Speed skiing Italian: Origone sets new speed record

Italian Simone Origone on Friday bettered his own world speed skiing record when he raced to a top speed of 252.632 kilometres per hour (156.978 mph). Origone's eye-watering effort down the specially groomed Chabrieres piste in the French resort of Vars bettered his previous best of 252.454 kph set in March 2014.
Windy conditions forced the 35-year-old to reduce his start by 25 metres from the optimal peak of Chabrieres, which has a 98 percent gradient at its steepest point.
Origone had already clocked the third fastest time ever, 251.397 km/h, on Thursday.
Later Friday, France's Edmond Plawczyk set a new world speed record for the snowboard of 203.275 kph.