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Alpine Skiing thread

13K views 176 replies 31 participants last post by  RNW 
#1 ·
Anybody here interested in alpine skiining?

Men's season started today and women's season yesterday in Austria's Sölden. Weather conditions were terrible today, still great they were able to race. Ligety was very impressive, win by 2.75 sec. I wasn't able to watch the 1st run, but obviously first starters had difficult conditions and he did much better than other early staters on the 1st run. And 2nd run was just so impressive.

Also nice to see Mölgg on podium, and Hirscher's 2nd run and 3rd place finish showed he is dangerous also this season. And nice to see Defago finishing 5th, seems to be his career's 2nd best GS finish in World Cup, hopefully he'll have a good winter.
 
#3 ·
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

Will miss Cuche, though :sad:
Me too.

Anyway, yesterday there was finally the first downhill of the season, downhill is so much more exciting to watch than e.g. slaloms. Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal took an impressive win yesterday by 0.64 secs before Austria's Max Franz who took his first podium in the World Cup circuit. 3rd place was tied between last year's World Cup downhill winner Austrian Klaus Kröll and USA's Marco Sullivan whose last podium was almost four years ago.

I'm happy for Svindal's win. He's one of my favourites. Most skiers do well in only one or two competition formats, he does well in four; downhill, super-g, giant slalom, and combined.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

I'm a bit interested and extremely proud of Tina Maze, my compatriot. :):cool:

What she's doing this year is a fairy tale. Not only leading the rankings, she also made a music video and some say she has better voice than some of our singers. :D

 
#8 ·
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

I watch it a bit. Used to be a fan of John Kucera but he had a few injuries and hadn't raced in almost 3 years. Raced his first time since those injuries this week. Finished 14th in the Super G which was nice. Hopefully he can continue improving and get back to winning some races like he used to do.
 
#9 ·
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

I like Svindal :)
Erik Guay got 6th in the first race; not bad.
I didn't get to watch any of it this weekend :(
 
#12 ·
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

What a great win by Ted Ligety in today's giant slalom race. He beat 2nd placed Marcel Hirscher by 1.76 sec. There's no question about who's the best giant slalom skier in the world. If Hirscher wants to defend his overall World Cup title successfully, he should win many giant slaloms and slaloms. And considering Ligety's form, winning giant slaloms is going to be difficult. And even if he had a perfect season in slaloms and giant slaloms, it would be difficult to beat Svindal. Svindal got 2nd places in downhill and super-g, and also a nice 6th place in todays giant slalom after finishing 1st round on 17th place. And also Ligety is nicely in 2nd place in the overall standings with his two giant slalom wins and two 4th places in super-g. Still, there are more downhills and slaloms left than super-g:s and giant slaloms so he won't probably finish that high.

Also, nice to see Davide Simoncelli again on podium, for the first time since March 2010. And another Italian, Manfred Mölgg has had a nice start to his season, again a top4 result. He probably isn't enough good to win slalom or giant slalom Cups this year but he can well be in top 3 in the final standings and be a medal contender in February's World Ch'ships.

In women's side Lindsay Vonn had a great weekend, three victories. She was very dominant in Friday's and Saturday's downhill races but not that dominant today. But if Tina Maze can keep her form in giant slalom and slalom and have results like today's 4th place in super-g, she can be a major contender for the overall title. Actually she now leads the overall standings before Höfl-Riesch, and Vonn is only on 3rd place.
 
#13 ·
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

we have a thread about it.

Svindal already built a great platform for big crystal globe. Hirscher is his only threat but skiing more or less just two disciplines won't get it done for him like last year when he got lucked with Kostelic's injury in the moment when Ivica already had one hand on globe

As for woman skiing. Have no strength to follow it since Janica Kostelic retired :sad: . Vonn just taking what had to be Janica's trophies
 
#30 ·
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

Svindal already built a great platform for big crystal globe. Hirscher is his only threat but skiing more or less just two disciplines won't get it done for him like last year when he got lucked with Kostelic's injury in the moment when Ivica already had one hand on globe
Well, now Hirscher has went past. And there are anymore eight speed events compared to ten technical events. :help: Hopefully Svindal can raise his giant slalom skiing and do well in the two combined races. If Hirscher keeps his level, that's the only way Svidal can beat him in overall points.
 
