The world’s best male speed racers will compete for the World Championship title in super-G in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, on Friday, Feb. 7. Several top contenders shared their pre-race thoughts with Ski Racing Media.
James Crawford, Canada
James Crawford, the defending super-G world champion, recently captured the prestigious downhill victory in Kitzbühel, Austria, and finished eighth in the Kitzbühel super-G. The win gives him confidence heading into the World Championships.
“I can be confident that I have the speed and I am capable of contending with those top guys when I’m skiing my best,” Crawford said.
The men’s downhill event at the World Championships will take place Sunday, Feb. 9. In the meantime, Crawford is ready to give everything he’s got in Thursday’s super-G.
“Tomorrow, I will just go out and give it 100 percent. I don’t want to leave anything on the hill. One chance, so I’m going to try to take my chance,” Crawford told Ski Racing Media.
Bryce Bennett, USA
Bryce Bennett is feeling positive heading into the super-G.
“My super-G skiing has actually improved quite a bit, so I’m excited for that,” Bennett said. “Finishing 15th doesn’t matter—you have to put your absolute best down and really hammer it. So I’m excited for that, just to put it all on the line and see what happens.
“I’ve actually had some good super-G World Cups here before, and I really like this hill for super-G, so I’m fired up,” he added.
Bennett credits his improvement to finally feeling comfortable on his super-G skis, in addition to specific training.
“We’ve been doing a lot of technical giant slalom training, and that’s really helped my super-G,” he said.
He also noted that, as he gets older, maintaining movement is more crucial than ever.
“For me, especially as I’m getting older, the more speed I ski, the stiffer I get and the slower I get in my movement,” he said with a chuckle. “So it’s really important to keep the GS going and that movement. I just feel more comfortable in super-G. Not compared to downhill, but just in general. I also believe I can be competitive in super-G. I’m right there in training all summer long, so you’ve just got to put it down.”
Ryan Cochran-Siegle, USA
After recording the fastest time in Thursday’s second downhill training, Ryan Cochran-Siegle pointed out that every day is different.
“This is not telling of what will happen tomorrow (in the super-G). But knowing that when I make the best turns that I can, I can compete among the best.”
He says he feels like an outsider and mentions Vincent Kriechmayr (Austria), Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) and Fredrik Møller (Norway) as some of the biggest contenders.
After two days of downhill training runs, Cochran-Siegle says it’s important to shift his mindset.
“Trying to bring a little bit more increase in tempo, and trust with the inspection, and still trying to find flow and trusting the space of the gate so I make good, dynamic turns top to bottom.”
Jared Goldberg, USA
“I really like this super-G. It’s fun to ski, and there are cool terrain features that are playful, so I’m excited for super-G,” Jared Goldberg told Ski Racing Media.
“The events have evolved over the years. They’re becoming a lot different now,” he said. “It feels a lot different in super-G for me. The downhill speeds are really fast with big, heavy turns in them, and the super-G links better, more like an open GS. The speed is usually more controlled, and you can feel the ski bending a lot more. The downhills have been a little more hectic and set funny.”
Fredrik Møller, Norway
Fredrik Møller captured his first World Cup super-G victory this season in Bormio, Italy. However, he suffered a leg injury in Wengen when the edge of his ski boot hit his leg. After taking a break from racing, he says his leg has healed.
Møller is excited about the World Championship super-G. He comments sparingly but, with a smile, says what counts is, “to ski well, as always.”
Marco Odermatt, Switzerland
Marco Odermatt leads the overall World Cup standings, as well as the super-G, downhill and giant slalom standings, heading into the World Championships. Understandably, he is the man everyone wants to talk to. After a training run, he made his rounds with the world’s media, grinning.
“The slope is amazing—perfect conditions, perfect weather, nicely prepared slope—so it’s very nice to ski,” Odermatt said after Thursday’s men’s downhill training run.
Heading into Friday’s super-G championship, the World Cup leader says everyone is excited to see what they can accomplish in a race held in ideal conditions.
The 2023 Podium
At the 2023 World Championships, Crawford captured the title, finishing just 0.01 seconds ahead of Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Alexis Pinturault of France took third.
This year, both Kilde and Pinturault are sidelined with injuries.
The 2023 fourth-place finisher, Odermatt, is likely ready to challenge the defending champion and the rest of the field for the 2025 title.
About the Author: Bente Bjørnsen Sherlock
