Aksel Lund Svindal wins World Cup downhill final

Aksel Lund Svindal from Kjeller, Norway has won the men’s World Cup downhill finale in Aare, Sweden. He takes the overall lead while previous favorite Austrian Michael Walchhofer clinches the downhill championship.

Photo: www.worldcup.kvitfjell.no

Svindal completed the Olympia course in 1 minute, 22.26 seconds on March 11.

Walchhofer sealed the downhill title when his only challenger, Austrian teammate Klaus Kroell, posted the sixth fastest time.

Kroell trailed Walchhofer by 75 points going into the race. A win is worth 100 points. 

Walchhofer skied out and did not finish the race.

The Olympia course was shortened nearly 300 meters due to fog at the 1,240-meter start altitude. 

Seriously injured in a downhill crash at Beaver Creek in December 2007, Aksel stunned the skiing world by winning a downhill and a super-G on the same piste a year after his accident.