Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway was fastest and Canada's Erik Guay finished third in Wednesday's training run for the season-opening World Cup downhill in Lake Louise.

Svindal's time was one minute 49.51 seconds. His countryman Kjetil Jansrud was second in 1:50.23 ahead of Guay, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., in 1:51.14.

The first downhill of the season is Saturday at the ski resort west of Calgary followed by Sunday's super-G.

Jansrud is the defending champion in Lake Louise having swept both races last year.

Guay is coming back from two knee surgeries last year that kept him off the World Cup circuit. He has 22 podium or Top 3 finishes in World Cup events, the most of any Canadian in alpine racing.

Other Canadian results included Manny Osborne-Paradis in 13th, Jeffrey Frisch, 20th, Tyler Werry, 34th, Broderick Thompson, 50th and Morgan Pridy, 60th. Jan Hudec did not start.

More training runs are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

With files from CBC Sports