Paris clinched back-to-back World Cup titles with victory in Kvitfjell, Norway.
Paris clinched back-to-back World Cup titles with victory in Kvitfjell, Norway.
CORNELIUS POPPE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Story highlights

Dominik Paris wins penultimate World Cup downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway

Closes to within four points of co-leaders Peter Fill and Aksel Lund Svindal

Final downhill race on Wednesday in St Moritz

Svindal, Fill, Paris, Jansrud, Theaux can still win downhill title

CNN  — 

Italy’s Dominik Paris set up a thrilling finale to the World Cup season with victory in the penultimate downhill in Kvitfjell Saturday to close to within four points of the leaders.

Paris trails countryman Peter Fill and Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, who is out injured, ahead of Wednesday’s downhill at the World Cup finals in St Moritz, Switzerland.

The 26-year-old climbed to 432 points, with Norway’s defending champion Kjetil Jansrud 54 points adrift of the leaders and France’s Adrien Theaux 62 points behind with 100 points available to the winner.

Paris and Fill are vying to become the first Italian to win the men’s World Cup downhill title.

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Paris, who also won the last World Cup downhill in Chamonix last month, triumphed by 0.20 seconds from France’s Valentin Giraud Moine and 0.24 secs ahead of American Steve Nyman.

Fill, who led Thursday’s training on the Olympiabakken course, finished 10th, 0.98 secs behind Paris.

Svindal is out for the season following knee surgery in a fall at Kitzbuehel on January 23.

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Updated 10:25 AM EST, Sat March 12, 2016
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Dramatic crashes in Kitzbühel downhill race
02:52 - Source: CNN

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Paris won the previous World Cup downhill in Chamonix, France last month.
Paris won the previous World Cup downhill in Chamonix, France last month.
POPPE, CORNELIUS/AFP/AFP/Getty Images