Ingrid Rumpfhuber of Austria posted the fastest time in Thursday's training session for this weekend's season-opening women's World Cup downhill at Lake Louise, Alta.
Rumpfhuber sped down the the 2.8-kilometre course in one minute 49.77 seconds.
"I was quite comfortable," she said. "It is not the best I could ski, but quite good."
Teammate Elisabeth Goergl was second for the second straight day (1:49.79), and Switzerland's Monika Dumermuth finished third (1:49.91).
Emily Brydon of Fernie, B.C., was the top Canadian, placing 11th in 1:50.63.
"I was a little nervous in the start," said Brydon, who fell in Wednesday's training run.
"Even when it is not driver error, a fall is a fall. I just wanted to have a solid run today, nothing special — I just wanted to make it down in one piece."
"I'm not good enough to be able to play it cool and just show up on race day and do something special," Brydon continued. "It is a really good attitude when you are constantly teaching yourself to be in race mode and constantly pushing it.
"On race day, there's always that fifth gear and you can never train for it. But if you can train as close to it as possible, then, on race day, it's not as big as a shock."
Kelly VanderBeek, who resides in Chilliwack, B.C., was a distant 25th in 1:51.31.
"I was a little hard on my edges," she said. "I wasn't totally relaxed.
"I made a big mistake on the top flats. I hit some ice and was like Bambi on ice."
VanderBeek, who clocked the fourth-swiftest run on Wednesday, is nursing sore shins and wearing a protective cast on a broken left wrist.
But she refused to use either as an excuse.
"Today, a few things were on my mind, like the jumps," VanderBeek said. "There are a few things I can touch up.
"That second-and-a-half, I know where it was. That's a good thing when you know where it is."
Sherry Lawrence came 47th (1:52.45), and fellow Calgarian Danielle Poleschuk placed 52nd (1:53.21).
The training session was delayed when Switzerland's Tamara Wolf wiped out and crashed into the safety net, suffering a broken tibia and fibula.
Wolf was transported by helicopter to a hospital in nearby Banff, Alta.
The opening downhill of the women's World Cup season is Saturday (CBC, 5 p.m. ET) and the super-G on Sunday (CBC, 4 p.m. ET).
With files from the Canadian PressCity council to mull velodrome project
Edmonton city council will decide next week whether to contribute $8 million to help build a $30-million indoor cycling track and recreation centre on the city's south side.
Melnyk serious about MLS in Ottawa
Eugene Melnyk and his Senators Sports and Entertainment group officially launched a bid for a Major League Soccer franchise in Ottawa on Tuesday along with plans for a west-end stadium.
Lecavalier on track for Lightning opener
Centre Vincent Lecavalier is confident he'll be in the Tampa Bay Lightning starting lineup Oct. 4 for their season opener against the New York Rangers, despite experiencing pain in his surgically repaired shoulder this summer.
Contact Us About Us HomeTuesday, January 6th, 2009