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Mikaela Shiffrin

Primoz

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A lot of athletes taking time off and resting before wrapping it up in Are at WCF's. I do hope that we see a good showing and turnout at WCF's.
I wouldn't really say it this way. Most of top30 girls are there, those who are missing are those from back of start list, and they have nothing to rest for, as this would be their last WC race of the season. Only top 25 goes to Are, and these are there, plus few who might have chance to be top 25 after today/tomorrow and qualify for Are. Another thing is Ofterschwang itself. I have been there several times and well, to be honest, I have absolutely zero wish to be there again. But it's true it has nothing to do with racers, for which it should be just another WC race, but even for racers, it's not really favorite please on Earth to be, and with current conditions and their capabilities of preparing good race course, risk of getting injured is probably higher then on any other race of the season.
 

Muleski

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Perhaps I should have worded it to say that I expect that all who qualify for WCF's will be in Are. And, that it would be pretty odd for anybody to skip it. Even more so, since the FIS World Champs are there next year. More time on the hill. My US "lens" makes it a tough year.
And it does feel like it's like of dragging to a close, to me.

Another thing is Ofterschwang itself. I have been there several times and well, to be honest, I have absolutely zero wish to be there again. But it's true it has nothing to do with racers, for which it should be just another WC race, but even for racers, it's not really favorite please on Earth to be, and with current conditions and their capabilities of preparing good race course, risk of getting injured is probably higher then on any other race of the season.

That's great perspective, as always. I have zero familiarity with the hill, and I think that if the girls really like a venue, you tend to hear about it......

Hope all goes well this weekend!
 

Rudi Riet

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Looks like MS won't be winning the GS globe, if my math is correct. She's now 101 points behind Rebensburg after today's race (Shiffrin was 3rd, Rebensburg was 2nd, with Mowinckel taking a well-deserved win). Worley can still win the globe, though her performance today (and recently) shows that she may have peaked too early in the season - I think VR has the globe for this season. Kudos to her!

At least MS locked up the overall today with Holdener's low placement.
 

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Looks like MS won't be winning the GS globe, if my math is correct. She's now 101 points behind Rebensburg after today's race (Shiffrin was 3rd, Rebensburg was 2nd, with Mowinckel taking a well-deserved win). Worley can still win the globe, though her performance today (and recently) shows that she may have peaked too early in the season - I think VR has the globe for this season. Kudos to her!

At least MS locked up the overall today with Holdener's low placement.

Rebensburg's globe to lose at this point. Worley is 92 points back; she needs to win in Are and get some serious help from Rebensberg.
 

Muleski

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Yep, 92 points is "big"

Winner gets 100. Second place gets 80. So, Worley would need to win.

So you'd need a Worley win, which I don't see right now, and a VR disaster. Like an unlikely DNF.

But.....anything can happen!

Edit: Thanks Newf!!! And see Rudi'd post below! Points only down to 15th at WCF. Spaced on that! Thanks RR.
 
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Rudi Riet

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First get 100 points. Second gets 80. And at finals (per this very informative FIS document), they only award points to the top 15 - kinda old school.

So yes: Tessa would have to win - and VR would have to DNF or finish 16th or worse - to win the GS globe.
 
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Muleski

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First get 100 points. Second gets 80. And at finals (per this very informative FIS document), they only award points to the top 15 - kinda old school.

So yes: Tessa would have to win - and VR would have to DNF - to win the GS globe.

Had completely forgotten that. Yep. Duh! Different deal with the small field.
Some of the excitement can be when there's some strategy to this, depending on the race, globe, points going in...even the bib numbers that you select.

That's missing when things are either clinched or close to locked up.

Hoping that the men's speed is really close after the weekend, as is the W's DH.
 

Karen_skier2.0

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I didn't want to stay up late/wake up early to watch on the O channel.

Current points list

gspoints.png
 

Muleski

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That's the WC Start List. Different Animal.

Current WC GS Points, after today:

Rebensburg 582
Worley 490
MS 481
Mowinkel 371

These are the points in the race for the season GS WC globe.
 
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4ster

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Congratulations to today’s winner she skied like she meant it & seems to be on quite a roll.
Congratulations also out to the women’s overall World Cup winner for the season. Looking forward to her revenge tomorrow.
 

checkracer

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Of course it´s not easy for the WC racers to find still some racing/training/traveling enthusiasm in March. And some venues, esp. those off the regular schedule and routes are less popular. For various reasons. The races at lower heights in smaller mountains don´t have the microclimate of the Alps and the March sun is often a factor.

