Oh Canada!—James Crawford Wins Hahnenkamm Downhill & Cameron Alexander Comes 3rd in Kitzbühel, Austria

A Canadian storm swept across the famous Hahnenkamm slope of Kitzbühel, Austria, on Saturday, January 25, as James Crawford and teammate Cameron Alexander delivered a one-two punch in the men’s downhill, upending a stacked field of European contenders on one of skiing’s most legendary stages.

• Related: Gold for Canada’s James Crawford in Super-G at 2023 World Championships in Courchevel, France

For 27-year-old Crawford, the victory was both a career milestone and a personal breakthrough. It marked his first-ever World Cup win, achieved on the prestigious Streif course—a venue that defines ski racing greatness. Crossing the finish line in 1:53.64, Crawford in bib 20 edged Switzerland’s Alexis Monney by just 0.08 seconds, who until then had sat confidently in the leader’s seat for 15 subsequent skiers. Monney had won his first-ever World Cup podium and victory earlier this season. The 25-year-old ski racer had watched the top 15 seated skiers failing to unseat him, including Crawford’s teammate Cameron Alexander in bib 13, who had crossed the finish line just 0.13 seconds behind the Swiss, and surely would have felt confident in taking his second career victory.

• Related: On the Monney: Young Swiss Skier Claims First-Ever Victory & Podium at Bormio, Italy

With his victory, Crawford not only secured his maiden Downhill World Cup triumph but also the first World Cup victory of the 2024-25 season for Alpine Canada.

“It’s been a dream of mine to win the classics, and for the first one to be in Kitzbühel and my first downhill win to be here is incredible. The emotions are just a little bit scattered. I don’t know how to feel—happy, sad, I don’t know!”
— James Crawford

Crawford, the reigning Super-G World Champion, had shown flashes of brilliance earlier in the season but struggled for consistency, with two fourth-place finishes and five results outside the top 10 in December. He arrived in Kitzbühel with determination, finishing eighth in Friday’s Super-G, but it was his performance Saturday that cemented his name in skiing history.

Starting as the 20th skier, Crawford lagged behind Monney in the early sections but found his rhythm on the notoriously tricky bottom half of the course. While many skiers faltered on the uneven terrain and tight turns, Crawford stayed composed, maintaining a clean line to gain crucial time and secure his historic win.

Crawford credited teammate Alexander, who finished third, for helping him navigate the demanding course. “Cam and I go back and forth all the time in training and racing, and to see him pushing and skiing that way at the top fired me up,” Crawford said. “It’s amazing that I get to stand on top of the podium with him.”

• Related: Swiss Double Downhill Victory After Odermatt Beats Kilde—Canada’s Alexander Cameron as Surprise 3rd at 2023 World Championships

For Alexander, the result marked another standout performance following a fifth-place finish in Friday’s Super-G. The 25-year-old powered through the lower sections of the Hahnenkamm Downhill to clinch third place, ensuring a double podium celebration for Canada. “If there’s one World Cup where you want to be on the podium or on top of the podium, it’s this one right here,” Alexander said. “To be up there with my teammate Jack [Crawford], it’s crazy.”

The Canadians’ triumph overshadowed a strong run by Monney, who looked poised to claim victory after leading through the upper sections. Despite a slight misstep in the middle portion of the course, the Swiss skier found time in the final stretch to secure second place, just shy of Crawford’s winning run.

The day’s other favorite, overall crystal globe leader Marco Odermatt, finished a disappointing sixth after losing valuable time in the bottom section. The Swiss star, who won Friday’s Super-G, has yet to conquer the Kitzbühel Downhill—a glaring gap in his otherwise remarkable career. Odermatt remains on course for a fourth consecutive overall title but was visibly frustrated as he crossed the finish line Saturday.

On a day when the legendary Streif claimed its share of victims, the Canadians emerged as unexpected heroes, rewriting the script at one of the World Cup’s most iconic venues. As the champagne flowed on the Kitzbühel podium, Crawford and Alexander ensured that this year’s downhill will be remembered as a historic moment for Alpine Canada. The last time Canada had two skiers on the podium at the Hahnenkamm was in 1983, when Todd Brooker and Ken Read claimed first and third. Brooker, known for his fearless style, took a commanding victory on the Streif, while Read, a member of the legendary “Crazy Canucks” and father of ski racer Jeffrey Read, finished in third.

Crawford and Alexander’s performance on Saturday is a fantastic echo of this historic moment more than 40 years later and will surely be remembered forever as one of the greatest feats in Alpine Canada’s legacy.