Alpine Skiing and Biathlon 2020/21

Hopefully some of this will be happening! As a starter, here's a rather belated comment on the season opener at Sölden in mid October.

17 Oct 20: Sölden, Women’s Giant Slalom: Missed run 1 – Marta Bassino seems to have been fastest there, ahead of Federica Brignone and Mina Fuerst Holtmann; last year’s winner Alice Robinson joint 4th,  fastest with Petra Vlhova in 10th, +2.02.  Nice to see Alex Tilley getting a second run. Apparently the visibility wasn’t good on run 1; it’s better now on the second run set by an Italian coach. It’s steep at the start, but it does look very flat at the end – need to carry the speed over that section! Kaya Norbye [NOR] is first away; Valerie Grenier [CAN, bib 58!] can’t match her. Alex Tilley was 1.03 in the green but a massive error has spoilt that run! Next is Ester Ledecka [CZE] and she’s 0.65 faster to take over the lead. Ana Bucik [SLO] into 2nd; not for long though as Andrea Ellenberger [SUI] is gaining time all the way – she takes the lead by 1.50 seconds! That’s surely going to take some beating!? Ekaterina Tkachenko [RUS bib 67!] into 2nd; Liensberger [AUT] the first DNF on run 2 – very athletic recovery! Romane Miradoli [FRA] was the highest bib number [68] to qualify for run 2, and she’s going really well – into 2nd, just 0.15 off the pace! Nina O’ Brien [USA] into 3rd; that’s 10 away – Ellenberger leads from Miradoli and O’ Brien. Sara Hector [SWE] lost all her advantage by the first intermediate and was 0.54 in the red at inter 2 – good lower section though to pull back into 3rd, +0.17. Another great run from a high bib number – Paula Moltzan [USA, bib 62] takes the lead by a massive 0.73 – very impressive! Tessa Worley [FRA] was probably unlucky with the visibility on run 1 – she’s more in touch this time and despite losing time on the final section she’s into the lead by just 0.02! She probably hadn’t reached the leader’s chair when Meta Hrovat [SLO] took over the top spot by 0.32! Austria aren’t having a good day at their home race – Truppe into joint 7th, Siebenhofer currently 10th with  Gritsch 15th and Liensberger a DNF. Petra Vlhova [SVK] also had trouble on run 1 – her second run  is much better, gaining time all the way to lead by 1.34. Austria’s woes continue – Steph Brunner into 10th. Eight to go – Vlhova leads from Hrovat and Worley. Sofia Goggia [ITA], back from injury, into joint 2nd, +1.34; nightmare for Wendy Holdener [SUI] with a huge error really early on – into 20th! Lara Gut-Behrami [SUI] into 4th; now it’s last year’s winner – Alice Robinson [NZL], with a healthy advantage of 0.84 at the start – gaining slightly to inter 1 but the bumps have got her too and she’s into 8th.  Michelle Gisin [SUI] has also gone from green at 1 to red at 2 – she was +0.59 at inter 3 but a great final section has pulled her back into 2nd, +0.17. Holtmann [NOR] has lost time from inter 1 – into 3rd; now it’s Federica Brignone [ITA], with a massive 1.44 in hand – it’s being eroded but she still has 0.63 in hand at inter 3, and a great final section has pulled back time – she leads by 0.99, and that’s the 2nd best time on run 2 as well!  Just Marta Bassino [ITA] to go – 0.58 in hand at the start; 0.74 at inter 1 – she lost a bit on the flat final section but she had enough to spare – she wins by just 0.14; an Italian one two! So, Marta Bassino wins, ahead of Federica Brignone with Petra Vlhova [best time on run 2] in 3rd. Gisin in 4th, ahead of Holtmann with Goggia and Hrovat tied in 6th.

18 Oct 20: Sölden, Men’s Giant Slalom: Missed run 1 on purpose – too many entries!! Gino Caviezel [SUI] fastest on run 1 ahead of Zan Kranjec [SLO] and Henrik Kristoffersen [NOR] – all very close though! Apparently Kilde crashed on run 1, sounds as though he is OK though. Conditions look good today; run 2 set by a Slovenian coach, I think. River Radamus [USA] gets the second run started – interesting to see Vincent Kriechmayr [AUT] has qualified for run 2; despite a few impressive recoveries he’s into the lead! Adam Zampa [SVK] into 3rd; Erik Read [CAN] is looking good – gaining time all the way and he leads by 0.82. Daniele Sette [SUI] into 2nd; Roberto Nani [ITA] goes 3rd.  That was a good run from Stefan Luitz [GER] – he takes over the lead by 0.37; not for long though – Giovanni Borsotti was right on the edge all the way but he survived to take the lead! Sam Maes [BEL] into 3rd, and then  it’s Manny Mölgg [ITA] back from injury – into 6th. Stefan Brennsteiner [AUT] is the last hope for Austria today – he’s into 3rd; that’s not going to go down well in the local press! Justin Murisier [SUI] has had a good run – into the lead; that’s the half way point of run 2 – Murisier leads from Borsotti and Luitz. That’s a close run  thing – Thibaut Favrot [FRA] swapping between red and green lights – crucially it’s green at the finish! No change to the podium places for a while, then Filip Zubcic [CRO] goes 3rd; Ted Ligety has lost a ski and he’s out. Great start by Luca de Aliprandini [ITA] but he’s losing time from inter 1 and is red by 3 – he goes into 2nd. Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen [NOR] has doubled his advantage by inter 1 but then he starts to lose time – still 0.17 left at the line and he leads! That’s a superb run from Marco Odermatt [SUI] – gaining all the way down to lead by 0.99 – no surprise that he’s the fastest so far on run 2 so far as well. Loic Meillard [SUI] also in touch – he’s into 2nd; Lucas Braathen [NOR] started well, just red at inter 3 but he’s pulled back a little on the final flatter stage to take the lead by just 0.05! Nick has tipped Alexis Pinturault [FRA] today, but an early error cost him time – he’s into 3rd.  Next is Henrik Kristoffersen [NOR] – for some reason he doesn’t seem to go well here; he’s into joint 4th but that still might be a PB for him here? Two to go – Zan Kranjec [SLO] is on the course – he’s red at inter 1, redder at 2, pulled a bit back to 3 but just 6th at the line! So, just Gino Caviezel [SUI] to go – that tricky under gate has caught him too; 0.79 behind at inter 2 but he’s pulled it back a bit – he’s 3rd! So, Lucas Braathen wins the opening GS, ahead of Marco Odermatt and Gino Caviezel. Alexis Pinturault in 4th, ahead of Loic Meillard and Henrik Kristoffersen in joint 5th.

