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Mikaela Shiffrin, the queen of alpine skiing, achieved her 91st World Cup victory in the technical downhill race at St. Moritz, Switzerland, just a few days ago. In contrast, her Norwegian alpine ski racer boyfriend, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, experienced a different outcome on the challenging slopes of Val Gardena during the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup downhill.

Kilde fell short of securing a top spot, finishing far from the podium. Nevertheless, the spotlight shifted to a new champion who made history by winning the first World Cup men?s downhill race of the season.

Unpredictability in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

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Bryce Bennett, a 31-year-old skier, standing at 6?7? tall, hails from California. He defied the odds starting with a No. 34 bib and clinched first place on a shortened course with a time of 1 minute 23.80 seconds. Bennett narrowly edged out Norway?s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde by a mere three-hundredths of a second and surpassed Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, the reigning world champion in the discipline.

His prior success occurred in the same Val Gardena event two years ago, where he achieved his first notable finish by securing fourth place in 2018. What’s particularly noteworthy about his recent victory is that he didn’t lead until the later sections. However, in a recent jaw-dropping performance displayed in a video on X, his exceptional skiing skills were prominently showcased. It was captioned as, ?BRYCE BENNETT EVERYONE. Bryce Bennett WINS the @VGardena downhill FOR THE SECOND TIME?

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Bennett’s triumph through challenging terrain

Bryce Bennett’s remarkable victory at Val Gardena showcased his adeptness in utilizing his tall frame to maneuver the challenging Ciaslat section, followed by a strategic aerodynamic tuck in the final gates that allowed him to surpass Kilde and Odermatt. His initial disbelief transformed into an ecstatic celebration upon seeing the unexpected win. ?That?s how ski racing is and that?s why we love it,? Kilde said.

Read More: Mikaela Shiffrin?s Cheers Fall Short As Boyfriend Aleksander Aamodt Kilde Dethroned by Fellow American in Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2023/24

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Kilde’s premature celebration and Bennett’s unexpected triumph emphasized the unpredictable nature of ski racing. Bennett’s childhood experience riding BMX bikes seemed to harmonize with the Ciaslat section, contributing to his success. ?This season I really want to move it forward,? Bennett said. ?I want to move it forward to Bormio, to Wengen, to Kitzbuhel, to Chamonix, and just really have competitive runs all season long.” This victory marked the US team’s opening success in both men’s and women’s downhill races and set the stage for upcoming events, including a super-G, downhill races, and giant slalom competitions in Alta Badia, forming an exciting sequence of five races in five days.

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