Downhill racer Dominik Paris tops 96 mph in fast World Cup classic at Wengen

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Italian downhiller Dominik Paris topped 96 mph in a World Cup race Saturday to reach one of the fastest speeds ever seen on the Alpine ski circuit.

The 35-year-old veteran racer passed a speed check at 154.99 kph (96 mph) on the straight Haneggschuss section two minutes into the run at storied Swiss venue Wengen.

It was there in 2013 that Johan Clarey of France set the World Cup record speed of 100.6 mph (161.9 kph).

The fast section helped carry Paris to the second-fastest time among the early starters in a race being led by Miha Hrobat of Slovenia, who touched 154.57 kph (96 mph).

The snow surface was fast and hard on a day of sunshine, clear blue skies and 2 Celsius (36 degrees F) temperatures for the classic Lauberhorn race.

It's the longest race in the World Cup on a 4.45-kilometers (2¾-mile) course that twists beneath the Eiger, Jungfrau and Mönch peaks of about 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).

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The Associated Press