MEN'S World Cup 2021-2022

[dbostedo]

So…. how much more detrimental is it to start later with this type of weather? Like no chance of cracking the podium from say #10 on?

I couldn't tell you for sure... but it's part of why I picked Bailet (going first) to make the podium.

 

[mikel]

He tested positive for COVID-19 but is asymptomatic.

And he wasn't the only one on that flight. Hope everyone else is good to go.

 

[Swede]

In speed, it’s not a disadvantage to go a little later. Course does not get beat up like in tech. On the contrary it can be good to see some of the other athletes in race pace and can learn. Going #1 is not good. Especially in SG where you’ve only had an inspection, then boom —125 km/h.

 

[givethepigeye]

@Swede thanks. Makes sense

dreaded “coverage to begin shortly”

 

[Rudi Riet]

Holy... wow. Quite the start to things!

 

[Rudi Riet]

FWIW: good to have Andy Weibrecht doing color commentary today.

 

[Rudi Riet]

Sad that some of the best coverage of the race happens after the commentators stop and after the non-standard commercial breaks are gone. Peacock skipped two racers (bibs 8 and 11) completely to get longer breaks for advertisers (whose wares don't actually shop up in the Peacock app). It's... not good.

Weibrecht was good today, and Schlanger pairs well with him.

Of course, turning off the official commentary after bib 30 means they missed some great skiing afterward.

 

[Rudi Riet]

OK, I'll put the meat under the spoiler tag because it's a work day and people may have other things on their mind right now.

Spoiler: Results and comments

It was a very different Birds of Prey SG. The snow was definitely different: wetter, less grippy, and with some tendency toward sugar as the day warmed up. That said, things weren't too chewed up so kudos to the LOC for keeping it a fair race.

Bib numbers in parenthesis.

1. (7) Marco Odermatt (SUI)
2. (3) Mattias Mayer (AUT)
3. (35) Broderick Thompson (CAN)
4. (9) Andres Sander (GER)
5. (5) Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT)
6. (17) Alexis Pintaurault (FRA)
7. (18) Adrian Smiseth Sejersted (NOR)
8. (34) Justin Murisier (SUI)
9. (6) Mattia Casse (ITA)
10. (30) Gino Caviezel (SUI)

The track certainly was fair. Thompson (don't confuse him with the former NFL player of the same name) uncorked a great run from bib 35, and other Canadians were dialed in as well, though most ended up as DNFs because they were a bit too aggressive.

Some of the heavy hitters (e.g. Feuz and Jansrud) overskied the thing and paid the price.

Nothing great for the USST today. RCS was the top finisher for them in 19th, with Ganong in 22nd. Nyman and Bennett were 42nd and 43rd, and Jared Goldberg was last place in 46th. There were a lot of DNFs, in general, including the first two out of the gate.The strongest skiing from a USST skier was River Radamus but he overcooked a transition and missed a gate (this same gate spoiled the runs of at least 6 athletes).

 

[Swede]

Bummer for Felix, he had a career best in SG going on. Stronger and faster this season.

 

[Rudi Riet]

Yeah, Felix was skiing well. A lot of today's issues likely have to do with inspection. It seems that quite a few athletes misread the line when they inspected and given the snow wasn't its usual dry, grippy Rocky Mountain consistency things went pear shaped. Felix has another chance tomorrow, so we shall see!

Really impressed with Alpine Canada today. Aside from Thompson's emphatic "BOOM!" of a run from bib 35, there were other highlights - especially Trevor Philp moving up from bib 52 to 18th place. Both Segers - Brodie and Riley - skied well until they blew out of the course. James Crawford and Jeffrey Read did OK but basically skied to their bib numbers.

Still, it's a great day for the Canadian squad and speaks volumes to their training and coaching. In 2020 they hired Phil McNichol as their High Performance Director to "achieve Alpine Canada’s goal of becoming a top-three ski nation by 2026" (their words). McNichol's tenure with USST brought a ton of success on the men's side: he knew how to work with the bench that he had. Alpine Canada is now reaping the benefits of his system - good on 'em.

Looks like the Swiss Ski Team had the best overall day with three in the top 10 and five in the top 15 (as well as 16th). Austria had two in the top 10 and four in the top 15. Norway had two in the top 15. Others in the top 15: Germany, France, and Italy.

USST is definitely off on the wrong foot right now. RCS and Ganong looked over-amped and skied like it, overworking the snow. Nyman looked out of sorts the whole way down, and while he's not a super-G specialist I can't see why he's still in the mix - nice guy but his ship has sailed. Bennett and Goldberg looked as if the idea of racing on home soil got to their heads.

Radamus looked legitimately good out there but that one breakover gate he took way too direct, got light, got low, and out. Like I said earlier, he wasn't the only one who blew out there. But he was the only one who looked destined for a top 10 placing. Hopefully he gets things sorted tomorrow. I appreciate his "full send" style.

 

[S.H.]

Trevor Philp in only his 4th world cup SG start ... nice.

 

[James]

1. (7) Marco Odermatt (AUT)
2. (3) Mattias Mayer (AUT)
3. (35) Broderick Thompson (CAN)
4. (9) Andres Sander (GER)
5. (5) Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT)
6. (17) Alexis Pintaurault (FRA)
7. (18) Adrian Smiseth Sejersted (NOR)
8. (34) Justin Murisier (SUI)
9. (6) Mattia Casse (ITA)
10. (30) Gino Caviezel (SUI)

So Odermatt did win. (Note your typo- Austria)
Now if it wasn’t for Broderick Thompson 35th -3rd, I would’ve had 2nd and 3rd called, instead Sander gets 4th.

Looks like the Swiss Ski Team had the best overall day with three in the top 10 and five in the top 15 (as well as 16th). Austria had two in the top 10 and four in the top 15. Norway had two in the top 15. Others in the top 15: Germany, France, and Italy.

Swiss had 9 in the top 30! Nice to see Justin Murisier in 8th.
Austria had 6.

 

[4ster]

What a great hill! I know the course threw a lot at the racers but I liked It.

Here is tomorrow…

Odermatt for the double
Mayer
Kriechmyr

 

[Rudi Riet]

So Odermatt did win. (Note your typo- Austria)

Yeah - big-time typo.

Marco "or Matt" (bad German humor) really outskied everyone. He wasn't intimidated by the hill, the snow, or the set.

 

[S.H.]

I don't know where this should go, but it's pretty cool that Brian McLaughlin won a Europa Cup GS yesterday ...

Wonder if he'll get a World Cup start out of it ...

European Cup Zinal (SUI)

www.fis-ski.com

 

[geepers]

Odematt (again)
Kreichmayr
Mayer

 

[James]

Mayer
Kriechmayr
Odermatt

 

[Swede]

So no weather according to FIS. Any locals who can fill us in a bit more on the situation?

 

[Rudi Riet]

Weather is overrated, anyway.

Currently -3°C near the finish (sun just rose), high today is forecast to be 11°C with light wind. On the course it'll likely be 3-5° at race time if I'm to hazard a guess.

 

[James]

high today is forecast to be 11°C

Uuggh. Horrible!