s best skiers convened in Beaver Creek for the opening day of Downhill training for the 2009 Audi Birds of Prey World Cup Race Week.

Originally slated for an 11 a.m. start, the training run finally got underway at 1:45 p.m. as a winter storm rolled in to the Vail Valley, depositing approximately six inches of new snow on the racecourse.

Beaver Creek race crews and Birds of Prey volunteers worked through the morning and early afternoon to get the track ready for racing.

Switzerland’s Ambrosi Hoffmann captured the “abbreviated” run with a time of 49.07 as the training run started mid-way down the course due to soft snow on top. The time proved to be one-one hundredth of a second faster than teammate Ralf Kreuzer and two-one hundredths ahead of France’s Yannick Bertrand in third.

Top American on the day was Lake Placid’s Andrew Weibrecht, who finished in a sixth-place tie with Sweden’s Patrik Jaerbyn, while Erik Fisher finished eighth, Marco Sullivan in a tie for tenth and Scott MaCartney in 24th. Bode Miller finished 47th in the shortened session.

The second day of training is scheduled for tomorrow at 11 a.m., with the opening event of the weekend’s races, the Super Combined, on tap for Friday.

For complete Birds of Prey information please CLICK HERE.

Posted in: Ambrosi Hoffmann,Birds of Prey,Birds of Prey World Cup Race Week,downhill,Downhill Training,Ralf Kreuzer,Yannick Bertrand