VAL GARDENA, Italy (AP) American skier Steven Nyman led the opening training session Wednesday for a World Cup downhill on the Saslong course, the site of his only two career wins.
Nyman clocked 1 minute, 59.98 seconds, 0.19 ahead of Kjetil Jansrud of Norway, who won the opening two downhills of the season.
Tobias Stechert of Germany was third, 0.54 behind.
Nyman won the race in Val Gardena in 2006 and 2012 and enters in solid form following a third-place result in Beaver Creek, Colorado, this month.
Organizers canceled Thursday's second training session to preserve the course, which has little snow cover.
In another effort related to course preservation, the super-G and downhill races have been flip-flopped from the original schedule.
The downhill will be held Friday, followed by the super-G on Sunday.