Otoh, I suppose (based also on my personal experience) that these small venues can appreciate a WC race and people there are very enthusiastic and do their most to prepare a nice race. There´s the same technology (snowmaking, lifts, grooming) as anywhere. It may be that their groomimg experience at WC level is not as good as in places organizing WC races annually. And you don´t get all those soldiers and staff as in Kitz.

But, you know what happened last year in Kvitfjel? There weren´t enough techs on slopes and the racers themselves had to help, like maybe 40 years back. And it´s a regular WC venue!

Today´s FIS report: „Warm temperatures were of concern for athletes in the morning, but they raved about the effective slope preparation which provided a fair surface despite spring-like conditions.”

Mikaela´s praise: „Sie haben einen wirklich guten Job mit der Piste gemacht heute. Es ist etwas überraschend, wie gut es im zweiten Lauf war, angesichts dessen, wie warm es ist." (surprising how good 2nd run was considering the warm temperature)

I saw only 2nd run and it really seemed fair. Actually, imho, the slope was better than most racers I saw. If 380 m/51 direction changes are correct, quite turny (13.4 %!) but it didn´t look like that, probably because it was not icy. Not steep but very long (2:34.80).

There was hardly any difference between favorites (TOP 7) and some higher bibs. The best 2nd run by Haaser, bib 23, both fastest, technically very nice and most elegant. A girl whose best WC GS result was 10th back in 2016!

Not a very good GS season. Some girls are so much worse than last year, esp. Goggia, Gut, Bassino, Weirather. Even the best were/are not really consistent. Or did us Marcel and Henrik spoil so much?

As to the motivation. It´s not only the finals and globes. There´s also WCSL TOP 7, 15, 30, even 45 (travel expenses). 500 WC points. And there´s also the Nations Cup between AUT and SUI. Sometimes (not now) the manufacturer´s cup.

Btw, Sunday will be 11th March and exactly the day Mikaela raced her first WC GS in 2011. It was the Czech Spindleruv Mlyn, too difficult for her (393 m/45 = 11.4 %, Rebensburg won with 2:15.22). She had 20 FIS GS points = was 174th, bib 46 (49 starters, similar to Ofterschwang now), DNQed as 43rd of 45, + 4.64).

See the difference? 393 m/45 gates then vs. 380 m/51 gates now? Coincidence, or trend?
 

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On that day Mikaela was also 2 days short of her 16th birthday. Just saying. Today, she'd be too young to even have a FIS license.

I remember the day, a bit. I wonder how many American race fans even know of the Nations Cup. I mention it and normally get no response!

I'm now curious to see what we have for movement on the WCSL before and after WCF's. Interesting.

Different year, for sure.

Watching the US NCAA {College} SL Championships. First run ladies leader was
Andrea Kmomsic of Denver U {and Croatia}.
Lot of Europa Cup and some WC skiers. International field. 9 of 34 are American. At least two thirds are OLDER than Mikaela.

Fun skiing. Under the lights.
 
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checkracer

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:philgoat:"On that day Mikaela was also 2 days short of her 16th birthday. Just saying. Today, she'd be too young to even have a FIS license.

I remember the day, a bit. I wonder how many American race fans even know of the Nations Cup. I mention it and normally get no response!"



I think the age for the FIS licence is still 15. Has been since the 81/82 season, the change from 14 was approved by the 33rd FIS congress, May 1981. There used to be some girls racing WC even before their 15th birthday.

Nicola Spiess, 4th in DH at Olympics 1976, born July 1958, raced in European Juniors in January 1972 as 13.5 years old (finished 28th, 43 classified).

I even have my notes (should check it once more, seems totally incredible) that Olga Charvatová, 3rd in DH at Olympics 1984, born in June 1962, finished 25th in an EC race in February 1975 being only 12 y 8 m old.

(There must have been some trick by our officials incl. her dad-coach because the race was held in Czechoslovakia.)

Sure, old days, different times. We have 21-year-old juniors now still not good enough for a WC race – as old as Thoeni and Stenmark were with 2 WC overalls or Annemarie with 4. (Cf also the list of youngest winners on FIS website.)

The Nations Cup. Not as thrilling as 50 years back when you Americans (or at least some of you including John Fry) had hoped your men were finally not far from the Austrian and Swiss level – esp. Kidd really was in his best years. An excellent idea and interesting till the French destroyed their team 1973 and the Italian Valanga Azzura lost its drive 1975-76. With Austria mostly winning the following 40 years somewhat monotonous...

Even then it´s not quite uninteresting. Important for coaches (the results of their work), federation officials (see how the coaches work), sponsors (see if the team is worth their money).

