Goggia seeks to overcome injury, defend Olympic DH gold

Sofia Goggia says she is ready, having battled to return to form after a recent nasty crash in Cortina. The Swiss foursome led by Lara Gut-Behrami and Corinne Suter look to build off the momentum of the team’s super-G success. Meanwhile, Mikaela Shiffrin seems to have regained her confidence after tech race disappointment and could surprise all expectations in Tuesday’s women’s Olympic downhill.

The Italian star Goggia was fourth fastest behind Swiss Joana Haehlen in Monday’s final training run on the 3.2-kilometer course called ‘The Rock’.

Goggia, the current World Cup downhill leader having won all four downhills this season, injured her left knee and leg in a crash at a Cortina super-G three weeks ago. She has persevered, attempting to rebound at warp speed.

“Today felt great, I had a nice training run, I felt good on my skis and this was the most important thing,” Goggia said, after her second training in three days, following Sunday’s run being wiped due to heavy snowfall in Yanqing.

“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 (in the Canyon section of the course).

“Of course I’m focused on tomorrow and I’m visualizing in my head the best downhill that it can be and for sure, the work and analysis with my coaches today are going to be mandatory and really so important.”

Notably absent from tomorrow’s downhill start list is Federica Brignone, who skied to a silver medal in the GS just seven days ago. The Italian former overall World Cup champion struggled and finished sixth among seven Italian racers, vying for start positions in the final training.

“I don’t think I have my spot,” Brignone said, after the run. “I f****d up, so I don’t deserve the spot.” 

Swiss Skiers fight for start positions

Olympic Super-G gold medalist Gut-Behrami and downhill world champion Corinne Suter lead a four-woman Swiss squad that was only finalized after Monday’s training. Michelle Gisin, who won super-G bronze behind her teammate, surprisingly was left out of the team’s starting four.

Haehlen posted the fastest final training time of 1:33.18 and candidly summed up the internal Swiss battle for the four spots: “It’s kind of like in a shark tank,” she said.

Gut-Behrami could become just the second woman to win both speed titles at a single Olympic Winter Games and equal Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister’s double at Torino 2006.

“A little bit tired for sure, but I am happy to have another race,” said the 31-year-old Swiss veteran, asked how she is feeling, having also won a GS bronze medal at the Beijing Games. “I am going to try and enjoy it and ski the best I can.

“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.”

The 27-year-old Suter has firmly established herself as a force to be reckoned with, considering downhill World Cup and world championship titles to her credit. Suter also has three career World Cup downhill victories and stands second in the season standings with 331 points, trailing Goggia by 69.

Suter spoke about the changing course conditions on Monday, following Sunday’s abundant snowfall and cancelled training run.

“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,” Suter said. It’s super soft sometimes.

“I am looking forward to racing tomorrow, finally the downhill. I like the slope, I like it here.” 

The Swiss speed skier believes the heavy accumulation of snow at China’s National Ski Center will make raceday conditions tougher. 

 “I think so, especially (because) it’s not the same everywhere,” Suter said. “For sure, it’s also a bit slower than yesterday. Normally, I like it when it’s faster.”

Other contenders

As witnessed at PyeongChang 2018, never count out Ester Ledecka. The 26-year-old Czech skier/snowboarder was fifth in last week’s super-G and is still seeking her two-discipline double-double, having already defended her snowboard parallel giant slalom gold in Beijing. She seeks to add a second alpine skiing gold, following her miraculous super-G victory of four years ago.

Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel won Olympic downhill silver four years ago behind Goggia and was third in Monday’s final training. She has the experience of three Olympic Games and is undoubtedly a threat.

Austrians Mirjam Puchner, the Beijing super-G silver medalist, Tamara Tippler and Ramona Siebenhofer are all bonafide contenders. Michaela Dorfmeister was the last Austrian woman to race to downhill gold in Turin 2006.

Germany’s Kira Weidle was second in Monday’s training and has been impressive all season.

Marie Michelle-Gagnon continues to improve her downhill skills and results, and was a solid fifth in the final training 0.62 seconds behind Swiss Haehlen.

 The lone Canadian downhiller appeared very relaxed wishing everyone a ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ talking to the finish area cameraman after her run.

Shiffrin’s first Olympic downhill

Obviously, it has been a very difficult and frustrating Olympics for Shiffrin thus far and despite speculation that she might opt out of the downhill race, a discipline that she has not competed in since early this season in Lake Louise, the Colorado racer will indeed start in her first Olympic downhill. She will kick out of the gate 12th.

“Yesterday we had a very unplanned recovery day which means in a block of about 17 days I have a day off – that was not planned, so that is kind of nice,” Shiffrin said, after Monday’s training run. 

“It gave me way too much time to think about and overthink this track, but I have to be able to visualize it as many times as possible because that is the only practice on my skis I am going to get. Well, virtual practice on my skis.

“It was good to get some rest, some recovery, a little bit of a strength session in and get the muscles priming.

“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,” she said.

Shiffrin was asked if she believes she has a realistic chance to contend for her first Olympic medal of the Beijing Games.

“If you ask any athlete who’s had medals or podiums, your mind is never away from that, there’s always some part of you that’s thinking, ‘maybe there’s a chance,” said the three-time Olympic medalist, competing at her third Olympic Games. “I’m not focusing on the medal anymore – it’s just trying to do my best execution every day.

Other U.S. starters include Alix Wilkinson (No. 21), Keely Cashman (No. 26) and Jackie Wiles (No. 30).

Seven U.S. women have won Olympic downhill medals since the event was first contested at the St. Moritz 1948 Winter Games: Lindsey Vonn won gold (Vancouver 2010); silver medalists include Julia Mancuso (Vancouver 2010), Picabo Street (Lillehammer 1994), Hilary Lindh (Albertville 1992) and Penny Pitou (Squaw Valley 1960); while bronze medalists are Vonn (Vancouver 2010), Cindy Nelson (Innsbruck 1972) and Susan Corrock (Sapporo 1972).

Only 36 racers will start in Tuesday’s Olympic downhill, which kicks out of the gate at 11am local time. China’s Kong Fanying will be the last racer to descend the course.

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