Skiing 2016/17

First topic message reminder :

Almost time - Sölden GS this coming weekend (22/23 October)!

FIS Finals – Aspen – Women’s GS, 19 March: Oh, what a surprise – the ski jumping is over-running! Although we have video for the GS there won’t be a commentary; hopefully the jumping won’t take too long to finish so normal service – oh, wait ski jumping taking too long is normal! Back in Aspen Vikki Rebensburg is first away; looks an interesting course! She’s safely down, 1:00.51. Marta Bassino is red, green and red – she’s tied with Rebensburg’s time! I wonder how many you could get exactly tied – must see if there is a record. Shiffrin next; red at all inter points and into the lead by just 1 hundredth! She made up 0.28 on the very final turns. Federica Brignone is really flying – 0.55 faster at inter 2 and 0.98 at 3 – she leads! Sofia Goggia in touch at inter 2 but after that she lost it a bit and head-butted a gate – 5th, I think/hope she’s OK. Tessa Worley off the pace; in fact after that brief flurry of activity the top 5 positions aren’t changing. Top 6 places occupied by the first 6 starters! Steph Brunner is out; long slide , then elegantly up and away. The ski jumping is still on, 20 minutes after the GS was supposed to be on! Simone Wild in touch to inter 2, but again losing time on the lower section – she’s into 10th. Marsaglia out, but didn’t really fall; snow is obviously quite warm and soft. Could be worse I suppose, just had a quick look at the Nordic Combined cross country event from Schonach – their “snow” is even worse – just a white line over green fields! Now, that’s a bit better; Melanie Meillard into 10 from start number 24. That’s run 1 over; meanwhile Eurosport are watching an engraver at work after the ski jumping! So, after run 1, Brignone leads from Shiffrin with Bassino and Rebensburg tied in third – no one else within a full second.
Run 2: I think the track has been salted! With 5 away Tina Weirather leads from Wendy Holdener and Ilka Stuhec; good run from Tina, better than her first? Adeline BM is into 3rd; Sara Hector has just tied with Tina W in first. Ah, Petra Vlhova is going well – she takes over the lead, with the best time on run 2 so far. Coralie FS in 2nd; now skiers are starting to lose time lower down the course and she’s holding on to that position. Ten to go; Vlhova leads from Coralie FS and Sara Hector – Melanie Meillard has gone into 2nd. Mich Gagnon good to inter 3 but she’s lost time to the finish – 6th; TV break! Manuela Mölgg pushing hard ; good recovery but the second error is too much and she’s out. Now, Tessa Worley, who needs to finish in the top 12 to get the discipline globe; the course setter is French which might help? She lost a little but lower down she’s building – she leads by 1.09, and that’s her crystal globe confirmed. Goggia is also building on her run – she takes the lead, and she’s faster on run 2 than Vlhova! Vikki Rebensburg is next – lost a bit between inter 1 and 2 – into 2nd by 0.08. Marta Bassino also going slightly red by inter 3 – she goes 2nd by 0.03. Mikaela Shiffrin next – red by inter 2 and it’s slipping away – she’s 5th. Just Brignone to come and she has 1.30 in hand! That’s a good run – she lost almost nothing and skied the last section well too – Federica Brignone wins by 1.44! That’s a clean sweep for the Italians – Brignone, Goggia and Bassino. Worley is 5th but that’s good enough to take the small crystal globe by 85 points from Shiffrin with Goggia 3rd.

FIS Finals – Aspen – Men’s Slalom, 19 March: Hirscher has already won this crystal globe, for the 4th time! Kristoffersen has most slalom wins but Marcel has been more consistent with the podium places. We do actually have video and commentary this time! Here we go, Henrik K is the first away on the course, set by a German coach – safely down; I wonder if he now regrets not competing in the season opener? Stefano Gross is marginally faster; Neureuther green at inter 1 and 2 but lost time lower and he’s 3rd. Michael Matt is gaining on the lower section – 2nd place. Ah, Marcel Hirscher is getting greener all the way; he leads by 0.35. Good run from Andre Myhrer; he’s 2nd just 0.08 back. Alexis Pinturault will be disappointed with 11th; maybe he’s getting tired? Now, Dave Ryding on the course – into 12th, +1.44. So, at present Hirscher, Myhrer and Gross – Matt 4th ahead of Kristoffersen and Neureuther. That’s run 1 complete, no change to the top 6, Dave Ryding now 20th.
Run 2: It looks pretty warm in Aspen, judging by the way the spectators are dressed! I think this course was set by and Italian coach. Five away and Dave Ryding leads after a run which built on his time advantage; Naoki Yuasa 2nd and Marco Schwarz 3rd. For some reason Digruber’s run didn’t show on the FIS data feed. Dave hanging on to the lead at present; Foss-Solevaag into 2nd and Jean-Baptiste Grange into 3rd. Pinturault really seems to have gone off the boil a bit - into 8th. The course is getting rutted and lumpy – Yule into 4th. Razzoli looked good at inter 2 but the final turns have cost him time – into 2nd. Lizeroux has a similar story and he, in turn, goes 2nd. Mattias Hargin is going well – he’s taken over the lead! Fastest on run 2 is still Thaler; Luca Aerni into 3rd. Khoroshilov into 2nd, pushing his training buddy down a place. Mölgg has taken the lead; Felix Neureuther has replaced him despite a few pole placement problems! Kristoffersen down and walking up to regain the course; a very frustrating finish to the season! Michael Matt has built between inter 1 and 2; he’s 2nd by just 1 hundredth! Stefano Gross has gone red by inter 2 and the tricky lower section has dropped him to 7th. Two to go – Myhrer is next; his advantage is intact at inter 1, pretty much the same at 2 and he takes the lead by 0.14. Finally, Marcel Hirscher – building slightly but the final section has claimed him too – he’s just 4th! Myhrer wins from Neureuther and Matt. Hirscher 4th, Dave Ryding in 8th, so he gets a few more points; looks like he’s 8th in the slalom standings too.