Women´s stand before WCF: AUT 4497 points, SUI 4355.

SL: AUT 1307, SUI 1406.

DH: USA 1177, AUT 1044.

SG: AUT 1218, SUI 1239.

GS: Norway 4th before GER, SUI, SLO, USA, SWE. Quite important for the NOR ladies. Always overshadowed by men and not relevant, now they are strong – yesterday 1st, 7th, 9th – the best team at Ofterschwang.

It´s not important for the public and general media but not uninteresting for those in the know.
 
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Muleski

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The minimum age for a FIS license is 16, at least in North America, and I know athletes from Germany, NZ, Australia, and maybe five other countries who had to wait until they became U18's {U19's now}. Yes, when MS was a "J2" in the USA, before we converted to the U10, U12, U14, U16.......age bands, she had a FIS license at 15, as did every other J2 pushing in that direction. My kids skied in their first NorAms at 15. Not a great confidence builder, BTW. I recall thinking with a bib number 110 plus, "why are we doing this?" This kid is 15, that guy started a WC last week.

So if it's still age 15, a lot of people in the USA need to be "informed." HaHa. {It's 16. Birth year of 2001 for this 2017-2018 season}.

I have not searched to find the exact timing of that change....when it was voted upon, and then implemented. I think it went into effect in the summer of 2012. Almost positive.

Yep. Annemarie M-P was an incredible phenom. Theoni and Stenmark as well. When we think back to those days, and put on our American lenses, it can get very, very confusing as to who is "young" versus "old" these days. Who needs more time and seasoning before we put them on the World Cup. I think it depends entirely on the athlete. We have some "younger" guys, early 20's, who I personally feel should be racing a mix of EC and WC events. But....It's not my call, HaHa.

Nations Cup has always been interesting, in the USA. Particularly now, as our federation has the tag line "Best in the World" and we measure that based on Olympic Medals. Not WC globes, not FIS world medals, Not WC wins or podiums. Not Jr. Worlds podiums. Not the huge U16 events, or Topolino or Whistler Cup. Olympic medals.

That is largely driven by fundraising and corporate sponsorship, and the USOC. In this country, Olympic medals "sell." Probably the case in most countries. Maybe not in so much in Austria!

In my opinion, there is a big place for the sense of team, top to bottom, leadership through athletes in the sport. Not sure where we are. The only part of the USST that looks like a real "team" are the speed ladies, who are pretty strong {in a fairly weak field}. As is noted ^^^^, they are leading the DH standings.

Lots of articles on this team thing this season. My daughter does a lot of work with two nations that are very "big" on this team concept. She is very impressed.

Of course, I am an older guy......may just be missing a lot of details. Would not be the first time, or the last.
 
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checkracer

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Sorry, my fault, as you say, ICR (July 2017, 50th congress) 607.3.: YB 2001 and older are licensed this season.

I´m usually not interested in these beginning juniors and therefore never studied the rules I didn´t need. There are too many to know everything.

I have a nice recent example. When Ester won the SG, Tomas Bank ran into Atle Skaardal and it occured to him to ask if there wasn´t a sort of wild card at the WC finals for the Olympic champ. "Actually, I don´t know," Atle replied.

It´s also in the WC rules, 11.1.3. "The World or Olympic Champion... are qualified...". They both didn´t know because it never happened before and they never needed the knowledge. Incidentally, I knew because I simply remembered it as almost bizarre - the champ not being among the best 25...

Sure, I´d better know the age categories. OK, now I know. Well, nobody´s perfect.

More to the US Olympicsmania and to team vs individual later.
 

4ster

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Haha, Mikaela’s revenge but wow, whatta run from Holdener!!!
 

Muleski

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Sorry, my fault, as you say, ICR (July 2017, 50th congress) 607.3.: YB 2001 and older are licensed this season.

I´m usually not interested in these beginning juniors and therefore never studied the rules I didn´t need. There are too many to know everything.

I have a nice recent example. When Ester won the SG, Tomas Bank ran into Atle Skaardal and it occured to him to ask if there wasn´t a sort of wild card at the WC finals for the Olympic champ. "Actually, I don´t know," Atle replied.

It´s also in the WC rules, 11.1.3. "The World or Olympic Champion... are qualified...". They both didn´t know because it never happened before and they never needed the knowledge. Incidentally, I knew because I simply remembered it as almost bizarre - the champ not being among the best 25...

Sure, I´d better know the age categories. OK, now I know. Well, nobody´s perfect.

More to the US Olympicsmania and to team vs individual later.

You had me wondering....if we had some odd age ruling in the USA. Wouldn't be the first time!

Best!
 

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