CHAMONIX, FRA (Feb. 4, 2012) – Canada made history in Chamonix, France, on Saturday, as Jan Hudec, Erik Guay and Ben Thomsen finished first, third and fifth, respectively, in the Audi FIS World Cup downhill.
Hudec, from Calgary, Alta., claimed his first World Cup podium since 2007 with a blistering run that pushed his teammate Guay, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., into third – his 17th career World Cup podium and second in successive weekends. Young Ben Thomsen, of Invermere, B.C., then produced the run of his life to move all the way up to fifth despite starting 50th.
“For us to have a race like this with three guys in the top five, I mean, I think we blew everyone out of the water today,” said the 30-year-old Hudec. “I think everyone who was up on the hill was either impressed or stoked for us, or both. It was incredible. It was against the odds but I think we’re doing everything in our power to put ourselves in that position.