Keystone — Having just turned 31, Shane Anderson is a bit unsure about how long he’ll keep clicking into his skis to race at his sport’s highest level.

Between his work as a coach with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and the toll Telemark racing takes on a skier — not just physically, but also financially — Anderson just doesn’t know how many years he has left.

One thing he is sure of, though, is that he’s skiing pretty darn well lately.

After earning his first career World Cup podium on his home Howelsen Hill earlier in the week — the first by any American man since 2003 — Anderson continued his stellar skiing Thursday in a World Cup classic race at Keystone with a third-place finish among some of the world’s best. 

“I never imagined that I’d ever really get there. I’ve come close a few times, but it just takes a perfect run,” Anderson said about his recent podium finishes. “Everything felt really good today, again.”

Anderson’s finish was certainly a highlight for the first World Cup Telemark race held in Summit County, the area credited with the sport’s revival more than 30 years ago.

Opening up a four-day series of races, Thursday’s classic competition on Keystone’s Go Devil run combined a giant slalom speed race, with a Nordic-style jump in the middle, and a lengthy skate section to the finish.

With more than 50 men and women from a half-dozen countries competing Thursday, most of the hardware belonged to the European visitors.

The women’s field was topped by a pair of Swiss skiers. Sandrine Meyer edged out teammate Amelie Reymond for the title, and Norway’s Katinka Knudson was third. It was the first time all season Reymond didn’t finish first on the women’s World Cup circuit.

The American hopes of a top-3 finish were dashed when Steamboat teenager Lorin Paley pulled out Thursday with a knee injury. Only 17, Paley is the top U.S. female competitor, having earned both a second- and third-place finish in World Cup races this season.

“Our best girl was hurt today, and that didn’t help,” said Silverthorne’s Tory Hauser, one of the event’s organizers and an administrator with the U.S. National Telemark Team. “She tried to go but just couldn’t. Hopefully, she’ll be able to race one of the next three days.”

The top U.S. finishers were Steamboat’s Erika Walters (10th) and Madi McKinstry, who was 13th.

On the men’s side, Sweden’s Matias Wagenius won the race, with Norway’s Harald Kvaerner in second.

But the day seemed to belong to the American contingent.

Including Anderson, the U.S. team had four skiers in the top 15. David Hobbs finished 10th, and Steamboat skiers Jeffrey Gay and Charlie Dresen were 12th and 15th.

Races continue today with another classic competition at 11 a.m. On Saturday and Sunday, Keystone will hold giant slalom races starting at 10 a.m.