Hudec wins World Cup downhill

Jan Hudec of Canada won the men's World Cup downhill here on Saturday ahead of Romed Baumann of Austria and Erik Guay of Canada. It was just the second time the 30-year-old had won a World Cup race, his last coming on home snow at Lake Louise four years ago. The Czech-born Hudec finished second in the downhill at the 2007 World Championship but has had little success on the World Cup circuit due to a succession of injuries. But he showed some form at Chamonix finishing sixth in Friday's first downhill behind winner Klaus Kroell of Austria. He clearly enjoyed the conditions on Saturday to come home in 2 minutes 03.25 seconds, 00.53 secs clear of Baumann and 00.63secs faster than compatriot Guay. Kroell had to settle for sixth place this time more than a second behind Hudec and also behind Switzerland's Beat Feuz and another Canadian, Benjamin Thomsen. Didier Cuche retained the lead in the downhill World Cup standings by taking seventh place. As a youngster, Hudec fled the then communist-ruled Czechoslovakia with his parents. His career has been pock-marked by injury, with three operations on his right knee and another on his left. But he did manage a silver medal at the 2007 world championships at Are in Sweden and Saturday showed he is a long way from being finished. He explained after his win that he has regularly had to put his weight on his left leg to protect the battered right knee. But "I can take risks and go for it. And I'm not the craziest in the (Canadian) groups. The craziest is Benjamin (Thomsen), who's fearless. His fifth place gave me as much pleasure as my victory." Baumann thought he had the win in his pocket for a while but "I forgot that Jan still had to go down