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Canadian Wins World Cup Super G Ski Race

John Kucera, a largely unknown 22-year-old skier from Calgary, became the fist Canadian to win the World Cup Super G ski race on Canadian snow. Kucera went on to finish first at the Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart SG, wearing bib #1, considered the worst position, passing the subzero temperatures at the finish line in just 1:29.70 seconds, where he had to wait for notable skiers such as Bode Miller, the fastest member of the American team, who came in 14th, Austrians Hermann Maier Benjamin Raich, Michael Walchhofer and Christoph Gruber, at the bottom of the slope. Kucera is the first Canadian to win the World Cup Super G race since Rob Boyd won in Whistler in 1989.

Kucera won 30,000 Swiss Francs, as well as, a year-long lease of a car from General Motors Canada. Kucera said that what ever he gets from General Motors it will be a step up from the 1986 "piece of junk" he is currently driving. The Super G isn`t as long as the downhill but has more gates, so that it requires extreme skill along side speed. Kucera said: "I knew if I skied well, I`d get a good result," but added. "I definitely wasn`t expecting to win."

The skiers will now head to Beaver Creek, CO, where they will be competing for the annual VISA Birds of Prey races. The races will begin on Thursday with a super combined and then a downhill Friday, giant slalom Saturday and slalom Sunday.