Meribel’s Roc de Fer finish area : Photo Credit GEPA

Who is racing, when and how to watch the Méribel World Championship women’s downhill

Notably, 29 women from 13 nations are on the start list for the 2023 Méribel women’s World Championship downhill. Six of the nations have a single entry. Switzerland’s Corinne Suter is the reigning downhill champion, so Switzerland will have five athletes in the race, 17% of the field. Italy and Austria have filled their quota, and each has four. Those three nations represent 45% of the women on the start list.

The Roc de Fer race hill offers a legitimate test for the world’s best women downhillers. It will, undoubtedly, produce a worthy world champion. The 2021 Cortina World Championship podium included Switzerland’s Corinne Suter, Germany’s Kira Weidle and Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami. All three women will compete.  

However, the prerace favorite is the incomparable Italian Sofia Goggia. Goggia has won four of the six downhills raced this season. Additionally, she was second in the first St. Moritz downhill but broke her hand at the top of the course on a gate. She flew off to get surgery, returned and won the next day. In the second Cortina downhill she didn’t make a podium because she crashed. The talented Goggia is exciting to watch because she pushes her skiing to the limit. However, she has never won a World Championship and has never stood on a World Championship downhill podium. The two other women who have won downhills this season are Goggia’s teammate Elena Curtoni and Slovenian Ilka Štuhec, but both women have experienced mixed results in the training runs. Goggia is the clear favorite, however, this is the World Championship and surprises are common.

US athletes starting in the January 21st Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill

• Bib 12, Breezy Johnson, USST, Rowmark Ski Academy, Atomic
• Bib 29, Bella Wright, USST, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, Atomic
• Bib 23, Trish Mangan, independent, HoliMont Snowsports, Dartmouth College, HEAD, SWIX, ASP

The race will begin at 5:oo am Eastern Time and 2:00 am on the West Coast. Remember, a live simulcast and full replay are available, with Steve Porino and Steve Schlanger announcing on Ski and Snowboard Live and a live simulcast on Peacock

 In Canada, CBC sports offers Alpine World Championship racing content.

Start list and program for Saturday’s February 11th World Championship women’s downhill

Program for Saturday’s February 11th World Championship women’s downhill