In the Lech Zürs parallel slalom event Alexis Pinturault beat Henrik Kristoffersen in the final, with Alex Schmidt in third; the women’s race was won by Petra Vlhova – her third win from three races – ahead of Paula Moltzan [USA], who didn’t finish the big final. Nice to Lara Gut-Behrami taking 3rd – her first podium in almost 4 years.

Kontiolahti – Men’s 20 Km Individual 28 Nov 20: A bit overcast and gloomy there but better than the rain here! Johannes Bø goes number 26; seems most of the likely candidates are going in group 1, but there are some exceptions – Benni Weger starts mid 50s. Well, the new season has started – Felix Leitner [AUT] away first; 101 starters today! Alex Loginov currently the fastest at 2.3Km but it’s early days. Now, this is the race without penalty loops – just a full minute added to the time for each miss! Leitner has missed his first shot, but got the next 4; no one clear yet at S1. Alex Loginov [RUS] has cleared and he’s fast too; nice to see Arnd Peiffer also clear at S1. Tarjei Bø and Quentin Fillon Maillet [FRA; henceforth QFM] also clear at S1 and in touch with Loginov’s time; JoBø has missed his second shot! Alex Loginov at S2 – 1 miss; same for Peiffer but Dale [NOR] clear there to go 1,0. Good grief – Andrejs Rastorgujevs [LAT] is 0,0; first to go clear after S2; Jakov Fak [SLO] is also 10/10 but Tarjei has missed his last shot at S2. JoBø clear at S2 and he’s just 21.2 behind there; Ondrej Moravec [CZE] currently fastest there with his 10/10. Benedikt Doll is also 10/10 and just fractionally slower than Moravec. Now that’s a relatively new name – Sturla Holm Laegreid [NOR] is 10/10 and leads after S2 at the moment; however, JoBø is clear at S3 and only 5.2 behind Moravec who is 15/15, as are Fak [+0.5] and Rastorgujevs [+16.4]; Doll has missed 2 here. Rastorgujevs at S4 – he’s had 2 misses; Fak just the 1 [0,0,0,1]. Emilien Jacquelin [1,1,0,0] is in touch after S4; Tarjei is [0,1,0,2] and over a minute behind after S4 but Laegreid is 15/15 and now leads after S3. That’s a good run by QFM – 0,1,0,0 to briefly lead after S4; sadly for him JoBø has also cleared there and despite a slight problem feeding the final round he’s away! Moravec is the first to clear all 20, but even so he’s +17.0 behind JoBø. Laegreid is at S4 – he’s clear again and his 20/20 gives him a lead of 36.3 seconds over JoBø at S4. Right, JoBø [1,0,0,0] has crossed the finish line; he leads ahead of QFM [0,1,0,0] and Jakov Fak [0,0,0,1]; Moravec [0,0,0,0] goes into 3rd, just 1 second off QFM’s time. That’s Sturla Holm Laegreid over the line – a perfect 20/20 and he is 19.6 ahead of JoBø. Interesting to see Seb Samuelsson [1,1,0,0] over the line in 5th despite those 2 misses – good speed! Best of the Germans at present is Erik Lesser [0,1,0,0] – left S4 in 5th but he’s had a good final lap – into 3rd at present! Everyone is now through S3; doesn’t seem to be any chance of a late change unless Guigonnat finds a lot of ski speed on the last lap – Laegreid leads from JoBø and Lesser with QFM 4th, ahead of Moravec and Samuelsson. Guigonnat has crossed the line in 9th, so I think that’s it – it is! Looking at the ski times, predictably JoBø was quickest, just ahead of Ponsiluoma and Samuelsson [good Swedish ski prep!], and his brother Tarjei. Misheard the commentators – I thought they said Tandrevold was taking medication – actually they said she has started meditation!

Kontiolahti – Women’s 15 Km Individual 28 Nov 20: This one under the lights – tracks apparently not too bad despite a certain lack of snow, although it does look rather soft to me! Well, 103 starters for this one so another marathon – Mona Brorsson [SWE] the first away. Also the first to shoot, and she’s clear. Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold [NOR] is also clear and marginally faster. Oh dear, poor Vittozzi [ITA] hasn’t had a good start to this season – 4 misses at S1. Hanna Öberg [SWE] has missed 1 at S1, so has Denise Herrmann [GER]. Brorsson at S2 and 10/10; Tandrevold has missed 1. Back at S1 Doro Wierer [ITA] is clear and out 2.2 seconds behind Hauser [AUT]. Marte Olsbu Røiseland [NOR] and Tiril Eckhoff [NOR] have both missed 1 at S1, but their ski speed looks good. Swedes seem to be going well – Persson is 10/10 and out just ahead of Brorsson’s time – only 2 10/10s so far; however Öberg is now 1,1. Denise Herrmann [1,0] is clear at S2 and quick; Hauser is also 10/10 and briefly leading after S2 but Doro has also gone 10/10 and is fractionally faster. Nice shooting by Julia Simon [FRA] – 10/10 but at the moment a little slow. Marketa Davidova [CZE; 1,0,0] is now fastest after S3, just ahead of Tandrevold – no 15/15 so far. Linn Persson has done it – all 15 down! Denise Herrmann clear at S3and out 2nd, and out +13.3, so skiing faster than Persson. Poor Hauser has missed 3 at S3; Brorsson clear at S4 to go [0,0,1,0] – Tandrevold has missed 2 more here. That was impressive shooting speed – Doro also 15/15 and 28.2 faster than Persson; Davidova has missed 2 at S4. Back at S1 Irina Kazakevich [RUS] is clear and fractionally faster than Hauser at that stage. Good work by Linn Persson – first to get all 20 here; Hanna Öberg is 1,1,0,0 so a better finish and she’s in touch, and obviously skiing quickly. And, Denise Herrmann is clear at S4 as well [1,0,0,0] – out 13.7 ahead of Persson. Doro is at S4 – all 5 down again and she’s out 35.1 ahead of Herrmann! Anais Bescond is also going well – 15/15 and skiing faster than Persson. On the lap Doro is losing time to Denise H, but surely she has enough in hand? Bescond has missed 1 at S4; what I had missed was Johanna Skottheim [SWE] who is 15/15 and out just 18.9 behind Doro! At 14.4 Km Doro is just 7.7 ahead of Herrmann, having been 35.1 ahead at S4; Doro gets first pace by just 0.8 – is that it? At S4 Yuliia Dzhima is 20/20 but not the fastest skier. Elvira Öberg is 1,0,0,0 and out 4th after S4, +55.3. Meanwhile Skottheim is at her last shoot – that was excellent, all 5 down quickly and she’s away – out 2nd, but just 2.6 seconds ahead of Denise Herrmann. Looking back Kazakevich missed 2 at S2, but I see Dzinara Alimbekava [BLR] is 10/10 and out 2.6 ahead of Doro’s time! Interesting to see Maren Hammerschmidt in for her final shoot with 15/15 – she’s missed her final shot though, and Alimbekava has missed 1 at S3 and had an unlucky miss at S4 as well – good speed though. At present the top 6 are Wierer, Herrmann, Skottheim, Elvira Öberg, Persson and Bescond; 5 Swedes in the top 10 at present! I think Alimbekava might still make the top 10 – out joint 9th after S4, with Anais Chevalier-Bouchet; up to 8th by 14.4 Km and over the line in 8th too, knocking Brorsson out of the top 10; no change to the top 6. Looking at ski speed, the fastest was Marte Olsbu Røiseland [1,2,0,1], just ahead of Denise Herrmann [1,0,0,0] and Tiril Eckhoff [1,1,3,2].

