Icy fast in spots, but set too tight in others, the new men's downhill course to be used for the Sochi 2014 Olympics is proving a significant challenge this week for the world's top speed skiers.

The resort town of Krasnaya Poly-ana, Russia, about an hour northeast Sochi, is winning raves for its scenery and picturesque setting.

Two-time World Cup winner Jan Hudec of Calgary called it "a pretty spectacular place ... [and] one of the coolest downhill runs we've ever had."

But Hudec and teammate Erik Guay, not to mention World Cup leader Didier Cuche and the seemingly always critical American, Bode Miller, say the actual Rosa Khutor course could use a few tweaks.

"It just seems like the perfect open canvas for an artist," Hudec, who is coming off a win in Chamonix, France, said in a conference call Thursday after a fog-shortened second training run in advance of Saturday's race.

"There's some amazing turn features and the possibility for huge jumps. Off one of them we're getting 60 metres of flight and there's no landing issues at all.

"But a lot of racers are frustrated because the venue is so cool, but the course setting doesn't portray the run as well as it should."

The tightly set, swingy upper portion of the run - some say it's like a super-G course setting - has caused several skiers to miss gates in the first two training runs.

"You have to make all the wickets, that's part of the equation," said Canadian downhill coach John McBride.

But McBride likes the race-day chances of his small three-man team. Missed gates aside, they've posted some fast training run times and are coming off that terrific effort in Chamonix on Sunday when Guay and young Ben Thomsen of Invermere were third and fifth behind Hudec.

"All three guys racing for Canada can be competitive on this track," said McBride.

Thomsen was third and eighth in the first two training runs, Guay, eighth and ninth, and Hudec 25th and 19th. On Thursday, however, just 36 races started from the top before fog rolled in, forcing the rest of the field to move down to a lower start.

Guay said the terrain is capable of supporting a "nice, flowy downhill top to bottom," and he hopes that happens.

Hudec, the FIS athlete representative this week, said he'll gather suggestions from racers and coaches and see if changes can be made for the Olympics. But McBride cautioned that kind of feedback usually "falls on deaf ears."

In the meantime, the Canadians will try to build on the momentum generated by the Chamonix result and reigning world champion Guay's cur-rent run of a second, a fourth and a third over his last three downhills.

Hudec, 30, and ninth in the downhill points standings, is authoring a remark-able, inspiring comeback after enduring six knee surgeries in his career.

And he seems to be rubbing off on this season's new roommate, the 24-year-old Thomsen, whose size - he's just 5-7 - and late-bloomer status forced him to grind and battle for a place on the national team.

Hudec joked Thursday that they have a budding "bromance going on," but says their ability to persevere through confidence-testing times and to prove naysayers wrong has helped them bond.

With long-term injuries having forced the likes of 2009 world down-hill champion John Kucera, multiple-time podium finisher Manuel Osborne-Paradis and the emerging Robbie Dixon to the sidelines and creating what Hudec calls a bit of a team "generational gap," Thomsen's break-through is timely.

"He's a pretty amazing young guy who is pushing Erik and I. And it's awesome to have a guy like Ben showing the younger generation that a little hard work and determination can get you there."

Thomsen said the Olympic down-hill course is a "little different than I would like," but adds that he's set the bar high for Saturday.

"I'm itching for a podium. I don't think I'm ready for a podium, but you shoot for the stars and who knows?"

gkingston@vancouversun.com