Sarrazin completes downhill double at legendary Kitzbühel venue

France's Cyprien Sarrazin made it two wins out of two downhill World Cup races at the iconic Austrian venue of Kitzbühel.

In Saturday's race, Sarrazin clocked 1 minute 52.96 seconds to beat World Cup leader and defending champion Marco Odermatt of Switzerland by almost one second.

Third place went to Italy's Dominik Paris, his third podium this season.

Sarrazin started the season with only a parallel giant slalom win in his career and struggled a long time with some injuries before he claimed a surprise triumph in Bormio, Italy last December.

He has since won three more races, including Saturday's victory in Kitzbühel, and also finished second in two other events.

The race on Saturday marked the final run of former Kitzbühel winner Thomas Dreßen of Germany, who has announced his retirement earlier this week. He finished in 46th.

"I wanted to enjoy the ride, that's what I did. It wasn't until 10 metres before the finish line that I realized: that's it. I'm proud of the last run," Dreßen said.

He was welcomed and hugged by many of his fellow racers at the finish line.

In January 2018, Dreßen sensationally raced to downhill victory in Austria's Kitzbühel, which put him at the top of the world rankings.

The feat was followed by four more downhill World Cup wins between 2018 and 2020. No German ski racer has won more often in the supreme alpine skiing discipline.

In total, he stood 10 times on the podium in 79 alpine skiing World Cup races.

However, he's career was also marked by numerous health setbacks. The German had to undergo several operations in recent years - on his hip, but above all on his right knee.

Dreßen celebrated several comebacks, but never reached the level he once achieved. He claimed his last World Cup victory in February 2020 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.

Ski star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway is not competing in Kitzbühel after being involved in a heavy crash last weekend in Wengen.

He suffered a gash on his calf and a dislocated shoulder. It is unclear whether Kilde will compete again this season.