Ganong podiums for first time at Kitzbuehel | SierraSun.com
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Ganong podiums for first time at Kitzbuehel

Travis Ganong
Provided

KITZBUEHEL, Austria — Team Palisades Tahoe alpine skier Travis Ganong posted his best result in more than a year, taking third place at what is regarded as the hardest downhill event on the World Cup circuit.

Ganong’s third place at the Hahnenkammrennan in Kitzbuehel, Austria on Saturday came in front of a roaring international crowd, marking his first podium at the venue and the first American podium in Kitzbuehel since Bode Miller in 2014.

“My goal this season was to push it and I’m happy with what I did and I can walk away being satisfied on what Kitzbuehel gave me,” said Ganong in an interview with U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “It was a pleasure to ski here — I love this place.”



Ganong, 34, called the podium finish “a dream come true.” He has been racing at the Hahnenkamm since 2011. Ganong also finished in seventh place in downhill the day before.

“The goal is always to win,” said Ganong. “But I’m stoked with how I skied and it was a fun time being here as a racer.”



Ganong finished the race with a time of 1 minute, 57.85 seconds. Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde took first place with a time of 1:56.90.

Fellow Team Palisades Tahoe racer Bryce Bennett, 30, finished 29th in Friday’s downhill and was 22nd in downhill the following day. Also representing Team Palisades Tahoe, Erik Arvidsson, 26, took 21st on Friday and was 39th the following day.

On the women’s side, Team Palisades Tahoe’s Keely Cashman, 23, took a break from World Cup racing to compete in a pair of FIS giant slalom events in Alleghe, Italy. Cashman would go on to claim her first podium of the season, taking second place on Wednesday. She then returned to the venue on Thursday and claimed her first win since taking first place last April at an FIS stop at Alpine Meadows.

Cashman also recently posted her best World Cup finish of the season, taking 27th on Saturday in downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

In freeskiing, Truckee’s Cody LaPlante, 20, was able to put down two solid runs at the Laax Open in Switzerland. LaPlante, a member of the Olympic Valley Freestyle and Freeride team, landed a right double cork 1440 and left double cork 1260 during his second run to earn sixth place. The finish is LaPlante’s best World Cup result since taking third place in 2020.


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