WOMEN’S SUPER G
And just when you thought it was a foregone conclusion that Lindsey and Julia would rake in a couple more medals, the rest of the girls woke up. Fischbacher is an excellent skier and has a strong resume in Super G and Tina Maze of Slovenia we know as a top level GS skier for a long time and has really picked up the SG of late with 5th in St. Moritz and 4th in Cortina. She has 5 World Cup podiums in Super-G on a variety of hills. She is an all-around solid skier and a consummate pro. I am a big fan of Tina Maze and I am very happy for her. It is a little of a let-down for Lindsey but it is a sport lived on the edge. A too-conservative line or a major execution mistake and you are out of it. And she was third with what I would call a major obstacle with the shin injury and a too conservative line approach. What I am more worried about is the next decision she will make. I have to wonder about her chances to medal in GS or Slalom at this time. While I think she could steal one in Slalom, I wonder more about the impact on the rest of the World Cup season. She has to seriously think about getting healthy to defend the Overall Globe and win the DH title as well. How much will it impede her progress toward those goals to pursue the slalom gold? Slalom is a tough event with a low finish rate. She is a good slalom skier who needs to become more consistent. But training slalom is what makes you better and if she cannot train, she should forget about it. I know this is not a popular opinion, but think about it. Should she walk away with Gold and Bronze and have a chance to be healthy for the rest of the season to win the Overall? How sweet would the Overall Globe look on her mantel with the Gold medal hanging around it?
Julia had some problems today. The type of hill it is causes the girls to adjust on the fly; in all honesty, to be athletes. There is not always a technical or tactical answer to why an athlete did not do well. Sometimes they did not adapt to the terrain challenges, or the lack of good light, or the jumps. But as I watched Emily Brydon crash on the same bump that kicked Julia wide, I have to wonder about inspection. I know that you are going for it, pushing the limits, but inspection is the most important skill in SG if all other things are relatively equal. You have to see the terrain at inspection, visualize it and remember it. If there is a roll in the hill, it is there for everyone. You as the athlete and along you’re your coaching staff, have to see it and anticipate it. I does not always work out well and the athlete does not always listen, but it is extremely important.
I do think the speed track at Whistler for the girls is challenging in a lot of ways. The terrain is nasty; the micro-terrain is super tough. The jumps are for real. But more than anything is the way the hill forces their transition from ski to ski. How the distance/speed/tempo changes constantly the whole way. None of them were able to settle into a rhythm at all. There seems like there is no way to set a benign SG on that hill. The girls all had to deal with it and Fischbacher came out on top. Tip your hat to her for that.
And although Lindsey did not end up winning this race, I want every single non-World Cup racer out there to check out her face in the gate; her intensity, her focus, her anticipation. She is bouncing around; she looks like Manny Pranger or Max Blardone. My question to everyone of you out there is: Are you willing to put that kind of emotion out there? You don’t have to show it the same way, but can our sport motivate you like that? Can your emotion and drive push you to the same place regardless of the level? Olympics, World Cup, Nor Am, whatever. If you are at your first J3 qualifier does that kind of feeling bubble up in you? Does the challenge of the hill and the course cause you to vibrate?
I know that now, after 37 years in the sport and 24 as a coach, I get that same feeling in the morning of a race. When my first athlete from my team is in the gate, I get fired up. I love it; I love to watch it, every day.
Again, congratulations to Andrea Fischbacher, Tina Maze and Lindsey once again. Tina’s medal is the first medal for a Slovenian woman in a speed discipline!
TOMORROW THE BOYS GO FOR COMBINED
The defending champion for the Kombi Gold is Ted Ligety. It was 2006 in Torino/Sestriere and when we watched it happen, I grabbed by son, Coen, who was 8 at the time and swung him around and held him so tight he still swears I almost broke his ribs. Of course, I did not but it was such an emotional moment we were all just out of control. I was working with the tech team at the time and was not on-site for the race. We were training in Madesimo in Val Chiavenna getting ready for the GS and slalom. We all congregated to watch that race and it just blew us through the roof. We were so ready right there to go get our jobs done. Ted, of course, has a good chance to get it done again. He is a big-event guy and is a great slalom skier. He also can ski Downhill and has improved immensely at it over the years. I have one quick reminder that the race in Sestriere was Bode’s to lose. And unfortunately he did lose it by straddling in the slalom. I think both of them are contenders for this one.
I also think we have to consider Carlo Janka. First of all, the slalom hill in Whistler is not super difficult. In the past we have seen a huge swing from downhill leader to race winner in time differential during the slalom. The hill in Whistler could provide the guys who might be better in DH the advantage. And the true Kombi guys should be in the running all the way to the end.
The truly great thing about Kombi is that is involves guys you might not have ever heard of otherwise from smaller federations who are truly great skiers. Ondrej Bank (CZE) is a real contender on this hill. So are Natko Zrncic-Dim (CRO), Kristof Kryzl (CZE), Andrej Sporn (SLO) and Lars Elton Myhre (NOR). These guys won’t like win a race at this point in their careers, but any of them could pull the upset in the Kombi on the biggest stage.
THE FAVORITES
Aside from Ted and Bode, these boys should compete for the win. Of course, Ivica Kostelic will be close to the top. Janka and Zurbriggen are going to players for sure. As will Sandro Viletta(SUI) and Aksel Lund Svindal. I would also have to look at Lizeroux as a solid guy. And last but not least, Benni Raich is always a contender when you talk about Kombi.
The darkest horses would be Andrew Weibrecht and Will Brandenburg of the USA. Andrew is now famous for his bronze in Super G and he is likely still wrapped up in that overwhelming accomplishment. And Will is in his first Olympics and is a good speed guy and has a very strong background in slalom. Both can surprise tomorrow.
Ryan Semple is the strongest competitor for Canada and I hope he can fly the flag with pride up there. But I doubt there is a medal waiting for him.
In the end, I have to say I think that Ivica Kostelic will be very hard to beat. But I think Ted will make it happen on a relatively easy slalom hill and put himself in the medals. Bode should also be able to compete but I think the 3rd medal will go to a true dark horse. I think that person will be Ondrej Bank of the Czech Republic. And I cannot think of anyone more deserving. I hope NBC will have a chance to tell you his story of living out of his car with his brother/coach and his comebacks from injury.
Good luck to everyone, it should be a fun day!
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Greg “Grande” Needell grew up ski racing at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. After graduating from SMS he skied for NCAA Division 1 St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY where he was co-captain in 1986. Greg returned to SMS to coach
there for five years serving as the Head Women’s Coach as well as the Head J2 Men’s Coach. He then moved to Mission Ridge in Wenatchee, Washington in 1992 to become the Program Director and Head Coach of the Mission Ridge Ski Club. In 1997, Greg became the Head Coach at Mammoth Mountain, California.
In 2002 Needell was asked to join the U.S. Ski Team staff as a World Cup SL and GS coach. From 2002 to 2008 Needell helped lead the U.S. Ski Team Men to 43 wins, 105 podiums and 264 top ten finishes. Now at the helm of Alpine Race Consulting, Needell offers his knowledge and experience to clubs nationwide.
About the Author: Eric Williams
