Svindal continues sizzling form with super-G win

VAL GARDENA, Italy (AFP) –

Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal competes during the Men’s World cup Super-G, on December 14, 2012 in Val Gardena. Svindal outclassed the field here on Friday as he won his 19th World Cup race by taking the super-G ahead of Italian duo Matteo Marsaglia and Werner Heel.

Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal outclassed the field here on Friday as he won his 19th World Cup race by taking the super-G ahead of Italian duo Matteo Marsaglia and Werner Heel.

The overall World Cup champion in 2007 and 2009, finished 1.07sec ahead of Marsaglia with Heel a slender .05sec further back as he consilidated his lead in this season’s standings, 12 days before his 30th birthday.

“I didn’t expect to go so fast but it’s really been a good day,” said the burly Scandinavian.

“At the moment, the Italians are my biggest rivals and they beat me twice at Beaver Creek but I’ve won in their country.

“Generally, I’m better in super-G than downhill on this piste but I’ll try to defy the statistics tomorrow (Saturday’s downhill),” he added.

“Certain colleagues have compared me to Hermann Maier but he won 54 World Cup races and I’m only on 19. It’s sure that it’s my best career start to a season.”

Marsaglia lost ground on his rival in the super-G standings while Heel edged Kjetil Jansrud of Norway into fourth by just .06sec.

“I was hoping to perform well but perhaps not a podium,” said Marsaglia.

“Aksel Lund Svindal is from another planet but I consider myself the best of the terrestrials. He made mistakes but despite that he is still a second in front of everyone.

“I knew on this piste I couldn’t be at his level.” added the Italian, who won his first World Cup race during this season’s super-G at Beaver Creek.

“As for my performance, it is probably better than Beaver Creek.”

Svindal, a four-time world champion and reigning super-G Olympic champion picked up his third win of the young season after super-G and downhill wins at Lake Louise last month and tightened his stranglehold on the battle for overall supremacy.

He also leads the super-G and downhill rankings and is well on track to add to his seven crystal globes that include four in super-G.