Cochran-Siegle Third on the Saslong; Bennett Top 10
On Saturday’s Val Gardena downhill on the classic Saslong slope, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed the Americans yet another podium in third place, just 0.01 off second place. Previous two-time Val Gardena World Cup winner Bryce Bennett also had a strong day, landing in eighth place.
“It feels good. Gardena is a really challenging hill to ski,” said Cochran-Siegle. “You really never know until you cross the finish line so I was just focusing on carrying the speed as much as possible.”
The downhill stage was set with a chilly breeze and sunny skies as the downhillers descended upon the Saslong. After the Americans started the weekend off with an incredible super-G performance by Jared Goldberg, one could say there was a calming presence in the air as the classic American performance had already been checked off the day prior. Now it was time to block out the noise and ski downhill the way the Americans know best.
The course was a touch slower than the training run days due to the new snow from two nights before, which enabled the skiers to become a touch more aggressive with lines, the best times going to those with the most risk.
Bennett was the first of the Americans to go down the track with bib 11. He was a bit safe on the top but nailed the bottom to come through into third. Cochran-Siegle was right behind him in the green all the way down. He crossed the line into second place by a mere hundredth. But the race was far from over.
“I don’t feel about today,” laughed Bennett. “I think it was good. I honestly over skied a little bit in the middle section and I think there are times where experience hurts you a little when you expect something different but I am just so stoked for our entire team right now. Goldy on the podium yesterday, Ryan today - our whole team is skiing well. It's cool to see it pay off.”
Swiss skier Marco Odermatt nailed his run to take the win by almost a half-second from the rest of the field; no one else was close to his time. However, the next hour would be excruciating for Cochran-Siegle as the track got faster for the back of the pack. More than a dozen skiers bumped it into the top 15 from bibs far outside the top 30. Finally, Cochran-Siegle could breathe a sigh of relief when bib 64 crossed the finish line.
“When I ski my best I keep my skiing very basic and simple,” said Cochran-Siegle. “I think we just enjoy skiing the slope here; we trust that what we do here is the right preparation. It is a special place for us.”
Teammate Erik Arvidsson also had a promising day in 23rd. He was ecstatic to claim some points as he returned from a knee injury that took him out a year ago.
“I am super happy after the injury last year to be back in the top 30 since the injury so I am ready to keep working on it,” said Arvidsson.
The men’s speed team takes on the last series before the new year in Bormio, Italy, Dec. 28-29.
RESULTS
Men's downhill
