Birthday boy Beat Feuz on Saturday won the first World Cup downhill stage to be held in the 2014 Olympic resort of Sochi.
It was a second downhill and third World Cup victory for the Swiss, who also triumphed in Wengen, Switzerland, last month and took the Super-G in Val Gardena, Italy, in December.
"To win such a difficult downhill on my birthday is just unbelievable," said Feuz, who turned 25, through a translator. "It's a hard course, a difficult course, and it's amazing that I won."
Feuz posted a time of 2 minutes, 14.1 seconds ahead of Canada's Benjamin Thomsen (2:14.3) and Frenchman Adrien Theaux (2:14.69).
Thomsen, a rookie who expected to be competing in regional rather than international events this year, called his result "a very special moment."
American Bode Miller, who criticized the downhill course earlier this week for its twists and turns at the top, was edged out into fourth, posting 2:14.71.
Austrian skiers who had shown potential in practice runs disappointed, with Joachim Puchner, their top competitor, finishing 0.74 seconds back.
It was the first time the FIS Alpine World Cup tour has rolled into Sochi, which is undergoing the sternest test yet of its capacity to host major international competition.
The super combined is Sunday.