Kontiolahti – Men’s 10 Km Sprint 29 Nov 20: That really is an “undulating” course! Favourites are going early, except for Laegreid who is in group 2; 101 starters today. Seb Samuelsson is setting the early pace; the wind seems a bit stronger than yesterday? Matvey Eliseev [RUS] first to shoot and he’s clear; Samuelsson is quick but he’s missed 1 as has Tarjei Bø. At present the Russians are leading after S1; Latypov, Loginov and Eliseev in that order – Arnd Peiffer has just gone 2nd, but not for long as JoBø has cleared all 5 and is now 16.8 ahead of Latypov. Seb Samuelsson clear at S2; Tarjei has missed 2 there [1,2]. Jacquelin clear at S1 and out just 6.8 behind Johannes. No one has cleared all 10 so far – JoBø has become the first! His standing shoot position looks really awkward but it certainly works! Back after a quick break – Fak and QFM both 10/10 and out close together in 2nd/3rd, about 36 seconds behind Johannes. Samuelsson was flying on his final lap though and neither Fak nor QFM can match his pace. With 30 over the finish line it’s JoBø [0,0] leading from Samuelsson [1,0], Fak [0,0], QFM [0,0], Peiffer [0,1] and Jacquelin [0,2]. Laegreid has missed 1 at S2 and isn’t as fast as yesterday, but Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen [1,0] is going faster and left S2 in 5th; Ponsiluoma [1.0] is also well in touch, taking over 5th after S2. Christiansen over the line in 3rd; Patrick is having problems identifying the Swedes – it’s Martin Ponsiluoma passing 9.4 Km, not Samuelsson who finished a while ago – Martin into 3rd now! So, at present JoBø looks set for win 49, ahead of Samuelsson and Ponsiluoma, then Christiansen, Fak and QFM. The tracks are getting softer, there has been some new snow and the wind seems to have got up – will the top 6 change? No, in a word! Jacquelin, Eder and Lesser the top 3 for range time, while the Norwegians take the top honours for ski speed – JoBø, Tarjei and Dale in that order, ahead of Samuelsson and Jacquelin. Peiffer the best of the Germans in 7th.

Kontiolahti – Women’s 7.5 Km Sprint 29 Nov 20: Right, shopping done and it’s back to the biathlon! Marketa Davidova the first away; Tiril Eckhoff away number 3 – hopefully it will be a better day today for her! Well, not a good start for Davidova – 2 misses at S1; Tiril isn’t having a better day either – 3 misses! Johanna Skottheim is clear though, as is Clare Egan; Lisa Theresa Hauser also clear and faster still. Røiseland is having a better day too – all 5 at S1 and she leads at present, just ahead of Innerhofer and Hauser. Denise Herrmann in for S1 – slow on the range but she’s got all 5. At S2 Skottheim and Egan are 10/10 and Vittozzi has done the same. Preuß is 1,1 but still in touch; Doro has missed 1 at S1; Hauser has missed 1 at S2 and had a minor feed problem for the final shot. Back at 1.8 Km the Öberg sisters are the two fastest; Hanna marginally ahead. Marte Olsbu Røiseland has cleared all 10 and she’s out 20.6 ahead of Skottheim. However, back at S1, Hanna Öberg is also clear and she’s even faster – 17.5 seconds ahead; little sister has missed 1 but is still out in 9th at present. Oh dear, Denise Herrmann has missed 3 at S2; Doro clear though this time and out 4th at present. Røiseland is over the finish line, in the lead, ahead of Skottheim and Hauser. Back at S2 Justine Braisaz-Bouchet is 0,1 but still out 3rd, +41.1. Hanna Öberg in for S2 – that’s quick shooting and all 10 down; out 21.9 ahead of Røiseland’s time – she’s 23.9 ahead at the finish – amazing! Back at S2 Mona Brorsson has missed 1; out 4th but Knotten has gone clear and out 3rd. Alimbekava is another one with great ski speed – 1 miss but over the finish line 4th, just behind Skottheim – Hammerschmidt [0,0] over the line in 5th. There might well be some more change though, Brorsson and Knotten both look to be heading for the top 6. Brorsson crosses 4th, until Knotten goes 3rd! At present Hanna Öberg leads from Røiseland, Knotten, Skottheim, Brorsson and Alimbekava. Not all over perhaps as Tuuli Tomingas [EST] and Chloe Chevalier [FRA] are 10/10 and in touch after S2 – looks like Tomingas is losing time to Skottheim, and so is Chevalier. Tomingas down to 7th at 6.8 Km; Chevalier has bettered her time there and is also past Alimbekava in 6th – she’s faded over the final metres though and Chevalier is over the line in 8th, while Tomingas has held on to 7th, just behind Alimbekava! There are a few athletes in touch at S1, but the tracks are getting really sugary which won’t help them; that final hill looks awful! So, well done to Hanna Öberg – a very impressive win, and 3 Swedes in the top 6. Røiseland in 2nd and Knotten in 3rd, so Norway pick up the last two podium places ahead of Skottheim, Brorsson and Alimbekava. Chloe Chevalier best of the French in 8th, and Maren Hammerschmidt best of the Germans in 9th. Doro Wierer ended up in 22nd place, with 1 miss and Denise Herrmann was 38th with 3 misses. No real surprise to see that the Öberg sisters were fastest around the tracks, with Hanna fractionally faster, with Tandrevold 3rd.

