KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AFP) - Marco Buechel of Liechtenstein broke his own record as the oldest winner of a World Cup race when he won the Super-G here on Friday ahead of fellow veteran Hermann Maier of Austria.
The 36-year-old Buechel clocked 1min 15.44sec to finish just 0.16sec ahead of Maier with Switzerland's Didier Cuche and Austrian Mario Scheiber finishing equal third, a further 0.17sec off the pace.
It was the fourth World Cup victory for Buechel, while Maier confirmed his status as the uncontested Super-G king of Kitzbuehel with his seventh podium finish in seven races at the venue, five of which he has won.
"On a piste like the Streif, experience makes the difference, that's clear," Buechel said of the infamous Kitzbuehel run. "I'm savouring this victory, it's undoubtedly the greatest day of my life.
"The toughest was waiting at the finish line when the pressure started to build and there were a few tense moments when Hermann was faster at the intermediary passages.
"But I silently begged him: 'I like you a lot but don't do that to me'.
"When I was younger I never dreamed of winning here. It's Kitzbuehel, what more can I say? I'm feeling good for the downhill tomorrow."
Maier admitted: "I know where I lost the 0.16sec which kept me from winning. I missed a jump and lost speed at the finish line. I was too impatient.
"But getting on the podium here is fantastic. This second place means as much to me as my first Super-G win here in 2000. The season has been difficult up until now. I had problems adapting to my equipment but it's starting to get better now."
Buechel, a world silver medallist in the giant slalom in 1999, had previously won two downhills (Val Gardena 2005, Lake Louise 2006) and one Super-G (Garmisch 2003).
Buechel bettered the record he set in Lake Louise as the oldest World Cup winner in a race that appealed to the veterans of the gruelling international ski circuit: Maier is 35 years old and Cuche 33.
Austria's Benjamin Raich finished in seventh place, 0.59sec down on Buechel, but maintained his lead in the overall World Cup standings.
