(Reuters) - Frenchman Adrien Theaux, still mourning the death of team mate David Poisson in a training crash, posted the fastest time in final practice on Friday for the opening men's alpine World Cup downhill at Lake Louise. Olympic champion Matthias Mayer of Austria was the only other skier to dip under 1:52.00 crossing in 1:51.89 followed by Norway's Kjetil Jansrud, downhill bronze medallist at the Sochi Winter Games. The excitement that usually accompanies the first downhill of the season has been muted this year after Poisson died following a training run accident on Nov. 13 at nearby Nakiska, the alpine skiing venue for the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Lake Louise organisers are planning several tributes to the French skier over the weekend. Swiss world champion Beat Feuz was eighth fastest followed by Austria's Hannes Reichelt in ninth.

Source: The Star November 24, 2017 22:18 UTC