Kontiolahti – Men’s 10 Km Sprint 3 Dec: This is the second sprint here; 107 starters today. Apparently the tracks are in better condition than they were at the weekend; Simon Desthieux first away – today is his birthday! Ten away so far, Martin Ponsiluoma fastest at 1.6 Km but bib 11 is JoBø and he’s already 3.1 faster! Quite a few of the early starters have gone clear at S1, Matvey Eliseev quickest at present, just ahead of Alex Loginov. Ponsiluoma and JoBø are among those who have missed 1 at S1. The two Russians are still fastest at S1 ahead of Varabei [BLR], Weger and Kühn – now Jesper Nelin is fastest there. At S2 Eliseev is 10/10; back at S1 Tarjei Bø is now 1.2 ahead of Nelin but QFM has missed one. Snags at S2 – Loginov has missed 3, Ponsiluoma another 2 but JoBø is clear this time, and he leads after S2 at the moment! On the way to the finish Eliseev is losing time to Fak, who is also 10/10; at 8.3 Km the gap was just 1 second and by 9.4 Km Fak is 17.7 ahead of the Russian. At S1 Arnd Peiffer is now quickest although he was clear and 2nd placed JoBø had completed a penalty loop. Nelin has missed 2 at S2; Tarjei Bø [0.0] is clear at S2 and he’s out 20.3 ahead of Johannes [1,0]! Seb Samuelsson is skiing fast but he’s missed 1 at S1. JoBø over the finish lap, 15.9 ahead of Fak. Now, this is interesting, at 8.3 Km Tarjei has gained almost 6 seconds on his younger brother! Arnd Peiffer is also 10/10 and out of S2 10 seconds behind Tarjei Bø. Lesser has missed 2 at S2, and so has Samuelsson; at 9.4 Km Tarjei is 26.5 ahead and he’s over the line a massive 29.4 ahead of Johannes – he’s wrecked but probably very happy! At 8.3 Km Peiffer is losing a little to Tarjei but he too has pulled a bit out on Johannes – he’s held on to that advantage at 9.4 Km too! Peiffer over the line in 2nd, +13.9 which puts him over 15 seconds ahead of JoBø. Not many chances that the lead will change although Sergey Bocharnikov [BLR] was clear at S1 and out 3rd; he’s 10/10 and out 6th, +26.1. He might well catch Eliseev by the finish? At present the top 6 are T Bø, Peiffer, J T Bø, Weger, Fak and Ponsiluoma. Missed him at the shooting range but that’s a good run from Michal Krcmar [CZE; 0,0] – he’s over the line in 7th. Back at S1 Johannes Dale is clear and out 5th, just +3.8. A good run from Benedikt Doll [1,0] too and he goes into 6th – an impressive gain between 8.3 Km, where he was 10th and the finish; Bocharnikov over the line in 10th. Hard to bear – Dale has missed his last shot; out just ahead of Doll! Fabien Claude [FRA; 0,1] is out of S2 in 8th place. Amazing to see Bjøntegaard with bib 106 given he’s ranked 19th in the world; clear at S1 but off the pace. Dale over the line in 6th, pushing Doll out of the top 6 by just 0.1! Claude has finished 10th; best of the French so far. Interesting, Bjøntegaard is 10/10 and he’s out 7th, +33.5 which is much more competitive than his time at S1 – he’s up to 5th at 8.3 Km, still there at 9.4 too – have the tracks got faster? Good effort – he’s into 5th – 3 Norwegians in the top 6! That’s it – Tarjei Bø takes a very well deserved win, ahead of Arnd Peiffer and his brother Johannes. Beni Weger in 4th, ahead of Bjøntegaard and Fak. Ponsiluoma was the fastest around the course, ahead of Tarjei, JoBø, Samuelsson, Peiffer and Dale.

Kontiolahti – Women’s 7.5 Km Sprint 3 Dec: 104 starters for this one – Tiril Eckhoff starts number 88. Looks fairly windy, although not too bad by Kontiolahti standards; is that light snow falling? Early starters at S1 – Denise Herrmann clear but so is Anais Chevalier-Bouchet and she’s out 3.2 ahead. Johanna Skottheim is also clear and tied with Anais C-B after S1; Mona Brorsson is the first to miss at S1. Doro Wierer in for her prone shoot and she’s missed 2; Davidova clear and out 3rd at present. Herrmann at S2 and she’s missed 1; Anais C-B is clear there. Back at S1 Franzi Preuß is clear too and faster than Davidova; at S2 Skottheim has missed 2. Røiseland has adjusted both sights before S1 – clear and away just behind Tandrevold who is currently fastest at S1. Hanna Öberg in for the prone – fast shooting and clear – away 4.8 ahead of Tandrevold. Alimbekava is also clear and only fractionally behind Røiseland’s time. Preuß has missed 2 at S2; so has Tandrevold – Røiseland just 1. Hanna Öberg in for S2 and clear despite gusty wind – out 12.7 ahead of Anais C-B. Alimbekava at S2 and cleared the first 4, then ran out of air, paused and missed her 10th shot. Elvira Öberg at S1 and clear – out just 3.8 behind her big sister! Røiseland over the line in 2nd, followed by Tandrevold in 6th – all about to change though as here comes Hanna – over the line 9.6 ahead of Anais C-B, so she’s lost a little time but that doesn’t matter at present. Linn Persson has missed 3 at S2; Elvira Öberg has missed just 1 here – still quick though. Elvira Öberg is taking time out of big sister – she’s over the line in 3rd, so at present we have another set of siblings at 1st and 3rd; if that remains the case it will apparently be the first time we’ve had two sets of siblings on the podium on the same day! Arguably the only threat to that is Tiril Eckhoff – she’s at S1 and clear, although the last one was a bit lucky! She’s out 4th, + 6.7. Katharina Innerhofer is clear too and out +9.2. Tiril at S2 – the wind has got up just at the wrong time and she’s missed 2. Innerhofer was also unlucky with the wind – she has also missed 2. So, at present it’s Hanna, Anais C-B, Elvira, Røiseland, Herrmann and Davidova. That’s a good final section from Tiril Eckhoff – up to 8th despite those 2 misses. So, another good day for the Swedes, and an impressive win for Hanna Öberg. Anais C-B in 2nd, ahead of Elvira Öberg. Røiseland in 4th, then Herrmann and Davidova. I’m a little surprised by Herrmann’s pace – Røiseland fastest around the tracks ahead of Elvira, Tandrevold, Hanna, Alimbekava and Anais C-B – Denise just 11th, probably not helped by the heavy snow that fell just before the start.

