Andorran Skier Roger Puig Finishes Fifth in World Cup Downhill Finale

Andorran para-alpine skier Roger Puig finished fifth in the World Cup downhill finale in Tignes, France, on Thursday, securing fifth place overall in the discipline's standings with 224 points and closing out a strong season.

The result followed his tied fourth-place finish with Canada's Alexis Guimond in Tuesday's opener, where both recorded identical times. In that race, Puig delivered a solid run with the sixth-fastest time in the first sector, eighth in the second, and strong lines throughout to claim 50 points. The performance kept him sixth in downhill standings at the time and boosted his career-best total across all disciplines to 420 points. He acknowledged minor errors had cost him fractions of a second that could have brought him closer to a podium spot.

Puig entered the week on good form after training sessions at the venue. The initial practice saw delays for snow clearance, where he placed second while prioritizing clean lines. He followed up with third in the more competitive second session, crediting his equipment and team setup for building confidence.

In the season-ending downhill, Puig adopted an aggressive approach to chase a podium, which brought small mistakes including a drift off the ideal line at the second jump and challenges on the rutted final section after days of heavy use. He managed the losses well, reaching a top GPS speed of 145 km/h for a competitive effort.

Weather conditions will determine if a super-G takes place Friday to conclude the speed events at Tignes, site of next year's world championships.