Skiers ‘praying for tailwind’ in Sunday’s Olympic downhill
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Brian Pinelli
The 2014 Olympic downhill champion Matthias Mayer kicked out of the gate on a sunny, frigid, morning in Yanqing at Saturday’s third and final training run, the first of 56 expected starters. The Austrian veteran received somewhat of a scare, being blown off balance by an uphill gust of wind, nearly losing control, in the air coming off the Sugar Jump.
Mayer landed safely, but then shut it down, perhaps slightly shaken, proceeding to utter to the finish area cameraman “too windy.”
Christof Innerhofer took a safe cruise down the Chinese Olympic track after missing a gate, while Alexander Aamodt Kilde stayed aggressive throughout his run, spectacularly launching off the finishing ‘Cliff Jump’ propelled by a tailwind. It was a productive final training for the Norwegian favorite.
But Saturday’s expected final tune-up on the “The Rock” downhill course came to an abrupt end. After a short course hold following Kilde, FIS race director Markus Waldner officially cancelled the third and final training run due to winds gusts that were deemed “too dangerous.”
Austrian Max Franz, who was left standing at the start, and other racers lobbied to Waldner, to either wait out the wind or ski the safer sections of the course. Despite their pleas, the frustrated racers were only granted one final slow-speed course inspection.
U.S. Ski Team men’s head coach Forest Carey was one of many not pleased with the outcome and how the situation was handled by FIS.
“It’s 33-percent more time on the hill for Matthias Mayer, Kilde and Innerhofer.” Carey said. “It’s crazy that the Olympic downhill is tomorrow and that took place.”
Moving forward with a potential advantage for the trio of experienced racers, the stage is set for Sunday’s Olympic downhill, with winds expected to be lighter. However, as has been witnessed this past week on 2,199-meter Xiaohaituo Mountain, gauging and navigating wind has become a complex Chinese puzzle.
If they are able to pull off Sunday’s race, one can only hope it will be an “even playing field” – ironically the words used by so many racers, in a positive sense, considering no one had seen the Chinese National Alpine Ski Center courses prior to last week. One sudden gust of wind will unfortunately wipe out a racer’s Olympic dreams.
Kilde shapes up as an overwhelmingly favorite, considering his stroke of luck on Saturday, and three strong training runs, the second of which he clocked the fastest time of 1:43.72. The 29-year-old Norwegian has three downhill victories in eight races this season and leads the discipline standings by eight points over Beat Feuz, 43 more than Mayer and 44 in front of Marco Odermatt.
The former overall World Cup champion is gunning to bring home a second consecutive Olympic downhill gold medal to Norway, after teammate Aksel Lund Svindal’s remarkable comeback victory in PyeongChang 2018. Svindal defied the odds, rehabilitating from a nasty crash in Kitzbuehel, two years prior, to strike Olympic gold.
Bryce Bennett on the Yanqing course
U.S. downhiller Bryce Bennett – who adroitly navigated all terrain in Val Gardena, in December, speeding to his first World Cup downhill victory has been 13th and 22nd in the two training runs this week.
“The course is pretty easy compared to what we’re used to racing all winter, but the hill is prepared well,” Bennett tells Ski Racing Media following Saturday’s canceled training. “There is nowhere to really separate yourself, so it’s going to be very minute details and trimming line where it seems possible.
“Also, fighting for aerodynamics everywhere and you’re going to need some luck to not get screwed by the wind. It’s unique because we’re not used to dealing with that much wind.”
The tall California racer says setting up the Saddleback jump, which was shaved down after the opening training and is now more of a precarious fall-away turn, roughly 30 seconds in, is imperative.
“It’s very important because you have to carry speed through and there is really no place to get it back,” Bennett said. “You’re skiing out towards the fence, but then you have to go the opposite direction, so visually it’s pretty awkward.”
Despite the mountain’s annoying winds, racers have expressed enjoyment about running the two-mile long Chinese downhill and taking flight off the Saddle, Sugar and Cliff jumps, winds permitting. The surface has been excellent, with grippy, aggressive, man-made snow, kept firm by frigid temperatures. Visibility has been perfect with sunny days ahead.
Travis Ganong piped to the finish area cameraman after his second training run: “It’s cold, pretty fun though.”
Carey, in his first full season as U.S. Ski Team men’s head coach, shared his impressions of the course, wind and conditions.
“The wind is a real factor – it’s strong and it’s changing, so how you approach the jumps and terrain is affected by whether you have a headwind or tailwind,” Carey said. “It’s tricky to figure out.”
The ever-optimistic Bennett said: “Pray to God I don’t get a headwind, praying for a tailwind, and everything else to align.”
Turning back the clock to the St. Moritz 1948 Winter Olympics, the Beijing 2022 downhill will be the 20th in Olympic history. Austria leads the all-time Olympic downhill gold medal count with seven. France follows with five, Switzerland three and the United States two – Bill Johnson in 1984 and Tommy Moe in 1994. Italy has one.
Kilde is poised for gold if he can remain smooth, efficient and execute, as he has consistently done all season. He can add his name to an esteemed list of Norwegian Olympic champions – Eriksen (1), Aamodt (4), Kjus (1), Jagge (1) Svindal (2) and current teammate Jansrud (1), who could surprise on Sunday.
US head coach on his 3 American starters
Forest Carey elaborated upon what he likes from his three starters in Sunday’s downhill – Bennett, Ganong and Cochran-Siegle – hoping that one or more will rise to the occasion, as Johnson and Moe have done for the U.S. at Olympic downhills past.
Bennett, 29, is competing at his second Olympic Games, having finished 16th in the PyeongChang 2018 downhill.
“Obviously, the win in Val Gardena was a confidence boost and he’s been skiing well, comfortable on his equipment and won’t shy away from the moment,” Carey said. “If he can execute his plan, for sure he can be in there. With all the terrain on the hill, that bodes well for him like Val Gardena.”
Ganong, 33, is the senior statesman on the U.S. squad, racing at his second Olympic Games, having missed PyeongChange due to injury. He was an impressive fifth at the Sochi 2014 downhill, just 0.41 seconds behind Mayer’s gold medal-winning time.
“Travis has a nice nose for finding where speed is important on the course, as he has exhibited particularly on the bottom half of many World Cups,” Carey said. “I think his ability to do that gives him a good chance too.”
Ryan Cochran-Siegle, 29, carries the experience of PyeongChang, where he started in four races, into Beijing. The Vermont skier was 23rd in the downhill in South Korea.
“I’d say the first two days of training here with the headwinds and the course running kind of easy, maybe he’s been trying to be a bit too precise,” Carey said. “If there is a tailwind instead of a headwind it would shape up nicely for him. He’s a great skier and because of that you give him a chance.”
Follow Brian on Twitter – @Brian_Pinelli
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