Svindal clinches season's first super-G

Former two-time World Cup overall champion Aksel Lund Svindal captured the first men's World Cup super-G of the 2011-12 season on Sunday. The 28-year-old Norwegian clocked one minute, 23.47 seconds to beat Swiss speed specialist Didier Cuche who finished in 1:23.70. France's Adrien Theaux placed third in 1:24.11. It marked the 15th career World Cup win for Svindal and sixth in the super-G. This was also his third super-G win in Lake Louise to go with victories in 2007 and 2005. After winning in Lake Louise in 2007 Svindal travelled to Beaver Creek, Colorado, where he suffered serious injuries in a crash during a training run on the Birds of Prey piste. The following season after his horrific crash, Svindal returned to the World Cup full-time in 2008-09 to claim the overall crown for the second time in his career. The 37-year-old Cuche now has a silver medal in super-G to go with the gold he seized in Saturday's season-opening downhill. Cuche is the reigning World Cup champ in both super-G and downhill. Theaux has been one of the most consistent skiers all week with two top ten showings in the season-opening speed races. He tied for sixth in the downhill and had the fastest time in Friday's final training run. Officials were forced to move the starting gate of the men's super-G down the hill to the women's super-G start because of heavy snowfall overnight. The snow continued to fall throughout Sunday's race.