Story highlights
- Hannes Reichelt and Dominik Paris share first place in men's World Cup downhill race
- Aksel Lund Svindal extends his overall lead after finishing only 0.01 seconds back in third
- Svindal was just 0.01 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Klaus Kroll, last season's downhill champion
- Italian skier Paris wins the first World Cup event of his career to delight the home crowd
Saturday's World Cup downhill race in Bormio ended in a thrilling dead heat as Aksel Lund Svindal extended his overall lead despite narrowly missing out on a three-way share of victory.
The Norwegian had to settle for third place after finishing just 0.01 seconds behind Austria's Hannes Reichelt and Italy's Dominik Paris -- who delighted the home crowd by claiming his first World Cup win.
"It's amazing, it was my dream to win a downhill in the World Cup -- and now I finally won it," said the 23-year-old, who finished third at his national championships in March.
"Tying with Reichelt doesn't make any difference -- I am only happy to be on top. I was very nervous in the leader box because I knew the others behind will ski well, but it turned out good.
"It is totally amazing to win here in Bormio, I can't say anything just that it was a dream come true."
Reichelt also set a time of one minute 58.62 seconds as he claimed the fifth World Cup win of his career and his second podium this season after placing third in the Super G at Beaver Creek in the U.S. at the start of December.
Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
Golden hero – Aksel Lund Svindal, right, secured his first Olympic gold medal in the men's super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games, while American star Bode Miller claimed silver.
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Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
Clean sweep – Svindal celebrates his silver medal in the men's downhill in Vancouver. He also won bronze in the giant slalom to complete a full set of medals in one Games.
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Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
Dominant form – Svindal powers his way to victory in the men's World Cup super-G race at Val Gardena as he continued his dominant start to the 2012-13 season with his third win.
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Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
Retro fun – Svindal and fellow skiers Ted Ligety and James Heim go back to the 1980s for a photoshoot with sponsor Head.
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Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
Apres ski – Svindal finds time to relax away from the rigors of training and competition.
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Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
White out – Norwegian ski coach Haavard Lie battles the elements during national team training in Solden.
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Photos: Svindal sets the Alpine speed standard
Moody Movember – Svindal shows his attitude as he embraces the "Movember" charity movement.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Noise in sport – Watch any ski race on TV and you will hear the same dull, persistent background clanging of cowbells ringing. Marcel Hirscher's feet are pictured here next to a cowbell during the podium ceremony of the men's slalom race at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in January 2012.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Must have accessory – Over the last two decades cowbells, already steeped in Alpine history, have become a global success and Winter Olympic icon.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Until the cows come home – Bells have been used, especially in downhill skiing, for a long time. It started in Switzerland, where in summer the cows all walk around the mountains with bells on.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
European culture – "If the Swiss are coming to an event they'll bring really big bells, a foot high or more," said California-based cowbell importer Elisabeth Halvorson.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Steady march of the cowbell – Cycling and triathlon are increasingly the domain of the cowbell. Tennis racket manufacturers gave away branded versions at the U.S. Open. Here a fan of the Tampa Bay Rays is pictured holds up a cow bell during game one of the 2008 MLB World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Viva Vuvezela? – Go to most major sporting events in 2013 and the ambience will be provided by vast, booming speaker systems. The sound of the vuvezela at the World Cup in 2010 offered a very different soundscape.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Shake, rattle and roll – Back in 1949, football fans in England came to matches armed with very different instruments of noise -- wooden rattles.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Cowbell production – When a Winter Olympics is within sight, cowbells become Norwegian cowbell manufacturer Moen's hottest commodity. The company produces approximately 30,000 bells each year, but in an Olympic Year over twice as many cowbells would be churned out.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Fabric of sport – The ting-a-ling sensation of a cowbell feels warm and traditional -- part of the very fabric of sport.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
The spirit of the Olympics – "For us, it started before the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer in 1994," said Moen Grude, chief executive of the Norwegian company. "The fans saw it as the only souvenir that let them take the spirit of the Olympics back home."
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Cowbell trophy – Cowbells have many different uses and are not just for skiing fans. Here American sprinter Carl Lewis of the USA is presented in 1997 with a huge cow-bell by promoter Andreas Brugger at the IAAF Weltklasse Grand Prix at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, Switzerland.
