Ledecka seeks skiing-snowboarding double-double in women’s super-G

Storylines abound in what is shaping up to be an intriguing Olympic super-G as the women make their first appearance on “The Rock.”

Will Czech Ester Ledecka once again astound the snow sports world as she chases an historic, unprecedented, otherworldly Olympic skiing-snowboard double-double gold medal performance? Can Mikaela Shiffrin overcome her demons and vast disappointment, having self-reflected after her opening two tech races?  And will the Italians continue their season dominance in the speed event, despite the absence of Sofia Goggia, who is sitting this one out, still recovering from injury?

All fascinating questions that will unfold as 44 racers aim to attack the 1.98-kilometer Chinese super-G course, kicking out of the start at 11 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

‘Miracle on Snow?’

Just three days after convincingly cruising to her second consecutive Olympic snowboard parallel giant slalom gold medal, the 26-year-old Ledecka strives to accomplish the same in the opening women’s speed event on the Beijing 2022 program.

Four years ago, in an absolute shocker at PyeongChang 2018, Ledecka came from back at the pack, bib 27, and stole what seemed like a sure victory from Austrian Anna Fenninger, leaving the ski and sports world, and even Ester herself, in utter disbelief. Can the versatile Czech athlete duplicate the feat, starting bib No. 2, now clearly in the spotlight?

Her recent World Cup downhill showing in Cortina – where she achieved her first podium of the season finishing third in downhill, O.26 seconds off Sofia Goggia’s winning pace – demonstrated her solid form and would lead one to believe it is possible. Her best super-G result, in three races this season, is eighth, also coming in Cortina.

In Cortina, Ski Racing Media asked if she is still focused on charging hard in both Olympic snowboard and ski events.

“Of course it’s a great opportunity because it’s the only place that I don’t have to travel so much, so it’s perfect,” Ledecka joked, about the relatively close proximately between the Chinese National Alpine Ski Center, where ski races are contested, and the northern Zhangjiakou cluster, where she won her snowboard gold earlier in these Games.

The Czech Republic two-sport athlete loves to joke off the racehill, but obviously is dead serious while on it.

Making the bid for double gold in Beijing, with little time to celebrate her snowboard victory, the Czech Republic star aims for yet more Olympic glory in the super-G. She briefly addressed media after her snowboard win at Genting Snow Park.

“I’m a very competitive person, so I just want to be better and better and always improve myself, but the baseline is always to have fun,” Ledekca said.

Ledecka is known for her fun-loving behavior, quirkiness and unpredictability with media. After her super-G gold in PyeongChang, she wouldn’t remove her goggles while addressing media, informing that she didn’t put on any make-up, as she didn’t expect to be doing press conferences streamed to the world after the upset victory.

Another triumph on snow will be undoubtedly be fun for all winter sports fans, especially the entire Czech Republic — a nation that be on the edge of its seat at 4 a.m. in the morning in Europe. If Ester can somehow pull it off, yet again, the renowned Czech Pilsner Urquells will surely be flowing before breakfast.

Shiffrin gives is another go

Shiffrin aims to “reset” as she conveyed media earlier this week after her slalom DNF and dejection. The three-time Olympic medalist, after self-reflection and a productive training session will compete in the super-G on Friday. It will be her third start of what still could still be a six-race trip to China.

“It’s hard to accept what happened, but she has to work through it. And one of the better ways to do that is to keep looking forward. She has multiple events here, which is great for her,” U.S. head women’s Alpine coach Paul Kristofic told AP. “You have to look at what’s in front of you and try to put what’s behind you to rest, as difficult as that is.”

Kristofic said Shiffrin’s Thursday’s practice “went well.”

Shiffrin will enter the start gate with multiple world championship super-G successes to her credit. The Colorado racer won gold at the 2019 world championships in Are, Sweden and followed that with another medal last season at the 2021 championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where she raced to bronze, just 0.47 behind winner Lara Gut-Behrami. Shiffrin has four-career World Cup super-G wins, and seven podiums in 20 career races. Shiffrin starts No. 11.

Those pesky Italians

Led by Federica Brignone, the Italians stand 1-2-3 in the current World Cup standings with teammate Elena Curtoni trailing her by 103 points in second and Goggia in third 145 back. Goggia, however, has opted not to start in the super-G, still recovering from knee injuries suffered in a nasty crash in the Cortina super-G on Jan. 23.

Brignone is on fire as of late, now working full-time with her brother and coach Davide, while mostly training independently of the Italian team.

The 31-year-old former overall World Cup champion has three super-G victories this season, including at the most recent race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Jan. 30. Other wins came in Zauchensee and St. Moritz in December. Brignone is riding the momentum of a giant slalom silver medal just four days ago, competing at her fourth Olympics.

Curtoni won the recent Cortina super-G, her first career World Cup victory, after more than a decade on tour. At age 31, she is competing at her first Olympic Games.

Goggia, who has been racing against the clock ever since the knee injury suffered in Cortina last month, made the decision to skip the event after training on the unfamiliar mountain on Thursday.

The Italian 2018 Olympic downhill champion returned to the Olympic village where the medical staff will keep monitoring her condition, according to a statement from the Italian Ski Federation.

The 29-year-old Italian phenom canceled a press conference and it’s uncertain if she will able to defend her downhill title on Tuesday, with the mandatory training runs starting on Saturday.

More contenders

Obviously, one can never look past the Swiss ageless wonder, Lara Gut-Behrami. The Swiss star enters the race as the 2021 world champion; however, a reigning world champion has never won gold in the women’s Olympic super-G. Gut-Behrami is fifth in this season’s super-G standings.

Never count out the Austrians in pressure-packed Olympic speed races. The Austrian powerhouse team has won four women’s super-G titles since the event was introduced in 1988, more than any other nation. Italy and United States have two victories each, and Ledecka’s victory tallies one for the Czech Republic.

U.S. Ski Team success and starters

The American Olympic super-G gold medals were won by Diane Roffe at Lillehammer 1994 and Picabo Street in Nagano 1998.

U.S. starters besides Shiffrin include Isabella Wright (bib 21), Alix Wilkinson (bib 28) and Keely Cashman (bib 30). The three teammates are an average of just 23.6 years-old and are all making their Olympic debuts.

Follow Brian on Twitter – @Brian_Pinelli

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