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Men’s World Cup 2021

Swede

Making fresh tracks
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Official:

DBA322AD-2C72-445B-A838-B3F22FB57900.jpeg


But SLx2 this weekend.

E9E20BF4-0CEE-4A1F-BF59-9BC4C4F9EE1D.jpeg
 

Noodler

Sir Turn-a-lot
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That emphasis is mine, and all I can say is HEAR HEAR!

That's what my team is doing this season. Yes, the athletes and their parents (mostly the latter) are truly worried about not racing this season. Some teams are caving in to this pressure, but my team is trying to emphasize how little time we have in a typical Mid Atlantic season to work on fundamentals. Typically we have two or three weekends before racing starts - and once races are a thing working on any technical corrections is essentially impossible.

And yes, lots of injuries. Alice McKennis Duran just recorded a podcast with Steve Porino and it addresses the apparent increase in injuries on the World Cup this year. It definitely seems like a lot, and so many things could be contributing to this. It's worthy of a more formal study, to be honest.

And this injury wave isn't limited to the top level. There are quite a few injuries happening in USSS divisions right now, and at a time when medical systems are stretched thin with the pandemic this isn't a good thing at all.

What podcast is this?
 

Rudi Riet

AKA songfta AKA randomduck - a USSS coach, as well
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True, though it's easier from a logistics standpoint to use one venue for everything.

Sankt Anton and Kitzbühel are 188km apart if driving, and while the tech and speed teams are usually on different itineraries it's nice to keep a smaller footprint.

Also, at this point the hill crew at Sankt Anton may have started dismantling and undoing the snow and hill prep - they're probably well underway with this.
 

Rudi Riet

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Moose32

Attacking the Fall Line
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Anyone heard if the "Wengen" races in Kitz be aired on Olympic Channel or NBC Sports?
Or does ORF/OSV now own those rights and my only option is Peacock in the USA?
 

Rudi Riet

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My guess is they'll fall under the ORF plan - i.e. Peacock only.
 
Thread Starter
TS
4ster

4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
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How do racers feel about two Kitzbuhel downhills?
Probably wondering if they win the Wengen make-up do they get their name on the car? Do they get to tend bar at the Londoner? :ogbiggrin:

Some just get to be terrified twice :eek:
 

BrianB

Getting off the lift
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How do racers feel about two Kitzbuhel downhills?

I wonder this too. Kitzbühel seems so much more intense than any other DH that how do you do it two days in a row?
 

JTurner

Always tryin' to get better
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Any updates on Tommy Ford’s condition? Didn’t see anything recent via google search or on SRM.
 

Swede

Making fresh tracks
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I would also like to hear if anyone have updates on Tommy Fords situation? I 'heard' no serious knee stuff, but not confirmed.
 

Primoz

Skiing the powder
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Looks like this weekends Kitz SL races are not going to happen afterall. No official FIS confirmation, but several media outlets reporting they are cancelled due corona outbreak in nearby Jochberg. There's chance for Flachau to jump in. No info on DH races next weekend.
Edit: Just got FIS msg that Flachau is confirmed for both SL races (Saturday and Sunday), and rest of Kitz program is currently to be held as planned.
 

Moose32

Attacking the Fall Line
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Looks like this weekends Kitz SL races are not going to happen afterall. No official FIS confirmation, but several media outlets reporting they are cancelled due corona outbreak in nearby Jochberg. There's chance for Flachau to jump in. No info on DH races next weekend.
Edit: Just got FIS msg that Flachau is confirmed for both SL races (Saturday and Sunday), and rest of Kitz program is currently to be held as planned.
Yes, Pino just posted on the Twitter: "The two slalom races scheduled for this weekend in Kitzbuehel have been cancelled due to Corona virus. They will now be held in Flachau, Aut. The two DH and one SG races the following weekend in Kitz are not canceled currently"

I am now confused, what is the "rest of the program"? Just the two DH's and one Super-G?
 
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Skitechniek

Getting off the lift
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Very insightful post by Kristofferson.

Now I finally understand why the ski's weren't gripping in gs at adelboden. It wasn't the surface, but the speed. The time difference between the 2018-2020 winner and this seasons winner was 10 seconds!! That is brutal and a huge speed difference, which makes all the injuries very understandable. Hopefully we will quickly go back to the turnier course sets, because all these injuries are not fun.
 

Moose32

Attacking the Fall Line
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Very insightful post by Kristofferson.

Now I finally understand why the ski's weren't gripping in gs at adelboden. It wasn't the surface, but the speed. The time difference between the 2018-2020 winner and this seasons winner was 10 seconds!! That is brutal and a huge speed difference, which makes all the injuries very understandable. Hopefully we will quickly go back to the turnier course sets, because all these injuries are not fun.
Funny, I was just posting on this when I saw an alert that stated "new post was made". Figured there was a high change it was same topic. ogsmile
Yes, interesting blog. Seems HK us taking a page from Ted Ligety as he expresses his frustration with the the new GS course settings (as Ted did with ski changes).
 

S.H.

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Very insightful post by Kristofferson.

Now I finally understand why the ski's weren't gripping in gs at adelboden. It wasn't the surface, but the speed. The time difference between the 2018-2020 winner and this seasons winner was 10 seconds!! That is brutal and a huge speed difference, which makes all the injuries very understandable. Hopefully we will quickly go back to the turnier course sets, because all these injuries are not fun.
IMO, the problem isn't turny vs. straighter, it's a lack of variety in course sets. We should have turny sets, we should have straighter sets. GS should be all about variety of turn shapes, rhythm, and offset. But it seems we end up with years (on WC) where everything is very turny, or everything is on the straighter side.

I also find it hard to sympathize with HK, when, clearly, there are athletes who have been consistently to the front of the GS standings this year - they might be taking risks, sure, but they are also excelling technically on the course sets in front of them. So ... to some extent, you have to ski the set, and if you can't, you have to look inward instead of blaming course sets. I could easily make the argument that GS had been focused on pretty turners, instead of racers willing to risk and seek speed. I won't, because I don't think it's true, but denigrating a straighter set because it's harder for you to win is pretty lame IMO.

I also think it's a leap to say that the perceived increase in injuries is due to increased speed. There's really not much to back that up yet. But athletes, FIS, and fans aren't really good at statistics.
 

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