Canada's Erik Guay finished second at the next to last World Cup downhill of the season Saturday in Kvitfjell, Norway, setting a personal best for podium finishes and giving Canada a record-tying season.

Guay, from Mont-Tremblant, Que., nearly won the event, finishing just 0.06 seconds behind winner Didier Cuche of Switzerland, who completed the Olympiabakken course in one minute, 28.51 seconds. Marco Buechel of Liechtenstein was third in 1:28.94.

Erik Guay celebrated his career-best fourth podium finish of the season on Saturday.
(Sven Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)

With the win, Cuche clinched his first career World Cup downhill season title. Though it was his first victory of the season, it was also his sixth podium finish.

Guay landed on the podium for a career-best fourth time this season — all in the downhill — bringing Canada's overall World Cup medal count to 13 on the season, equalling the national record set in 1982.

"We're definitely creating a buzz on the Tour," Guay said. "People are talking lots about the Canadians everywhere we go."

Jeffrey Frisch of Mont-Tremblant, Que., finished 12th Saturday, while Calgary's John Kucera was 19th.

Svindal gains ground

Michael Walchhofer of Austria, the defending World Cup downhill champion, was fourth.

Aksel Lund Svindal, who won the downhill gold medal in last month's world championships in Sweden, finished 11th on his home hill to gain ground on Benjamin Raich in the chase for the World Cup overall title.

Raich, the defending overall champion, had to settle for 21st.

The start of Saturday's race was delayed nearly an hour because of foggy and snowy conditions at Kvitfjell, site of the men's Olympic alpine ski races at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

The competition was stopped by the organizers because of the poor visibility after 11 skiers completed the course.

The last downhill is next week at the World Cup Finals in Switzerland.

With files from the Associated Press