By USSA

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta — Veteran U.S. Ski Team downhiller Marco Sullivan of Squaw Valley parlayed a strong training run Thursday plus two weeks of training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper into a third place downhill finish Nov. 24 in the opening Audi FIS Alpine World Cup speed event of the season in Lake Louise.

Starting 42nd, Sullivan hit a perfect line to tie with Austrian Klaus Kroell 0.64 seconds behind winner Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway.

Sullivan solidified his comeback with his first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium since 2009 with a third in the opening dowhill.

It was the fourth podium of his 13-year career with the U.S. Ski Team that includes a downhill win at Chamonix, France, in 2008.

Sullivan switched to Atomic skis and boots in the off season and spent a long six-week stretch in Chile to dial in his new equipment.

He had been training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain since late October before traveling to Lake Louise.