Beijing 2022: Women’s downhill preview
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After having completed two trainings, athletes will confront each other on the hill tomorrow in the women’s downhill. Reigning downhill Olympic champion, Sofia Goggia (ITA), is ready to defend her title, but there will be many out to dethrone her.
Goggia is heading into tomorrow’s at the top of the downhill World Cup standings, after having won four out of the six downhill races this season. However, the Italian had a major crash in the Super G race in Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA) which forced her to miss races since. Nonetheless, Goggia is showing that she is ready to defend her title after placing 12th and 4th in the two downhill trainings.
On how she feels ahead of Tuesday’s Olympic downhill competition:
“Today felt great. I had a nice training run, I felt good on my skis and this was the most important thing.
“I was not perfect in some lines at a lot of points on the track, and especially in the last part I really had a bad turn in the entrance of the flat.”
“Of course I’m focused on tomorrow and I’m visualising in my head the best downhill that it can be.”
Breathing down Goggia’s neck will be downhill World Champion, Corinne Suter (SUI). Suter is currently placed 2nd in the downhill World Cup standings after claiming one victory and one 3rd place finish. The Swiss skier placed 4th and 16th in the two downhill trainings.
On the conditions after the snowfall on Sunday:
“The snow changed a little bit from yesterday, it was quite soft in some parts but I have to watch tomorrow how the race is and then decide the line. It’s super soft sometimes.
“I am looking forward to racing tomorrow, finally the downhill. I like the slope, I like it here. I am sure it’s going to be a good race.”
Super-G Olympic gold medalist, Lara Gut-Behrami will also be gunning for a third Olympic medal. After claiming the bronze in the women’s GS and the gold in the women’s Super-G, Gut-Behrami seems to be in good form to claim a second gold medal.
On the conditions and what she learned from her training run:
“Little bit softer than the previous day. But they (the team preparing the course) did an amazing job and I think tomorrow with the sun it’s going to be for sure an amazing race.
On how she feels having already won a gold and a bronze at Beijing 2022:
“A little bit tired for sure, but I am happy to have another race. I am going to try and enjoy it and ski the best I can.
“It’s a race, it’s what we are used to doing. I am here two weeks and I am starting to be tired but I think that’s the same for everyone and I am just happy I also have two medals.”
After placing 2nd to win a surprise silver medal in the Super-G, Mirjam Puchner (AUT) is ready for her main discipline, the women’s downhill. Currently in 5th place in the downhill World Cup standings, Puchner has claimed two downhill 3rd place finishes this season.
On the super-G silver being a bonus ahead of her main discipline, the downhill:
“I am ready for tomorrow (Tuesday). The day after the (super-G) medal was not very easy but now I am recovered and ready for tomorrow.
On the course:
“It was much better than two days ago. It’s a nice slope, you can push really hard and it includes everything; flat parts, steep parts, some jumps. You have to push from the start to the finish.”
German, Kira Weidle will be racing of the racers to keep your eyes open for. The German is currently the 2021 World Championship downhill silver medalist and has clocked in the second-fastest time in both of the downhill training runs. Her best downhill World Cup result this season was 2nd in Zaucensee (AUT).
Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) will be taking part in tomorrow’s downhill race, which might come as a surprise to some. The American’s last downhill race was in Lake Louise (CAN) in December of 2021 where she placed 38th.
On confirming that she will race the women’s downhill on Tuesday:
“It will be really nice to race but you don’t really come to the Olympics to feel nice. It’s going to be intense and a little bit of nerves but in general I think it’s going to be really cool to be able to race and one of my biggest goals coming here was to start in every event. At least that dream may still be alive.”
All is set on course for racing to start at 11:00 local time / 04:00 CET tomorrow.
Quotes courtesy of Olympic Information Service
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