Suter claims women’s downhill gold medal
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After a delayed start, due to the weather conditions, racers were ready to tackle “The Rock” in today’s women’s downhill race. All eyes were on the reigning downhill Olympic champion, Sofia Goggia (ITA), on whether she would be able to defend her title after her crash 3 weeks ago.
At first, the Italians were dominating the podium with Sofia Goggia in first, Nadia Delago in second, and Elena Curtoni in third. Nonetheless, Swiss skier and current downhill World Champion, Corinne Suter put an end to the hopes of an Italian lockout of the podium. Suter completed a near-perfect run to claim her first Olympic podium and gold medal.
On her performance:
“Really good. I’m super happy with my run. In the finish I wasn’t sure if it was good or not, because sometimes I had the feeling that there was wind against me, and then with me, and also from the side. It was not so easy today, but now I’m super happy.”
On winning gold:
“It’s my biggest dream in my life, so today I don’t know what to say.”
Coming back from a knee injury three weeks ago, it was not sure how the reigning Olympic champion, Sofia Goggia, would fare in her race. Unsurprisingly, Goggia pushed her limits and gave it her all. Finishing 0.41 seconds ahead of her Italian compatriot, Nadia Delago, and 0.16 seconds behind Suter, Goggia claims the silver medal in the women’s downhill after an incredible comeback.
On her run:
“I gave everything I could. I was really happy with my skiing. I felt like the speed was there in the upper part because I was really jumping a lot everywhere.
“I’m sorry for the last part, I felt like maybe there’d been some parts of the slope I had some wind against me, but it’s something you cannot control. In the end, I’m happy with my result, because being here at the Olympics after my crash in Cortina (in January) was not guaranteed at all.”
On earning silver after injuring her left knee in a crash during a super-G race in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, in late January:
“It’s still a medal. It’s still a great medal. It’s an unbelievable medal because of the condition of the last 20 days.
“I always said to myself that if I could overcome the proof that was given to me after Cortina, this crash, probably the race of the downhill would be the easiest part for me.
“I found an incredible strength inside of myself, and I was travelling by a sort of light. I’m glad I gave everything to be here today, I’m glad and grateful that I could achieve another medal, and I’m happy with myself.”
Being the youngest racer out of the top 20 athletes starting today, Nadia Delago definitely put on a show in her first Olympic Games. Throughout the downhill World Cup season, the Italian has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with after placing in the top eight in all but one of the downhill races. Today she finished 0.57 seconds behind the leader to claim the bronze medal and her very first elite-level podium.
On reaching the podium:
“I’m very happy with my performance. The first part was not so good, but then I said now I must go straight down and push. I’m so, so happy, I don’t know what to say.”
On being in Beijing with older sister Nicol Delago (ITA):
“It’s so special that we are here together. My first Olympics with her, it’s unbelievable. We help each other, and I’m so grateful that we came here together.”
Italian coach Michael Mair had several thoughts to share on the Italian racers.
On silver being the ‘biggest victory’ for GOGGIA who was badly injured just weeks ago:
“This was a big surprise. When we think about both crashes and now we are here, just 16 hundredths (of a second) behind (gold), it’s really amazing. Silver medal is the biggest victory.
“We are proud to have an athlete like Sofia because she is a champion and she showed in this race she is the best.
On bronze medallist Nadia DELAGO:
“Nadia, first podium and it’s at the Olympics.
“In the last two years she made really a big jump. This year she was four times closer than five-hundredths (of a second) to the podium. Today was the right day.
On all four Italian skiers finishing in the top 11:
“My team was very strong today and I am very proud of all the team.
Other favourites in today’s race such as Kira Weidle (GER), Mirjam Puchner (AUT) and Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) didn’t have what it took to finish on the podium. Weidle finished 0.71 seconds off the leader to place 4th. Puchner in 8th and Gut-Behrami in 16th after a underperforming run.
For some, this would have been their last race in their 2022 Olympic journey, however, for others, there is still the women’s alpine combined to compete in on February 17th and the team parallel on the 19th.
Quotes courtesy of the Olympic Information Service
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