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Photos: Noise and sport: how the cowbell came of age
Old school cowbell – An Alpiner with three large cow bells, which produce that sombre rhythmic sound, at a traditional bell-swinging festival in 1955.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Trailblazer Oreiller – Henri Oreiller was the first Olympic champion to come from Val d'Isere in the French Alps. A maverick risk taker, he won three golds at the 1948 Winter Games. He used to fly over bumps in the slopes, balancing himself mid air.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Alpine legend – Jean Claude Killy emerged as a world famous skier in the late 1960s. He honed his skills in Val d'Isere and went on to claim three gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Legend has it he once won a trial race on one leg, having broken the other half way down the slopes.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Golden boy – Killy (left) won all three disciplines at the 1968 Winter Olympics (downhill, giant slalom, and slalom) but retired at the age of 24. Like Oreiller, Killy tried his hand at motor racing, competing in the Paris-Dakar rally.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Village people – Val d'Isere is a small village that became an internationally renowned ski resort. This picture, from 1896, shows its humble origins, as a handful of homes cluster round its 11th century church.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Skiing heritage – Skiing is synonymous with Val d'Isere -- it was principally enlisted to help the villagers get around. But as this snap from 1849 shows, it wasn't long before its snowy slopes were utilized for a ski school.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
One in, one out – Val d'Isere was a treacherous place to get to in the winter months. The Iseran mountain pass, opened in 1937, encouraged more people to visit the village -- which was often was buried in snow eight months of the year -- as skiing became a popular leisure pursuit.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Olympic fever – Val d'Isere hosted the alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and huge crowds flocked to the Alps.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Oh snow! – The 2011 "Criterium de la Premiere Neige" race had to be canceled due to a lack of snow on Val d'Isere's slopes. Hours after the decision was taken to call it off, the village was covered by a downfall but it was too late.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Up in the Gods – Val d'Isere's altitude of 1,850 meters means it often enjoys snow most of the year round. It has hosted over 130 competitions, making it one of Europe's most popular resorts.
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Photos: Val d'Isere's roll call of skiing champions
Vonn-tastic – Val d'Isere remains one of the most prestigious meets on the skiing calendar, and is one every racer wants on their roll call of wins. All-conquering U.S. competitor, Lindsey Vonn, has enjoyed plenty of success there.
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Photos: Nyman marks World Cup comeback
Photos: Nyman marks World Cup comeback
History repeats – Steve Nyman celebrates his victory in the men's World Cup downhill race at Val Gardena, Italy. His only other win came at the same race in 2006.
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Photos: Nyman marks World Cup comeback
Winning comeback – The American missed all of last season due to Achilles problems, having been plagued by injuries in recent years.
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Photos: Nyman marks World Cup comeback
Svindal stretches lead – Aksel Lund Svindal was fifth, extending his overall World Cup lead to 177 points following his victory in the previous day's Super G race.
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Photos: Nyman marks World Cup comeback
Too much snow – The men's downhill went ahead despite heavy snowfall, but the women's World Cup Super-G event on the same day at Val d'Isere in the French Alps was called off.
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"I feel like I am back in downhill because my last races were really bad, but I felt confident today," the 32-year-old said.
"I think equipment today was very important because if the skies are stable on this bumpy slope it helps you to ski fast. During the Christmas break we did a good job, I did a lot of testing and now I can say I am on the right wave back. The year is ending really, really nice."
Svindal earned his first podium finish at Bormio, which is considered one of the most testing courses on the World Cup circuit.
He finished 0.01 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Austrian Klaus Kroll, who was the World Cup downhill champion last season.
"It's crazy, four guys within two-hundredths on one of the toughest downhills in the world," said Svindal, who leads the downhill standings by 92 points from Paris and has a 114-point advantage in the overall competition.
He now has a record-equaling six podium positions before New Year, matching the mark set by Austria's Michael Walchhofer in 2004-05.
"I can't remember a race exactly this close. But as a ski racer you almost get used to it, it's actually kind of crazy like that," Svindal said.
"For sure there is that one mistake at the bottom that I wish I had back, but that's ski racing. As long as you are fighting for the win like I am today, sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't. But racing is a lot of fun when you are in that position."
Meanwhile, Veronika Zuzulova had a comparatively more comfortable victory in the women's slalom in Semmering, Austria, as she won her first World Cup race.
The Slovakian was 0.10 seconds ahead of home hope Kathrin Zettel over the two runs, while Tina Maze extended her overall World Cup lead with her 11th podium in 16 starts.
The Slovenian, who was fastest in the first run, now has a 427-point advantage over Germany's Maria Hofl-Riesch, who placed fourth.
