LEAD: Cuche storms to record fifth Kitzbuehel downhill win

By Florian Luetticke Jan 21, 2012, 12:23 GMT

Kitzbuehel, Austria - Didier Cuche powered to his third successive downhill World Cup victory at Kitzbuehel for a record fifth win on the spectacular Streif in a shortened run Saturday.

The 37-year-old Swiss veteran, who Thursday announced his retirement from the World Cup circuit at the end of the season, made it a swansong for the record books at the blue riband event.

In heavy snowfall and fog, Cuche clocked one minute 13.28 seconds, beating Austrians Romed Baumann by 0.24 seconds and Klaus Kroell by 0.30 seconds for his 19th World Cup win.

'There couldn't be a better weekend for me,' Cuche said in first television interviews. 'I knew before the start that it would be my last race. I performed well.'

Cuche has now won four of the last five downhills in Kitzbuehel after triumphing in 2008, 2010 and 2011, with his first victory in 1998.

He now holds the sole record for downhill victories at Kitzbuehel, bettering the record of four wins he tied with Austrian great Franz Klammer.

Klammer was also the only previous skier to win a hat-trick of three in a row at Kitzbuehel, between 1975 and 1977.

'I can live with the lost record. Didier was sensational in the lower part of the course,' Klammer said.

Cuche's victory continued a Swiss winning run at the Streif, with the 2009 race going to Didier Defago.

It was Cuche's second win in the World Cup this season, following a downhill victory in Lake Louise, Canada on November 26.

The race jury decided to shorten the classic Streif run because of the falling snow and poor visibility.

Around 70 seconds was lost off the run, with the Mausefalle (mouse trap) - the steepest part of the run - left out.

Austria's Marcel Hirscher continues to lead the World Cup standings, on 725 points, followed by holder Ivica Kostelic of Croatia on 695 and Beat Feuz of Switzerland on 585. Feut tops the downhill standings with 300 points from Cuche, who has 277.

The World Cup continues in Kitzbuehel Sunday with a slalom.

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