Kontiolahti – Men’s 12.5 Km Pursuit 5 Dec: A bit misty and the floodlights are already on; as Eurosport are showing run 2 of the Men’s GS live I’m on the IBU live feed which luckily has the normal commentators in their shed! Tarjei Bø will lead off, ahead of Arnd Peiffer and Johannes Thingnes Bø. It’s a busy start – 60 starters in all; Tarjei has gone off fast but JoBø is pulling a bit of time back and so is Jakov Fak, among others – fastest of all early on is Martin Ponsiluoma! Tarjei is in for S1 – he’s missed his first – three in all here. Peiffer has missed 1 but JoBø is clear! Out in order JoBø, Peiffer, Bjøntegaard, Fak, Dale and Hofer. Ponsiluoma has missed 2, but Samuelsson has cleared and he’s up from 18 to 9; up to 7 on the lap! JoBø is coming in for S2 – the second prone; steady shooting but he’s clear and away; Peiffer has missed 1, so has Bjøntegaard. Out in order JoBø, Dale [+24.9], Hofer, Fak, Samuelsson and Peiffer [+35.9]. Jacquelin is 10/10 and up from 39 to 11. At 6.8 Km JoBø is 27.2 seconds clear; Tarjei up to 6th, +37.1. Now, the first of two standing shoots – JoBø has missed his 3rd shot here; Seb Samuelsson is 15/15 and out 2nd, +8.1, Peiffer clear here and out 3rd, +13.5, then Fak, Tarjei and Benedikt Doll; Jacquelin 15/15 and up to 7th! At 8.6 Km Samuelsson is just 1.8 behind JoBø! At the next split Tarjei has passed Peiffer and is up to 3rd. The final shoot – now, has Seb gone too hard on that lap? Both he and JoBø have missed their first – Johannes has missed his last too! Peiffer missing – 3 still standing; Tarjei has missed 2 as has Jacquelin. So, after S4 the order is Samuelsson, JoBø [+23.6], Fabien Claude [2,1,0,0; +25.2], Laegreid [0,1,0,0, +26.7], Fak and Christiansen. Simon Eder seems to be the only 20/20 and he’s up from 41 to 10. Tarjei in 13th and Peiffer 16th. Claude is up to 2nd! Over the line – great win for Seb Samuelsson [from 18], ahead of Fabien Claude, up from 11th, with JoBø in 3rd. Laegreid takes 4th ahead of Doll and Fak. Major gainers, apart from Seb Samuelsson, Claude and Laegreid include Jacquelin [8 from 39], QFM [10 from 30], Eder [12 – 41], Eberhard [17 – 37] and Latypov [21 – 46]. Going the ”wrong way” the list includes Tarjei Bø [12 from 1st], Ponsiluoma [14 from 9th], Peiffer [18 – 2], Weger [23 – 4], Bocharnikov [39 – 13] and Bauer [43 – 24].

Kontiolahti – Women’s 10 Km Pursuit 6 Dec: We seem to have lost Mike again! He’s back and apparently the rain has eased – wet snow! Race on – Hanna Öberg away, followed by Anais Chevalier-Bouchet and her younger sister Elvira. Not a great deal of time gain early on – possibly most from Tiril Eckhoff? Öberg senior in for S1 with Anais C-B closer now – Hanna clear and away; Anais has missed 1 [out 5th] but Røiseland is clear, as are Alimbekava, Herrmann and Eckhoff. Hanna has just over 30 seconds in hand already. Hanna is coming in for S2 – missed her 4th; Anais C-B has missed her first 2 so it’s Røiseland, who cleared all 10, who is out 2nd, just 9.8 behind. Alimbekava is also clear and 3rd, just ahead of Eckhoff [0,0] and Tandrevold [0,0] – Elvia [1,1] in 6th; Herrmann has missed 2 and is out 14th. Doro Wierer has also cleared 10 and is up to 12th from 28; Dunklee [0,0] is 15th from 31. Hanna in for S3 with Marte Olsbu Røiseland on her tail – 1 miss each! Alimbekava has missed her first, Eckhoff clear; Anais C-B has missed 4! So, all very close after S3 – Røiseland leads but by just 0.4 to Hanna Öberg, with Tiril Eckhoff just another 0.2 back. Alimbekava in 4th, +26.7, then Tandrevold, who missed 1 at 3, and Lunder [CAN, 15/15]. Elvira [1,1,1] in 9th, just behind Preuß [1,0,0; from 16th]. The leading 3 are still very close together as they head in for the final shoot – Hanna and Røiseland have both missed 1 but Tiril is 20/20 and away! Hanna Öberg and Røiseland out just 1.6 apart in that order. Alimbekava has missed 1 more but is still out 4th, just ahead of Skottheim [0,0,0,0] and Tandrevold [0,0,1,1], with Preuß [1,0,0,1] in touch. Røiseland has got up to 2nd on the lap; Skottheim just past Alimbekava and both distancing Preuß. At 9.3 Km Alimbekava back to 4th, ahead of Skottheim with Tandrevold past Preuß. At the finish it’s a great win for Tiril Eckhoff – all 20 targets down and a win from 8th! Røiseland 2nd from 4th, despite 2 misses ahead of Hanna Öberg. Alimbekava held on to 4th, ahead of Skottheim [20/20; up from 20] and Tandrevold. Preuß 7th from 16, ahead of Elvira Öberg [8th from 3rd]. Other gainers include Justine Braisaz-Bouchet [37 – 10], Pavlova [44 – 13], Hauser [43 – 15], Simon [56 – 17], Hinz [34 – 18] and Haecki [52 – 19]. Going the wrong way the list includes Herrmann [5 – 11, with 4 misses], Anais C-B [2 – 21, 7 misses], Davidova [6 – 22], Schwaiger [12 – 25], Zdouc [17 – 28], Vittozzi [21 – 42] and Innerhofer [26 – 47]

