On the Scene - Medvedev for Sochi Olympic Test

Youth Is Served at Sochi World Cup Downhill

On his 25th birthday, Switzerland’s Beat Feuz won the first-ever World Cup downhill contested on the Olympic course at Rosa Khutor.

"It will be something that I always remember, to win such a difficult downhill on the day of my birthday is quite exciting," said Feuz.

"Then I was congratulated by President Medvedev at the finish, so it was really incredible for me," he said referring to the Russian President, who also spent time mingling with fans during the race.

Canada’s Benjamin Thomsen, 24, who only qualified to come to Sochi based on his surprising fifth place showing last week in Chamonix, France, laid down the greatest run of his young career to claim second, 0.27 seconds behind Feuz.

While some of the tour’s veterans had subpar performance, youth was served as the top three racers, including Adrien Theaux of France, 27, who placed third, all bettered or equaled the best results of their careers.

It would seem that all three could be legitimate contenders in two years time when the Olympic downhill takes place on the lengthy and sinuous Rosa Khutor course, which also featured four precarious jumps.

"I enjoyed the course a lot," said Thomsen. "I heard a lot of the guys saying it was too turny, but finishing second, I’m very happy with it."

"The Olympics are still two years away and the course and conditions can change, but being second is a big boost of confidence and I look forward to coming back," he said.

American Bode Miller, who had positive comments about both the venue and mountainous region of Krasnaya Polyana, was fourth just .02 seconds off the podium.

There were no significant injuries suffered during Saturday’s FIS World Cup race. Erik Fisher of the United States, the fourth skier to descend, caught an edge and crashed through both safety nets lining the side of the course, but skied off uninjured after a short delay. There were no more notable crashes in the field of 64 competitors.

While the crowd at the finish was enthusiastic, it was not large by any means. Spectators, as did racers and everyone else heading to the venue, were required to proceed through metal detectors and scan their bags, before boarding one of two gondolas to arrive at the bottom of the course.

The Russian crowd cheered for three of their own racers with Alek Glebov posting the nation’s best result finishing 44th, more than six seconds behind the winner Feuz.

"It was very difficult, it’s very hard to go from top to bottom in a good rhythm because the top is very challenging with all the ice and bumps," said the Russian racer about the 3500-meter track.

"It’s a very nice downhill, but very hard."

Russian Sport Minister Speaks About Rosa Khutor

Russia Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko addressed both Russian and international press, during a press conference held Saturday prior to the race in a packed press center adjacent to the finish area.

"Rosa Khutor is very young – it is a brand new ski area, everything is new," said Mutko about the scenic resort which just opened in 2011. "We are welcoming one of the biggest sports events this weekend and in the near future it will not only be hosting alpine events, but also freestyle and snowboarding."

Following two weekends of World Cup alpine racing, with both men and women getting their first look at the future Olympic slopes, three more Olympic test events on the Europa Cup level will also be held at the resort this winter.

"The owners and investors of the Rosa Khutor Ski Area have done a lot," he said about the 2014 Olympic venue "The weather patterns in this area are sometimes unpredictable, but they’ve always done everything that they could and we thank them for their work."

The Minister of Sport spoke about two luxurious hotels: the Tulip Inn Rosa Khutor and the Park Inn by Radisson, both of which have recently been constructed in Krasnaya Polyana, each with 400 rooms. Also in place are 40-kilometers of slopes, much of which is very challenging for recreational skiers.

Currently, eight lifts are in operation, with 18 planned by the end of the project over the next few years. The resort, which is managed by the French Companies des Alpes, one of the world’s leaders in ski resort management, also boasts one of the biggest snowmaking systems in all of Europe.

"We’ll have a world class resort where many people can spend their leisure time and it will also be a great venue for the Russian National Team to train," said Mutko.

"We are lucky to have this here," said Glebov, a member of the Russian team. "For our team, it’s a big advantage, we can come here, train and get to know the course here."

In the history of the Olympic Games, only one Russian alpine skier has ever won a medal. Svetlana Gladisheva, who now serves as President of the Russian Ski Federation, claimed bronze in the downhill at the 1994 Lillehammer Games.

Glebov, who previously has spent much of his time training in Austria hopes to follow in her footsteps.

"The Olympic Games are my biggest goal, so over the next two years I am going to put in maximum attention and time to get better for the Olympics and to be at the start and maybe have a chance for a medal," he said.

Written and reported in Sochi by Brian Pinelli.