Former Ski and Snowboard Club Vail skier Kyle Negomir posts career-best World Cup downhill finish in Val Gardena

The weather gods threw everything they had at the Saslong slope on Thursday morning as skiers took to a shortened Val Gardena course for the second downhill of the FIS men’s World Cup season. But warm weather, a late start due to fog and multiple mid-race delays didn’t phase Kyle Negomir.

The former Ski and Snowboard Club Vail athlete posted a career-best World Cup finish, rocketing from bib 52 to 11th place.

“It feels really good,” Negomir said after finishing as the top American in the 67-skier field. “I mean, I’ve had a lot of slow results and I think a lot of skiing under what I thought my potential was. We all saw there was an opportunity up there today skiing so late — it started getting colder. So, glad I was able to take advantage of it.”

Negomir just missed making his second world championship team last winter, but closed out the 2024-25 campaign with three top-25 finishes. He opened this season at Copper Mountain with a 24th-place result in the Copper Cup super-G on Nov. 27. The following week in Beaver Creek, he was 51st in the downhill and never got a chance to start in the weather-shortened super-G on Dec. 5. Suffice it to say, the 27-year-old has been chomping at the bit, which made it even harder to wait extra long at the top of the heavily salted course on Thursday.

“I think you get used to it. I think you accept that as part of downhill skiing,” he said regarding the myriad of delays amidst constantly changing conditions. “I didn’t do my first run today besides inspection until 1 or 2 p.m. And so I think you just put it off, keep the heart rate low, the intensity low until it’s time to go.”

Support Local Journalism

Donate

The Denver-native’s previous best finish was 12th in the super-G in Kvitfjell, Norway on Feb. 18, 2024. Thursday’s result was the fifth top-20 finish for Negomir, who currently sits 19th in the downhill cup standings.

Marco Odermatt made it 2-for-2 on downhill races this year, stopping the clock at 1 minute, 24.48 seconds to back up his win at the Birds of Prey event on Dec. 4.

“Everything was different to the training,” Odermatt remarked to FIS after his 0.15-second win over countryman Franjo Von Allmen. “The training was pretty cold and aggressive, now it’s wet and different conditions. But my plan stayed the same from all the lines. I could adapt very good and I’m super happy with the victory today.”

Odermatt tied Italian Alberto Tomba with his 50th-career World Cup win.

“It’s amazing to be on the same number as Alberto now, and doing it here in Italy makes it even more special,” the two-time downhill globe winner added.

Hometown hero Dominik Paris rounded out the podium in third, just 0.19 off Odermatt’s standard as four Italians finished in the top eight.

“My sensation was not so nice, but it was a good run; it was really fast and I tried to push and stay on the line, keep good speed,” Paris told FIS. “I had a little mistake, but I am happy.”

Negomir was the lone American to score World Cup points as Jared Goldberg came through in 35th, followed by Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Bryce Bennett in 37th and 39th, respectively. Bennett won the downhill in Val Gardena in 2021 and had another victory to go along with a third-place finish in 2023. Goldberg has also had success at the venue in the past — the 34-year-old’s only World Cup podium came in the super-G there last December. But on Thursday, Negomir was the only American to figure out the slope — and the conditions.

“I don’t know if I’m the person to be giving advice,” Negomir answered when asked whether or not he’d have any tips for his teammates over the next two days of racing. “I think I was able to execute today, but I think everyone you know has the right plan, has the experience here and has had success in the past, so I think we’re looking for two big days for the U.S.”

The men’s speed triple header continues with a super-G on Friday and the full-length downhill on Saturday. Meanwhile, Lindsey Vonn leads the American women’s speed squad into action in Val d’Isere, France, where there will be a downhill on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.