The Canadian men91裸聊视频檚 downhill ski team opens an important racing season intent on making a multi-pronged push for the podium.

Their World Cup speed season kicks off in Beaver Creek, Colo., with Friday91裸聊视频檚 downhill and Saturday91裸聊视频檚 super-G.

Like the 91裸聊视频淐razy Canucks91裸聊视频� of the last century and the 91裸聊视频淐anadian Cowboys91裸聊视频� earlier this century, Alpine Canada91裸聊视频檚 downhillers boast more than one man capable of winning races and challenging for the season91裸聊视频檚 overall crystal globes 91裸聊视频� provided they can stay on their skis and away from the crash nets in a high-speed sport.

91裸聊视频淥ur goals are to keep them healthy, first and foremost, and every weekend we want to go out and we want to challenge for podiums, world championship medals and Olympic medals,91裸聊视频� said head coach John Kucera, the 2009 world men91裸聊视频檚 downhill champion with the Canadian Cowboys.

91裸聊视频淭he ultimate goal for some athletes in this group is to put themselves in a position to be consistent enough to compete for globes. They91裸聊视频檙e in elite company, a number of them.

91裸聊视频淔or me, what91裸聊视频檚 important is that we just keep pushing to bring the consistency necessary to be threats every weekend.91裸聊视频�

Led by reigning world super-G champion James (Jack) Crawford of Toronto and 2023 world downhill bronze medallist Cam Alexander of North Vancouver, B.C., the men embark on the last full season of World Cup racing before the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

This is a season in which they can punch their Olympic tickets with the right combination of results at the world championship and on the World Cup circuit.

Calgary91裸聊视频檚 Jeff Read, son of Crazy Canuck Ken Read, earned his first World Cup medal with a super-G silver in February.

Brodie Seger of North Vancouver, B.C., has been a top-10 finisher in world championship and Olympic Games. He91裸聊视频檚 worked his way back from a knee injury at the 2023 world championship.

Crawford91裸聊视频檚 alpine combined Olympic bronze medal in 2022 in Beijing was Canada91裸聊视频檚 first medal in men91裸聊视频檚 alpine skiing since Jan Hudec91裸聊视频檚 super-G bronze in 2014.

Broderick Thompson of Whistler, B.C., isn91裸聊视频檛 expected to race this season, Kucera said.

Thompson, the brother of Olympic champion ski cross racer Marielle Thompson, is still recovering from a training-run crash last year at Beaver Creek where he suffered a brain injury and broken bones.

91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 for sure not racing this year. We91裸聊视频檒l assess where we91裸聊视频檙e at come spring,91裸聊视频� Kucera said. 91裸聊视频淭his is one of those things. It91裸聊视频檚 just going to take some time.91裸聊视频�

The world alpine ski championships Feb. 4-16 in Saalbach, Austria, and the World Cup on the men91裸聊视频檚 Olympic course Dec. 26-29 in Bormio are of interest this season.

But Kucera cautions that Bormio in December is not Bormio in February, when the Olympic Games will be held in 2026.

91裸聊视频淭he one thing that is interesting about Bormio is it is a much easier mountain to ski in February than it is in December,91裸聊视频� Kucera said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 in the sun in February, whereas in December it91裸聊视频檚 one of the darkest places to race.

91裸聊视频淚t is one of the iciest and bumpiest tracks. With the dark light, it91裸聊视频檚 incredibly demanding.91裸聊视频�

Alexander was third in downhill last year in Bormio and Crawford second in 2022.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a hill these guys have had quite a few years on,91裸聊视频� Kucera said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not a one-off event. It91裸聊视频檚 a race we hit every year and it91裸聊视频檚 a race these guys enjoy. They enjoy how difficult it is. They enjoy the challenge of it.91裸聊视频�

February91裸聊视频檚 world championship in Austria will be a performance-on-demand dress rehearsal for 2026, Kucera said.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 another opportunity for these guys to keep figuring out what it takes to put it together when it matters,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hose are the kinds of skills and experiences that91裸聊视频檚 required to then show up to an Olympic Games every four years and get it done on that day.91裸聊视频�

The men91裸聊视频檚 alpine team has a pair of slalom racers under its umbrella 91裸聊视频� Asher Jordan of North Vancouver, B.C. and Liam Wallace of Banff, Alta.

91裸聊视频淒ue to the injuries that the guys unfortunately had to battle through, they91裸聊视频檙e in a bit of a rebuild so they91裸聊视频檙e with our developmental group targeting Nor Am races at the start of the year just to get their points and their rankings back to where they need to be,91裸聊视频� Kucera said.

Two-time Olympian Erik Read wasn91裸聊视频檛 named to the alpine team for this season, so the 33-year-old Calgarian is self-funding his World Cup season.

Erik has yet to qualify for a second run after a pair of slalom races and one giant slalom. A GS race is scheduled for Sunday in Beaver Creek following the speed events.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press