Cuche wins first gold medal at 34
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AP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 05, 2009 00:00
VAL D’ISERE - Didier Cuche of Switzerland won the men's super-G at the world championships yesterday for his first career gold medal at the age of 34.
Cuche, who had not won a race this season, skied the treacherous Face de Bellevarde in 1 minute, 19.41 seconds. Peter Fill of Italy finished second, 0.99 behind, and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway was third, 1.02 back.
Cuche celebrated after crossing the finish line with his trademark ski flip, kicking his right ski end over end through the air before catching it upright with his right hand.
His previous best result at a major championship came at his first - a silver medal in the super-G at the 1998 Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan. Until yesterday, he had added only a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 2007 worlds held at Are, Sweden.
"I was happy to be third in Are," the Swiss skier said. "Now to do it in super-G, one of my disciplines, is like a dream."
Cuche, the two-time defending World Cup downhill champion, has been sensitive to suggestions he could not produce his best form on the big occasion.
"He (Cuche) was a level better than us, maybe two levels," fourth-place Christof Innerhofer said.
Cuche celebrated after crossing the finish line with his trademark ski flip, kicking his right ski end over end through the air before catching it upright with his right hand.
His previous best result at a major championship came at his first - a silver medal in the super-G at the 1998 Winter Olympics at Nagano, Japan. Until yesterday, he had added only a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 2007 worlds held at Are, Sweden.
"I was happy to be third in Are," the Swiss skier said. "Now to do it in super-G, one of my disciplines, is like a dream."
Cuche, the two-time defending World Cup downhill champion, has been sensitive to suggestions he could not produce his best form on the big occasion.
"He (Cuche) was a level better than us, maybe two levels," fourth-place Christof Innerhofer said.