BEAVER CREEK, Colorado -- Austrian downhill champion Hermann Maier continued to make North America's most difficult downhill course look easy on Friday, winning his second training run in as many days on the eve of the World Cup season opener on Beaver Creek's Birds of Prey course.
Starting 12th, Maier blazed down the course and into top position in one minute, 43.98 seconds, more than half a second ahead of his closest competitor, teammate Hannes Trinkl.Trinkl skied the training run in 1:44.68, followed by Peter Rzehak in 1:44.68, and Roland Assigner completed an Austrian sweep of the top four positions in 1:44.98.
"At the moment it is very easy for me," said Maier, who won the giant slalom here on Wednesday. "The gate is always in front of me and I never have problems at the moment."
Austrians claimed six of the first eight positions and eight of the first 13. The team typically uses the training day as a qualifier for official race starts and several of its members consider the Birds of Prey their favorite course on the World Cup tour.
"This is my favorite downhill," said Stephan Eberharter, who finished 10th Friday. "I like it because it is so technical and very difficult. That suits me."
For the second consecutive day, Assinger posted the most startling result for the Austrian, moving into fourth from the 37th start position.
He finished sixth out of the 37th start in Thursday's training run. Likewise, Canadian Darin McBeath moved up to sixth position on Friday from the 50th starting position. He was eighth on Thursday.
The World Cup downhill season officially gets underway at Beaver Creek on Saturday.