Cameron Alexander strong and ready to launch from the start hut in the first World Cup downhill of the season is a novel feeling for him.

Knee injuries limited the 26-year-old ski racer from North Vancouver, B.C., early in the last two seasons before he posted big results in the back half.

Alexander claimed world championship bronze in men鈥檚 downhill in Courcheval, France in February.

He became the first Canadian since 2014 to win a World Cup downhill in March 2022 in Kvitfjell, Norway.

A catastrophic knee injury Dec. 13, 2020 in Val-d鈥橧sere, France sidelined him for a year. Alexander reinjured in the spring of 2022 and managed pain heading into the world championship.

He鈥檒l race downhills in Beaver Creek, Colo., for the first time since his rookie World Cup season. The first of two on the Birds of Prey course is Friday, followed by Sunday鈥檚 super-G.

鈥淗ealth-wise, my knee is the best its ever felt,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been nice having a full off-season, full pre-season under my belt coming into racing.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see how I stack up in the first race of a World Cup season when I鈥檓 healthy and ready to go.鈥�

Lake Louise, Alta., is no longer the traditional start of the international speed season for both men and women. The 2022 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 World Cups in Banff National Park were the last.

The women鈥檚 speed races have been replaced by giant slaloms Saturday and Sunday in Mont-Tremblant, Que. Alpine Canada chief executive officer Therese Brisson says she鈥檚 searching for a men鈥檚 speed site in Western Canada.

The world governing body of skiing and snowboarding (FIS) has twice attempted to start the speed season earlier in November by scheduling Zermatt-Cervinia races that start in Switzerland and finish in Italy.

An intriguing idea has yet to produce a live race. Weather conditions forced the cancellation of the event a second straight year, so Beaver Creek is the men鈥檚 opener for 2023-24. The first of three training runs is Tuesday.

Alexander and reigning world super-G champion James (Jack) Crawford of Toronto lead a Canadian men鈥檚 downhill team of 20-somethings who have been pushing each other into the world鈥檚 elite.

Crawford, Calgary鈥檚 Jeff Read and Brodie Seger of North Vancouver rank in the world鈥檚 top 28 in super-G. Seger won鈥檛 race in Beaver Creek as he鈥檚 coming back from a knee injury sustained in France.

Crawford, 26, was a downhill medallist three times last season with two silver and a bronze. He placed third in Beaver Creek.

Broderick Thompson of Whistler, B.C. was a super-G bronze medallist in Beaver Creek two years ago. Kyle Alexander and Riley Seger join their older brothers on the Canadian team.

鈥淲e have some high-level super-G skiers in our group, but that鈥檚 a strength that鈥檚 just going to help us build our downhill,鈥� Canadian team coach John Kucera said.

鈥淪ome of those guys who are still not in the top 30 in downhill have had some really fast training runs, top-10 training runs, winning sections out there. When it comes to racing, it鈥檚 just about not trying to do too much, but trusting what you鈥檙e doing is going to work and putting it together on the days that matter most.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be just as strong in downhill as we are in super-G. We鈥檙e going to be a true multi-discipline speed team.鈥�

The top 30 finishers earn prize money and points toward rankings. A top-30 start bib is an advantage because those skiers race a more pristine race course than those starting later. Kucera wants more Canadian men in the top 30 more often this season.

鈥淚 would expect to see a bigger step forward this year,鈥� said Kucera, who was the men鈥檚 world downhill champion in 2009. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to just see one or two guys successful. We have seven racers here who we feel can do something.

鈥淚 think we can have multiple guys in the top 30 and multiple guys pushing for the podium every week and that鈥檚 our goal.鈥�

Kucera describes the men鈥檚 downhill team as 鈥渢he tightest group you鈥檙e ever going to see.鈥�

鈥淭he major thing with us is we鈥檙e all very close and have known each other for a long time,鈥� Alexander explained. 鈥淲e grew up racing together. We鈥檝e very, very competitive with each other, but it鈥檚 in a healthy way where it doesn鈥檛 cause any strife between anybody.

鈥淓verybody believes they can beat the other guy, so when you see somebody else on the team have a big result, you鈥檙e excited for the guy, but you鈥檙e like 鈥榤an, that could have been me.鈥� It鈥檚 just like a building up and off each other all the time and just pushing each other consistently.鈥�

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