Adrian Smiseth Sejersted denied first win as Aspen World Cup downhill race cancelled due to bad weather

ByAlex Livie

Updated 03/03/2023 at 23:01 GMT

There was agony for Adrian Smiseth Sejersted as he was denied a first World Cup win when the downhill race at Aspen was called off due to weather. The Norwegian went first and took advantage of the conditions to post a time that was not challenged, but the race was called off due to bad weather. Stream the 2022-23 Alpine Skiing season live on Eurosport and discovery+

Adrian Smiseth Sejersted was denied a maiden World Cup victory after the downhill was halted due to poor weather in Aspen.

Heavy snow in western United States had caused problems for organisers, and the racers went into the event with only one practice run under their belts.

Conditions were expected to worsen as the day went on, and the forecast proved to be correct.

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Norway's Sejersted drew bib No. 1 and it looked set to be a golden bib, as he stormed down Ruthie’s Run to post a time of 1:31.24.

Flat light proved a massive issue and no one could get near the Norwegian, including Vincent Kriechmayr, Marco Odermatt and downhill season leader Alexander Aamodt Kilde.

After Odermatt in bib 15 came in way off the pace in a time of 1:33.88, the race looked Sejersted’s. But he never looked at ease in his chair, as he was aware the weather could snatch victory from him.

And that was how it played out, as a blizzard swept in at the top of the mountain and referee Markus Waldner elected to call off the race before the 30th racer had got to the bottom.

FIS rules state 30 runners must start for it to be classed as a race, meaning the 28-year-old Sejersted was denied a win.

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Lamenting his luck, Sejersted said: "I was hoping to have a few more minutes so we could have an official race and get a few more racers.

"It was a perfect run for me. Of course, I had some luck with the weather, but I skied really well.

"It is a bit frustrating, and I understand the decision, but it is not easy when you have a great run and end up with nothing."

With the race cancelled, the points do not count and for the overall picture only Kilde and Kriechmayr can win the downhill crystal globe.

With 200 points still to play for, Kilde is the hot favourite with 156-point lead over Kriechmayr.

Kriechmayr posts second-fastest run before Aspen World Cup downhill cancelled due to bad weather

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Stream the 2022-23 Alpine Skiing season live on Eurosport and discovery+

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