Paradis wins opening super G, Kucera crashes
Canadian ski racer Manuel Osborne-Paradis speeds down the mountain during the men's World Cup super-g alpine skiing race in Lake Louise, Alberta, November 29, 2009.
Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake
LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's Manuel Osborne-Paradis claimed the season-opening World Cup super-G on Sunday but victory celebrations were muted by an injury to team mate and Olympic medal hope John Kucera.
Osborne-Paradis, runner-up in the Lake Louise downhill in 2006, clocked a time of one minute, 32.93 seconds, crossing the line to the wild cheers of a flag-waving home crowd to get his Olympic build-up off to a flying start.
Austrians occupied the other two spots on the podium. Benjamin Raich was second in 1:33.17 followed by World Cup downhill champion Michael Walchhofer.
The race was delayed nearly 20 minutes after Kucera, the downhill world champion, lost an edge and crashed into the safety netting.
The 25-year-old from nearby Calgary was airlifted from the course with a suspected broken leg.
Kucera, winner of the super-G here in 2006 and top Canadian with sixth in Saturday's downhill, was rated one of the host country's top medal hopes at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in February.
"There's something seriously wrong with him on the leg," Max Gartner, the chief athletics officer for Alpine Canada, told CBC Sports. "They're going to bring him to the hospital and we'll see from there."
The crash overshadowed a brilliant day by the "Canadian Cowboys," who had three skiers in the top five with Erik Guay fourth and Robbie Dixon in fifth.
Switzerland's Didier Cuche, who became the oldest man to win a World Cup downhill when the 35-year-old blitzed to victory in the season-opener on Saturday, settled for 10th place, solidifying his lead in the overall standings.
(Editing by Alison Wildey)