#14 ·
Re: Anybody else interested about Alpine skiing? The Alpine Skiing Thread

Switzerland's Lara Gut won women's downhill in Val-d'Isère but almost more remarkable was Vonn's first retirement in downhill since January 2007. She's been so solid racer in speed events that after that she hasn't even had more than only three retiments in super-G.

Vonn's retirement then gave Maze a goof chance to extend her lead in overall points standings. Maze has now a 236-point lead to Höfl-Riesch and a 286-point lead to Vonn. If she continues as well as she's started this season, she has a good chance for the overall title, there are more technical events than speed events remaining in this season.

In men's super-G in Val Gardena, Matteo Marsaglia showed his win in Beaver Creek wasn't a fluke. He had a great run that looked like perfect and as 11th starter he went to a clear lead. The next starter, another Italian, Werner Heel was making even better a run but had a bad finish and lost to Marsaglia by 0.05 sec.

But those two runs were nothing compared to Svindal's run. Svindal beat Marsaglia and win the race by 1.07 sec. And his run wasn't even perfectly clean, he had even bigger lead in the last intermediate but he had quite a big mistake at the last gates but fortunately was able to stay in the track. Norwegians' good day was completed by Kjetil Jansrud finishing 4th, just 0.06 sec behind 3rd placed Heel. And these two Norwegians may do well also in tomorrows downhill. Jansrud was fastest in yesterday's downhill training and Svindal was fastest in Wednesday and 2nd yesterday.
 
#19 ·
I just can't believe what Tina Maze in doing :speakles:

5 years ago we barely had a skier making it into top 30 and getting a point and now this. Such a fairytale, I hope it lasts.
Men's skiing is still in trouble. After Kosir, Dragšič and Valenčič there is not much happening now I think...

Skiing is a tough sport and can be really cruel. One nasty fall means the difference between 100 or 0 points. In tennis you can make 55 unforced error and still win the match, you can come back from 0-6 0-2 down...but here it's one mistake and you're out. :eek:

When I was a kid I tried to ski, like so many people here who are skiing for fun. But it wasn't for me, I'm much happier and better with racquet in my hand. :)
 
#21 ·
Men's skiing is still in trouble. After Kosir, Dragšič and Valenčič there is not much happening now I think...
At least Rok Perko got a podium from today's downhill race.

That race was on a shortened course because of snowfall and fog. The fastest man of Friday's training. Norway's Kjetil Jansrud had a great run, and a few skiers later Svindal gave a one-two lead for Norway, finishing only 0.05 sec behind Jansrud.

But a few skiers later Erik Guay, who had done well in training, went to lead. And after 30 skiers it started to look like the podium will be Guay-Jansrud-Svindal with the only potential threat being Werner Heel who starts 52nd because he's badly "underranked" after his poor last year.

Then I switched to curling but occasionally checked live results not to miss Heel's run. Then I noticed Rok Perko has gone to lead. Well, I thought no one else can anymore repeat it. But, a few skiers later, USA's Steven Nyman went to lead. The slope was getting faster because of improving weather conditions. Now I watched the race again a bit but there weren't any top 10 performances so I went back to curling missing France's Brice Roger's run that gives him 10th place in final standings. Well, later I came back to watch Werner Heel's run. Another Italian, Silvano Varettoni had a good run right before Heel and his final position is 9th. Then Heel has a good run and gets to 6th. And after Heel, Dutch Marvin van Heek gets to 8th position. Before that his best result 39th.

So it was a surprising race, and weather conditions played a huge role. The victory was Nyman's second, he took the first victory also in Val Gardena downhill, six years ago. And 2nd place was Rok Perko's career best, former best was 12th. And of the guaranteed Guay-Jansrud-Svindal podium, only Guay got to podium with 3rd place. Jansrud was 4th and Svindal 5th.
 
#23 ·
Has it gone to PPV channels like in Finland?

