Guay puts Canadians in fast company in downhill
Erik Guay won for the first time on the World Cup circuit yesterday to give Canada its first downhill victory in 13 years. He was joined in the top 10 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, by two other Canadians -- Jan Hudec (fifth) and Manuel Osborne-Paradis (seventh).
"This is super stuff," Guay said. "There will be a huge party."
The previous Canadian to win a downhill was Cary Mullen in Aspen, Colo., in 1994.
Guay was timed in 1 minute 56.80 seconds on the Kandahar course, one of the most demanding on the circuit. He beat Andrej Jerman of Slovenia by a half-second. Didier Cuche of Switzerland finished third in 1:57.33 to stretch his lead in the downhill standings.
The top American was Scott Macartney, who was tied for 23d. Bode Miller did not start because of a sore neck.
Women's giant slalom -- In Sierra Nevada, Spain, Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria won on a tough course to capture her first World Cup title. Kirchgasser moved up from third after the first run and had a two-run combined time of 2:14.41. Austria's Nicole Hosp was 0.42 seconds behind. Tanja Poutiainen of Finland was third. Olympic champion Julia Mancuso was sixth, holding her position from the opening leg.
Men's skeleton -- Zach Lund of the United States won a race at Koenigssee, Germany, to clinch the overall World Cup title a year after missing the Turin Olympics because of a drug suspension. Lund finished his two heats in 1:35.97, which also served as the European Championships.
Bobsled -- Also at Koenigssee, Sandra Kiriasis (1:41.36) of Germany won the final women's doubles race of the season to take the overall World Cup title.
Cross-country -- Zack Simons of Park City, Utah, and Kate Whitcomb of Ketchum, Idaho, won the abbreviated American Birkebeiner at Hayward, Wis. Shortened from 51 kilometers to 25 because of warm weather, Simons placed first among 211 men in 1 hour 9 minutes 5.4 seconds. Whitcomb finished in 1:18:02.
Curling -- At Utica, N.Y., Todd Birr scored two in the ninth to set up a 6-5 victory in the first extra end and beat Craig Disher to win the US championships. Debbie McCormick's team defended its American title and earned the right to represent the US at the women's world championships, beating the squad Cassie Johnson skipped at the Turin Olympics.
