Victory for Mayer and Jansrud with new models of ski

Double victory in the Downhill for Matthias Mayer and Beat Feuz, double victory in the Super-G for Kjetil Jansrud and Mayer. Kitzbühel was dominated by the HEAD World Cup Rebels. Both winners - Mayer and Jansrud - used a new model of ski. That was topped by Elena Curtoni in the Downhill in Bansko on Saturday with her first World Cup victory. Lara Gut-Behrami celebrates her first podium finish this season in the Super-G. 

"It was a great weekend. Celebrating a double victory in both speed disciplines in Kitzbühel makes it perfect. Kjetil was using a new model of ski in the Super-G, as did Matthias in the Downhill," reports HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "Saturday was a superb day for our women's team. Elena was already very close on Friday. She has fought long and hard for this victory. Lara's third place is also extremely pleasing. That was a big step in the right direction."

Bib number 13 brought luck to Matthias Mayer. When the Austrian athlete swooped into the finish at the end of the Downhill in Kitzbühel on Saturday, he bowed to the crowd and shouted out in joy. Mayer knew that he had served up an awesome race. "There's nothing more awesome for me than swooping into the finish in front of thousands of spectators. It is unbelievable. It is only natural to feel the tension. I was looking forward to this run because I knew that I had a good chance of winning," explained Matthias Mayer at the finish. It was the 29-year-old's first Downhill victory in Kitzbühel. Mayer already had his name in the Kitzbühel results lists as the winner of the Super-G in 2017. Overall it was the Austrian athlete's eighth World Cup victory.

Beat Feuz still in the lead in the Downhill World Cup

Beat Feuz landed in second place just 22 hundredths of a second behind Mayer. With this second place the Swiss athlete continues to hold a clear lead in the Downhill World Cup. "In the finish I immediately thought it's going to be difficult with this run. The steep section and the run out were not quite good enough. But finishing second in Kitzbühel on the toughest Downhill run is not to be sniffed at," said Beat Feuz. Johan Clarey from France was in fourth place, Kjetil Jansrud from Norway was sixth and Mattia Casse from Italy was 14th, underlining the dominance of HEAD on "the Streif" run.

23rd World Cup victory for Kjetil Jansrud in Super-G

The HEAD World Cup Rebels already had reason to celebrate on Friday at the Super-G in Kitzbühel. For Kjetil Jansrud it was his 23rd World Cup victory, bringing him right back to the top after more than a year. "Winning here is something that is very special for me," said a delighted Jansrud, who had already stood on top of the podium at the Downhill event in Kitzbühel in 2015. Just 16 hundredths of a second behind, Matthias Mayer nailed the double victory for HEAD on Friday. With six athletes finishing among the top 11, the HEAD World Cup Rebels fought an impressive competition in the Super-G. Fifth place went to Mattia Casse, seventh place to Beat Feuz, ninth place to Alexis Pinturault from France and eleventh place to Johan Clarey.

First World Cup victory for Elena Curtoni

All the more sensational was the performance of the HEAD women's team on Saturday at the second Downhill run in Bansko. Elena Curtoni crossed the finish line with bib number 28 in a time of 1 minute 29.31 seconds. For the 28-year-old from Italy this meant first place and her first victory in a World Cup race. "The slope is difficult with many corners - I like that," said Elena Curtoni. Austria's Elisabeth Reisinger was pleased with her best World Cup result so far in seventh place. Her compatriot Nina Ortlieb came in just behind her in eighth place. They were followed by two more HEAD World Cup Rebels: Corinne Suter in ninth place and Lara Gut-Behrami in tenth place. Laura Pirovano from Italy was 14th. During the first Downhill in Bansko on Friday Elena Curtoni finished fourth, Laura Pirovano eleventh, Corinne Suter 14th and the Austrian Anna Veith 15th. This means that Suter is still in the lead in the Downhill World Cup.

First podium finish this season for Lara Gut-Behrami

Lara Gut-Behrami achieved her first podium finish this season in the Super-G in Bansko on Sunday. A total of six HEAD athletes made it into the top 10: Corinne Suter was fourth, Tina Weirather fifth, Elena Curtoni seventh, Nina Ortlieb ninth and Anna Veith tenth.