Anyway, USA got another victory today from men's giant slalom. Ted Ligety had an unbeliveable 1st run and lead the race by 2.40 sec over Marcel Hirscher. So only clowning in 2nd round could've costed him the victory. His 2nd run wasn't completely clean but with the huge lead he had after the first round, he still beat Hirscher by 2.04 sec to take his second win in the prestigious Alta Badia giant slalom.

And in women's side, Tina Maze continued her amazing run by winning a giant slalom in Courchevel. She has won all four World Cup giant slaloms this year.
 
#29 ·
And yet another dominant victory in tonight's men's slalom. Marcel Hirscher won the race by 1.67 sec before Felix Neureuther. That was Neureuther's 2nd runner-up position in row in slaloms. And this year he's done also nicely in giant slaloms, 4th and 7th places from last two GSs.

3rd place went to Japan's Naoki Yuasa who was 26th after first round. :banana: Last year's slalom World Cup champion Andre Myhrer was 4th, 2.34 sec behind Hirscher. And after worse races in Val-d'Isère and Alta Badia, Manfred Mölgg returned to top 5. Ted Ligety got nice points with his 9th place, still Hirscher went past him in overall standings.
 
#31 ·
If you like both tennis and Alpine skiing, these two weeks are great weeks for you. This week, there are the classic Lauberhorn races in Wengen, next week there are even more prestigious Hahnenkamm races in Kitzbühel. Kitzbühel downhill is more challenging but I think Wengen downhill looks more spectacular. Lasting about two and a half minutes, it's the longest downhill in World Cup and also the fastest, Carlo Janka reached in today's combined race the speed World Record, 158.8 km/h. And skiers going under a railway bridge must be one of my earliest memories from Alpine skiing.

Beat Feuz's victory run from last year, enjoy:



And today there was already an Alpine combined race in Wengen, won by France's Alexis Pinturault.
 
#34 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

That's what happens when you push a race through at all cost despite changing and unkind conditions. People get hurt and now Vonn will be out for god knows how long, suspected torn ligaments and a broken leg. :(

Anyway Tina Maze continued her dominance this season and showed again why she's by far the best skier this year. :yeah: One medal down, every chance of getting four more.
 
#35 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

Anyway Tina Maze continued her dominance this season and showed again why she's by far the best skier this year. :yeah: One medal down, every chance of getting four more.
Yes, Maze is "en route" for the best season by a female alpine skier ever. The points record in the World Cup is under serious threat, and she starts off the WC with a win is what is certainly no more than her 3rd best dicipline. Amazing!
 
#36 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

Tinaaaaaa :cheerleader:
Just amazing what a miracle our country has produced.

A big big hug for Lindsay, just saw her crash today. :hug: Poor girl.
 
#39 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

poor Lindsay! It was awful to hear her screaming after the fall. :sad:
 
#41 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

the curse of Tiger :awww:
Well, the good thing for Lindsey was that she got back to USA in Tiger's private jet.

Btw, tomorrow the big thing of the Ch'ships, men's downhill.
 
#42 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

I want a Biathlon thread, but I am too lazy to open one :sadface:
 
#44 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

I've opened a biathlon thread, so this one can be free to discuss alpine skiing :)

Will Aksel Lund Svindal win the downhill? He is the favourite, but has not been very impressive in the practice runs.
 
#45 ·
Re: Alpine Skiing thread - World Championships in Schladming, Austria (5-17 Feb)

I've opened a biathlon thread, so this one can be free to discuss alpine skiing :)

Will Aksel Lund Svindal win the downhill? He is the favourite, but has not been very impressive in the practice runs.
I believe Svindal is in a good form, bronze from super-G is a proof of that. Of course, super-G has been stronger for him than downhill but when Ligety wins a super-G race, you know it's a bit strange race.

Svindal is definitely the favourite and has a very good chance to a podium finish. But I think it's more likely he won't win, there are many tough competitiors. Another skier I have a good feeling about is Hannes Reichelt. He was 3rd in slame slope last year, has one victory and two 3ed place from last three downhill races, and was fastest in the 1st training. He's my 2nd biggest winner favourite. Other skiers that are favourites in my opinion are Innerhofer, Paris, Guay, and maybe Kröll.
 
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