Alberta’s Jeffrey Read Grabs First World Cup Podium in Men’s Super-G

Alberta native Jeffrey Read secured his first-ever FIS Alpine World Cup podium finish with a remarkable second-place performance in the men’s super-G event held in Kvitfjell, Norway. The thrilling race saw Read from Canmore, Alberta, showcasing his prowess on the slopes, finishing just 0.17 seconds behind Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr, who clinched the top spot.

Reflecting on his achievement, Read expressed his joy, stating, “The stars aligned, it’s a track that I love and have some speed on, and the skiing was just right today.” He attributed his success to a combination of favorable conditions and his excellent skiing form.

Read’s outstanding performance adds to the recent successes of Canadian men’s ski racing, following Cameron Alexander’s third-place finish in the downhill event the previous day. The Canmore resident emphasized the significance of the Kvitfjell track in his post-race remarks, highlighting its similarity to home terrain, which instills confidence in Canadian skiers.

Joining Read in the World Cup finals in Saalbach, Austria, is Cameron Alexander, who continued his strong showing in Kvitfjell with a commendable performance. Both athletes are set to compete among the world’s best, with Read climbing to seventh in the super-G discipline rankings and Alexander ranked 20th after Sunday’s race.

Despite the Canadian contingent’s success, Marco Odermatt of Switzerland maintains a dominant position in the overall standings, with a substantial lead over his competitors. Odermatt’s consistent podium finishes underline his prowess in the super-G discipline, making him a formidable force to reckon with in the World Cup finals.

Meanwhile, Vincent Kriechmayr, the reigning World Cup super-G champion, acknowledged the challenges of closing the gap with Odermatt but remains optimistic about his performance. Kriechmayr’s victory in Kvitfjell marked his ninth career World Cup super-G win, further cementing his status as one of the sport’s elite athletes.

As the ski racing season progresses towards its climax, the competition intensifies, promising thrilling battles on the slopes and a nail-biting conclusion to the World Cup campaign.