Kontiolahti – Women’s 4 x 6 Km relay, 5 Dec: Well, Mike is missing apparently! The Swedes must be the favourites here, but let’s see. The ticker says Elisa Gasparin is leading, but it looks like Skottheim to me! Coming in for S1 – Knotten is having lots of trouble; a fall on the way into the range and then snags with the rifle. I’m not sure the ticker is right – it shows Dunklee leading after S1, ahead of Bescond, Vittozzi and Skottheim? It is right! She’s third in for S2 – none of the leaders clear! Gasparin has missed 4, as has Dunklee so they’re on spares. Alimbekava [BLR] is leading out, ahead of Jislova [CZE], Vittozzi and Skottheim. Dunklee 11th after a penalty lap, Gasparin and Beaudry have done 2 loops. Exchange 1 coming up, Alimbekava leading in, ahead of Skottheim – out Belarus, Sweden [+1.3], Italy, Ukraine, Czech Republic and France; Germany in 7th +27.7. By 7.1Km Brorsson [SWE] is past Kruchinkina [BLR] with Charvátová [CZE] 3rd. Then Lardschneider [ITA], Valj Semerenko [UKR] and Anais C-B [FRA]. In for S3 – Lardschneider is clear and she leads out, just ahead of Brorsson with Anais C-B up to 3rd, ahead of Semerenko, Preuß and Charvátová. Clare Egan was clear and she’s got USA back to 7th – Tiril Eckhoff also clear and now 17th after Knotten’s problems on leg 1. On the lap Brorsson is back in the lead, with the Öberg sisters on legs 3 and 4. S4 – Anais has missed but so have all the leading group! Charvátová looks to be doing 4 penalty loops? Anais C-B leads out, ahead of Mona Brorsson, then Semerenko [ticker and race banners differ about which], Lardschneider, Preuß [3 spares] and Schwaiger [AUT]. Norway are having an awful day – Tiril has done 3 penalty loops. Coming up to exchange 2 – France ahead. So France [Chloe Chevalier] lead out, ahead of Sweden [+9.1; Elvira Öberg] and Germany [Maren Hammerschmidt]. Then Ukraine, Italy and Austria [+1:01.3]. On the first lap Elvira is closing down Chevalier, and Vita Semerenko [?] is up to third, ahead of Hammerschmidt, Wierer and Innerhofer. Already in for S5 - Chevalier clear, Elvira needed 1 spare, Hammerschmidt 2, Doro 1 – out France, Sweden [+4.3], Ukraine, Italy, Germany and Russia. Chevalier and Elvira nicely clear coming in for S6 – Öberg used 2 spares and she’s away; Chloe Chevalier had a chance to go ahead but then she needed 2 spares as well – out 2nd, +9.4. Doro also need 2, out 3rd ahead of Maren H [2 spares]; Semerenko 5th despite a penalty loop. On the lap Öberg has pulled away a little – Chevalier, Wierer and Hammerschmidt all losing a bit of time. Final exchange – Hanna Öberg leading away, ahead of Justine Braisaz-Bouchet, Sanfilippo, Herrmann [+45.1], Pidhrushna and Hauser. The final prone shoot – Öberg shooting fast and she’s got all 5 with no spares. Justine B-B also clear and away; Herrmann has also got all 5, but Sanfilippo is using 3 spares, so she’s out almost a minute behind Herrmann and only 11 seconds ahead of Pidhrushna. No real change son the lap – Öberg in for the final shoot; 1 spare and away. Justine B-B used 3 spares and out +19.9 – Herrmann 2 spares and 3rd, +37.6, but her speed recently isn’t as spectacular as it sometime is? More misses behind the leading 3 – Kaisheva [RUS] was clear and out 4th, ahead of Sanfilippo [3 spares] but Pidhrushna and Hauser are on the penalty loop. Røiseland has cleared all her 10 with no spares and she’s 10th. The leading 3 are basically maintaining the gaps on the final lap – good win for the favourites, Sweden [0+8], ahead of France [0+9] and Germany [0+12]. Russia [2+11] over the line 4th, ahead of Ukraine [2+11] and Italy [0+14]. Røiseland pushing on the final lap to get past the USA and get Norway [3+10] into 8th. The Czechs in 11th with 7 penalty loops and 14 misses!

Kontiolahti – Men’s 4 x 7.5 Km relay, 6 Dec: Norway would look to be the favourites – Laegreid, Christiansen and 2 Bøs! Laegreid leading at the first timing point, from Komatz [AUT], Lesser, Pryma [UKR] and Jacquelin. Coming in for S1, Jacquelin up to 2nd and looking relaxed – Eliseev [RUS] clear and he leads out, ahead of Jacquelin, Pryma, Laegreid, Doherty [USA] and Labastu [BLR] – all with no spares used. No penalty loops this time, although a couple people came close including Femling [SWE] who used all 3 spares. On the lap Jacquelin and Laegreid seem to be opening a slight gap, then a chasing group of 6 forming behind. In for S2 – Jacquelin has had a nightmare – 3 penalty loops! It’s Sean Doherty who leads out ahead of Labastu [both no spares], then Laegreid [2 spares], Eliseev [1], Stalder [1] and Mikyska [CZE; 0]. Lesser in 7th despite needing all 3 spares here. Erik Lesser gaining places on the lap as they head for Exchange 1 – Christiansen leads away on leg 2 for Norway, ahead of Bocharnikov [BLR], Rees [GER, +0.9], Nordgren [USA], Babikov [RUS] and Eder [AUT]. Poor Simon Desthieux is 19th, just over a minute back. The leading 3 are maintaining a gap as they head for S3 – Bocharnikov first out despite needing a spare, just ahead of Christiansen and Rees [no spares]; Babikov up to 4th and he’s gained on the leading 3. Moravec [CZE] also going well on the lap; up to 4th at 11.8 Km. In for S4 – leading 3 all missing; Bocharnikov is on the penalty loop! Rees [2 spares] leads out, just fractionally ahead of Moravec who hasn’t used any spares! Christiansen [2 spares] in 3rd, ahead of Eder [0], Babikov [1] and Weger [0]. Poor Moravec – after such a great leg he’s broken a pole which has cost him a few seconds. Christiansen has taken over the lead, ahead of Rees with Weger up to 3rd. Exchange 2 – Tarjei Bø leads away from Arnd Peiffer [+3.5], Finello [SUI, +9.2] then UKR/CZE/AUT. France u to 12th, but still almost a minute back – a lot of work for Fabien Claude. At S5 – Tarjei out 8 seconds ahead of Peiffer with Latypov [RUS] up to 3rd – no spares from those 3. Then Leitner [0], Finello [0] and Bormolini [ITA, 0]. Claude has used 3 spares – France still 12th but 1.5 minutes back now. Tarjei has pulled out time against Arnd Peiffer – gap now +15.3 at 19.3 Km – Latypov, Leitner and Finello all very close together. Tarjei in for his standing shoot – missed his 5th, but Peiffer has also missed 1, Latypov also missing, Ponsiluoma with a chance but he’s missed 1 as well. Bø leads out, now 16.9 ahead of Peiffer with Finello 3rd, +34.1. Latypov [2 spares] in 4th ahead of Ponsiluoma [1], and Bormolini [1]. Tarjei pulling away even further on the lap to the exchange – Peiffer 20.8 back at 21.8 Km, Ponsiluoma up to 3rd ahead of Finello and Latypov. So, JoBø has a healthy advantage of 23.9 over Benedikt Doll in 2nd, with Seb Samuelsson 40.7 back in 3rd. Then SUI/RUS/AUT. On the lap Samuelsson is closing down Doll quite quickly; Loginov up to 4th. JoBø in for his prone – lucky with his 3rd and he’s missed the 4th – 3 spares used and he’s away. Doll, Samuelsson and Loginov all clear and out in that order – Doll +15.8. Loginov has gained with a fast lap and quick, accurate shooting and after the shoot he’s just 6 seconds behind Samuelsson, who is closing down Doll again on the lap while also opening from Loginov. All to play for in the final shoot; JoBø is almost 30 seconds clear again as he heads in – he’s missed the second, but got it with just 1 spare – he’s out before the rest have arrived! Doll has used 2 spares which has let Samuelsson [1] through to 2nd. Loginov in 4th but he needed all 3 spares and he’s 21 seconds back from Doll. Windisch in 5th, ahead of Hartweg [SUI]. JoBø has broken a pole but he’s plenty of time to spare, although Samuelsson has gained a little. A commanding performance by Norway [0+9] to take the win, great recovery by Sweden [0+10], 13th at exchange 1, to take second with Germany [0+9] 3rd. Russia [0+7] in 4th, ahead of Italy [0+8] and Austria [0+10]; France [3+11] in 8th.

