W GS ÅRE 2019

[Rudi Riet]

Second run under the lights - can't recall a night GS on the World Cup. Should be an interesting second run!

 

[Primoz]

Crappy snow and relatively easy runs, on super easy terrain, especially after start was moved down. Did they actually run any of races in full length this year? Typical Are WCH weather If I remember right, last WCH it was exactly same, first week so cold they had problems running speed races, and then rain and slush all the way till end. I heard from few friends yesterday was raining like crazy, and today it's like late spring skiing, with whole bunch of wind. So looks like it's all going exactly same way as in 2007.

 

[James]

Night gs?

 

[BrianB]

2nd run bizarre viewing experience with the wind and the dark

 

[James]

Wow, Vhlova looked good. Surprised Rebensburg lost time on the bottom.

 

[S.H.]

Second run under the lights - can't recall a night GS on the World Cup. Should be an interesting second run!

Are has hosted a night GS in the past (2-3 years ago maybe?). I think because races were moved there due to cancellations in central Europe...

 

[James]

Shiffrin said she free skied with coach after 1st run and also changed skis. She was pretty happy with her result.

 

[Eleeski]

Spoiler

https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=AL&raceid=95557

Shiffrin said she free skied with coach after 1st run and also changed skis. She was pretty happy with her result.

Spoiler

Does that mean MS was happy with 3rd or happy with her overall chances? Did the running order play as a factor?

Eric

 

[Seldomski]

Spoiler: words

Championships seem weird to me. You can get the GS globe (maybe) but bronze in the championships? Do some forego WC points events to rest specifically to do well at the championships?

 

[Primoz]

@Eleeski I honestly doubt running order played role when it came to medals. Sure bibs around 20 didn't stand a chance, but they wouldn't no matter what. Those that had a chance were all in top 7 anyway and in that it doesn't matter all that much if you have 3 or 5... or 27 or 29 in second run. But course, especially in first run was not really good enough for anyone with higher bib to come close, even though Direz with bib 28 did finish as 8th on the end.

 

[James]

Afaik,the championships don't count for wcup points. Don't ask me why. The championships are like a special event. I agree, it's strange. Just because one wins the globe doesn't mean they win or even podium in every race.

Spoiler below!

Does that mean MS was happy with 3rd or happy with her overall chances? Did the running order play as a factor?

Not sure what overall chances means. She was happy in that she thought she won bronze whereas Rebensburg felt she lost gold. Mukaela wasn't thrilled with her performance, but was happy she fought it out till the end. The whole course was a fight for one reason or the other. Snow, bumpy, tracks, even light at one point,(shadows).

 

[D Lamour]

This will make the Women's slalom interesting, to see how Mikaela and Petra respond.

So glad she finally has some competition.

 

[Primoz]

@Seldomski what's weird with that? WCH is one single race. Everything needs to come together for that race. And if it does, you are World Champion. It's one race every 2 years, so pressure is even bigger. WC win is same, one race and you get it, but you have 10 chances a season. Overall WC title on the other hand, even if "just" in discipline is different thing, and most of people agree winning overall WC title is more then being World Champion, as you need to do good through all season long and not just do good on one single race, maybe even because of some luck.
As for Shiffrin and "only" third, I would say they actually did mistake with not starting DH or at least combi. She would win combi with ease, probably not DH, even though it was easy, but she's not good enough glider to finish on top. And with another medal, pressure would be lower. Now it was all over that she's concentrating on GS and SL, and she needed to prove that. And her skiing was not really her normal skiing. Sure track was easy and soft, but normally that doesn't really bother her. And with "only" bronze, and Vlhova having gold and silver already, I'm pretty sure it will be super super tough to get SL gold.

 

[Teppaz]

Vlhova has been doing some killer second runs this season. She throws it all on the line and appears (to my untrained eyes) to show more aggression than Shiffrin. I'm delighted that the competition has heated up — the suspense makes for fun viewing.

 

[Ivan]

Interestingly, the fastest time in the second run was set by Alice Robinson, a 17-year-old New Zealander who was discussed on this forum some time ago. It probably helped that she started first in the second run, but still her time is very impressive. She ended up in the 17th place after starting with bib 38, so I guess it is a very good result for her. She also just had a win and a second place in the European cup last week.

 

[Swede]

I think the surface was the worst imaginable for MS. Similar to Semmering. Believe Mikaela ended up 4th there. Challenging day for quite a few.
Åre has gone from dream surface, ”the best I have raced on” said skiers last week, to spring conditions (w/o the sun). This is unusual. I bet weather will be perfect next week. One of the issues with the surface was that FIS worried that the surface in W:s GS track, ”Gästrappet”, wasn’t hard enough and ordered it to be opened and injected after W combined last week. During evening/night temperature went up and it began to snow, which insulated the track so that it never froze together properly. Should have been left as it was, which is easy to say now. I know Olsson wanted the WCP:s to be settled on snow and not on ice. I think that the people working there have done an incredible job considering the testing they have been through. Åre is a weather sensitive place, but these last 10 days has been ridicolously bad. It was cold in 2007, but they raced from the top. Very good weather at least at the last weekend if memory serves me right. And then Anjas medals made everyone happy too. Sopotnik (spelling?) made her skis then, he made Lindseys now I think.

 

[Muleski]

In today’s texting, I heard from some folks there the exact same thing that @Swede and @Primoz mentioned. From people “close to” the USST and team MS. She skied about as well as the surface allowed. She is frankly in a different league when the surface is as it should be for any WC and events like this: consistent and rock hard. Big advantage to her. Also when the hill is demanding and the course long.

Today, not so much. And good of Petra to get in the fall line and make it happen. The surface suited her well. It’s ski racing. You hope for a great surface, a great set, and good weather. Some times you get none of it! You hope for 2 out of 3 at World’s.

I was VERY pleased to see Alice Robinson’s day. Shows the huge difference between finishing the first run 30th versus 31st. Alice is fearless, and just “sends it”. That was a great opportunity, running first today. She just turned 17 in December. Has spent a lot of time in the US.

Hopefully things will firm up for the next few days!

 

[NZRob]

I was VERY pleased to see Alice Robinson’s day. Shows the huge difference between finishing the first run 30th versus 31st. Alice is fearless, and just “sends it”. That was a great opportunity, running first today. She just turned 17 in December. Has spent a lot of time in the US.

Too right, a great effort from Alice, flying the NZ flag NZ doesn't have too much going on in alpine (it's a different story in Freestyle) so really great to see such a top performance.

 

[D Lamour]

So how would you tune and wax for today’s conditions with “ball bearing” “snow-like compound”?

 

[Primoz]

And then Anjas medals made everyone happy too. Sopotnik (spelling?) made her skis then, he made Lindseys now I think.

Nope, Ales is since spring with Stuhec. He was never Vonn's serviceman, even when he was with US team. PS: And spelling is right, in Slovenia we don't have complicated words with multiple letters together. So when you think you have it wrong, it's most likely right
As far as "Olsson wanted the WCP:s to be settled on snow and not on ice" goes, it's nice idea, but reality is different. When you have so much racing going on same course, you need to start with pure ice, especially as you never know how weather will evolve. 14 days is pretty long time and so many races and training on same course make it even worse. Sure this makes it sort of weird for speed, as you actually start speed week on pure ice, which, especially for women, is not really normal, but as I wrote, if you want to have good last few races, there's really no other option.