5 Dec 20: Santa Caterina Valfurva, Men’s GS: I missed run 1 [shopping again] – Zan Kranjec was fastest there ahead of Marco Odermatt [+0.46], Alexis Pinturault [+0.48], Loic Meillard [+0.49] and Tommy Ford [+0.60] – Kristoffersen just 8th, +1.19 and behind Kilde! Looks like run 2 clashes with the biathlon Pursuit at Kontiolahti; seems Eurosport will show the skiing live with biathlon highlights later?
Run 2 – I’m trying to watch the biathlon live, with this on ticker – we’ll see how that works out! They are really getting around the course at Kontiolahti,  so maybe I can watch the final part of the skiing live too. First 10 away; Erik Read leads from Marco Schwarz. Braathen into second, and then Mathieu Faivre takes over the lead. Just over half way and Adam Zampa has taken over the lead, ahead of Faivre and Read.  Back to the live coverage as the biathlon is finished – conditions don’t look good – it’s snowing hard and this seems to be a tough course! Ten to go and Adam Zampa still leads – he’s looking very happy in the leader’s chair despite the snow. Alex Schmid on course but he’s into the red at inter 3; he goes 4th at present. Next is Henrik Kristoffersen – unlucky with the visibility and he’s had a big mistake; into the soft snow – just 15th. Alexander Aamodt Kilde next – not usually a GS man, but he’s after points – into the red at inter 3 but he’s into 3rd. Filip Zubcic next with over a full second in hand – dropped a little to inter 1, got it back by 2, lost again to 3 and a massive final section gets him the lead by a very impressive 1.15 seconds! What a run! Tommy Ford into 2nd, almost a second back; Loic Meillard still just green at inter 2, but red at 3 by 0.40 – he’s taken over 2nd place. Just 3 to go – Alexis Pinturault on course – gained to inter 1 but he’s red at 2 and he’s staying there – into 3rd. Marco Odermatt next – 0.23 in hand, but he too is in the red at inter 2; a few small errors and he goes into 2nd place now!  Just Zan Kranjec to go – 0.69 in hand and it’s being reduced as he goes down the hill – only just in the green at inter 3 – he’s missed it by 0.12!  So, Filip Zubcic [CRO] takes the win, ahead of Zan Kranjec [SLO] and Marco Odermatt [SUI]. Meillard in 4th ahead of Pinturault and Ford. Kilda ended 9th, with Erik Read, who had the best time on run 2, in 10th. Kristoffersen down in 22nd.
The Men’s GS scheduled for 6 Dec has been moved to the 7th.
The women’s Super G at St Moritz on 5 Dec was cancelled  due to the heavy snow there, as was the one scheduled for 6 Dec!

7 Dec 20: Santa Caterina Valfurva, Men’s GS: This is the competition that was rescheduled from yesterday! Great work by the organising team to get this venue ready for today. Run 1 has 67 starters; not sure I’ll see all of them; this course set by an American coach. Tommy Ford is the first away; Filip Zubcic next and he’s making a few errors today - he’s 0.82 behind Ford at the finish. Number 3 is Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen [henceforth Leif K N-H] and he’s more in touch – into the lead by 0.24. Henrik Kristoffersen away – red at inter 2, fractionally green at 3, but he’s lost time on the final section – just 3rd, +0.41. Zan Kranjec has also lost time lower down – into 4th; Alexis Pinturault has kept the green light at inter 3 but he’s just slipped into the red at the line to go 2nd, +0.05! Marco Odermatt has had a good run – he’s kept green all the way to lead by 0.19! So far we haven’t had timing at inter 1 but it’s back now. That’s 10 away – Odermatt leads from Leif K N-H and Pinturault. There are a number of good skiers losing time on the lower sections – it’s a tricky set! Loic Meillard is getting “less red” as he goes from inter 1 to inter 3, but an error near the line has dropped him to 7th. Kilde next, looking for overall points – that’s good work, he’s into joint 7th. Fifteen down – no change to the top 3, Ford in 4th ahead of Kristoffersen and Caviezel. Alexander Schmid has gained from inter 1 to 2 but he’s lost time further down as the light changes – into joint 10th with Kranjec. Nasty combination – as the course gets bumpier, the light has got flatter; no change to the top 10 since Schmid. Ah, Adam Zampa [bib 26] has had a good run – he’s into 10th! Interesting to see Daniel Yule here – and into 20th with a good chance of a second run – no late changes to the top 20 after him. Other “second run” qualifiers from the late starters include Maarten Meiners [NED, bib 44], McGrath [NOR, bib 42], Walch [AUT, bib 43] and Baruffaldi [ITA, bib 58] who is in 30th position! Charlie Raposo was a DNF.
Run 2: This time the course has been set by a Norwegian coach – it’s a bit more misty for this run, with the threat of heavy snow later. Stefano Baruffaldi is the first away and he’s safely down. Sad to see Victor Muffat-Jeandet so far down the lists – he seems to have lost his form and he’s skied out. Magnus Walch into the lead although he lost four tenths between inter 3 and the finish. Atle Lie McGrath has done the opposite – barely green at inter 3 but into the lead by 0.56 – impressive skiing. The snow is getting heavier! Murisier into 3rd; Filip Zubcic has gained a lot from 2 to 3 and he takes the lead by 0.49. Daniel Yule into 6th! Erik Read has also had a good run, but he’s lost time from inter 2 – into 2nd. For some reason the live timing has gone peculiar – Marco Schwarz keeps reappearing against inter 1 and 2! That’s a TV break at half way – Zubcic leads from Read, McGrath, and Braathen, with Luitz and Leitinger tied in 5th. Trevor Philp into 5th; Luca de Aliprandini has gained from 1 to 2, but he’s lost a bit to 3 and ends in 2nd. Alexander Schmidt into 3rd; Adam Zampa has gained to inter 1 but he too is losing from there, into 3rd – Zubcic really did sort out that lower section! Loic Meillard is another who has gained to inter 1; it’s barely green at 3 and he goes second by just 0.03! Aleksander Aamodt Kilde next – into 10th; Caviezel was lucky to recover from that error – but it cost him a massive amount of time. Now Henrik Kristoffersen has also gained to inter 1, where he has 0.96 in hand but the light is doing him no favours – into 8th after another disappointing second run for him. That’s better from Tommy Ford – he’s kept green to inter 3 and he eventually topples Zubcic by just 0.02! Alexis Pinturault into the red by 3 – very close but into 4th, +0.09! Leif K N-H on course and nicely green at 1 and 2; he too has lost time lower down – just 6th! Just Marco Odermatt to come – a slight delay to repair the course won’t help him! He’s away – 1.05 in hand at inter 1, which is a considerable gain – still green at 3 and he’s gained a little from there to take the win by 0.73 – what a run! Great win for Marco Odermatt, ahead of Tommy Ford and Filip Zubcic, who had the fastest time on run 2, gaining 18 places!

12 Dec 20: Courchevel, Women’s Giant Slalom: Run 1 – It’s snowing at Courchevel, so visibility doesn’t look that good! Petra Vlhova is the first away – looked pretty good? Next away is Mikaela Schiffrin; slightly green at inter 1, then a little late and red at 2 and 3 – she’s quite a bit off the pace after a mistake on the last third;  over the line  +0.65. Number 3 is Alice Robinson, whose coach set this course – hasn’t really worked out – over the line 3rd +1.30. Marta Bassino is red all the way, but in touch – into 2nd, +0.49. Mina Holtmann is out but seems OK; Wendy Holdener is next – vis a little worse for her and she too is a little late in the line at times – she’s 5th, +1.83! Federica Brignone is also finding this tricky – she takes over 5th, +1.64. I’m not sure she’s that impressed by the conditions? It’s getting mistier I think – Steph Brunner into 4th. Michelle Gisin into 7th; a few impressive recoveries by Tessa Worley, who has had the worst visibility so far - +2.87! Sara Hector seems to be more in touch – she’s into 4th, which is very impressive in these conditions! Great to see Ragnhild Mowinckel back after injury – she hasn’t had much luck with the visibility, +2.99. The mist is even worse for Lara Gut-Behrami – a creditable 10th, +2.28. Sofia Goggia into 11th; Meta Hrovat is over 3 seconds off the pace – that’s 15 away; Vlhova leads from Bassino and Shiffrin, then Hector, Brunner and Robinson. First after the TV break is Katharina Liensberger and she’s into 7th – good run; not sure how she got the bloody nose!  The fog and snow are both getting worse - this is getting pretty marginal. Tviberg is today’s second DNF; Truppe into 10th and Haaser 12th – both good in these deteriorating conditions. The fog seems to have moved down the hill a little and the course is cutting up – Stjernesund is the third DNF – all Norwegians, only Mowinckel has made it to the finish! Luckily all the fallers have skied away, seemingly OK. No change to the top 6 since Sara Hector [bib 11]. That’s pretty good by Ramona Siebenhofer – into 17thand Nina O’Brien has gone 19th. Alex Tilley safely down and 21st, and Eurosport are shifting to the Men’s Super G! Good run from Maryna Gasienca-Daniel [POL] – bib 37 and into 12th!  Kristin Lysdahl [NOR; bib 52] has not only got down but is into 16th. Another good run – Valerie Grenier [CAN; bib 58] into 14th! That’s run 1 over – Alex Tilley will get a second run.
Run 2 – set by an Austrian coach: I joined this late, after watching the Women’s biathlon relay at Hochfilzen. Lara Gut-Behrami in the lead, ahead of Worley and Franzi Gritsch – Alex Tilley a DNF on run 2. Valerie Grenier into 3rd – conditions still look awful; snowing hard and foggy. Ricarda Haaser green all the way but she’s lost it – into 2nd by just 0.06. Wendy Holdener has lost purchase early on and she’s out. Just 10 to go now; Katharina Truppe has gained a lot to inter 1 and still has 0.52 in hand at 3 – nothing obvious wrong but she’s into 3rd – Gut-Behrami must have been super quick on that final section! Michelle Gisin has been losing time to 3, but she’s had a superb final section and she leads by 0.30 – good effort!  Federica Brignone next and she’s flying, green all the way and she leads by a truly massive 1.16! Katharina Liensberger is in touch all the way – dead level at 3 and into 2nd. Alice Robinson into the red at inter 2, looking a bit ragged and she’s lost a ski – seems to be OK. Steph Brunner has 0.66 in hand but she’s into the red by inter 2 – into 3rd. So, Brignone leads from Liensberger and Brunner. Sara Hector next and she has a healthy advantage of 0.90 – lost a bit to 2, but back to 1.06 ahead at 3 and she leads by 1.47! What a run, no wonder she’s pleased! Mikaela Shiffrin has just 0.09 advantage – good to 2 but a serious error has lost time – into 2nd +1.24! Just 2 to go – the weather is improving and Marta Bassino is gaining time – she leads by 0.46. Petra Vlhova on track – she’s lost a bit to inter 1 and she’s just in the red at 2;  redder at 3 and she can only manage 3rd! So, a great run from Marta Bassino to take the win, ahead of Sara Hector and Petra Vlhova – Shiffrin 4th, then Brignone and Liensberger. Apparently [from FIS] that’s Sara Hector’s first podium since Dec 2014? Fittingly Bassino had the fastest time on run 2 as well.  Now, there should have been a second GS on Sunday, but “due to the inconsistency of the snow surface .. rescheduled to 14 Dec”

12 Dec 20: Val d’Isere, Men’s Super G: This should have been a downhill, but as conditions are supposed to be better on Sunday they’ve swapped the Super G to today and shifted the start one hour earlier. Conditions here look a bit better but the flat light won’t help this faster race; Marco Odermatt the first away and safely down – Hannes Reichelt into 2nd, +0.47. Number 3 is Vincent Kriechmayr; some errors on the upper section but fast lower down – into the lead by 0.24.  Andreas Sander [GER] is green, red, green and goes 2nd; Mauro Caviezel well into the green at inter 2 and almost a second ahead at 3 – he leads by a massive 0.77! Conditions are getting worse here too – Adrian Smiseth Sejersted well in touch – he goes 2nd, just 0.10 behind. Both he and Caviezel on the way back from injury – great start! Next away is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde – big error but a great recovery – just 5th. The visibility is getting worse; Christian Walder into 3rd despite that! Matthias Mayer also getting into some softer snow and he’s 6th. Christof Innerhofer has had a good run and into joint 5th – TV break with Caviezel leading from Sejersted and Walder. Kjetil Jansrud away but he’s lost time to inter 2 – better lower down and he’s into 5th. Alexis Pinturault slightly green at inter 1 but going redder all the way – a creditable 6th, +0.86. Slight hold while the course is worked on – Beat Feuz goes 9th; Travis Ganong is having a good run – not the fastest through the speed gun but he’s into 4th, +0.76. That might well be the last change to the top 10? That’s 30 away, Mauro Caviezel leads from Sejersted, Walder, Ganong, Kriechmayr and Jansrud. That’s the race made official but I can’t see any late surprises. That’s a nasty fall for Alexander Prast [ITA] – the medics are there. No more info at present. That was it – no late changes – in fact no change to the top 10 since Ganong! Great work from Mauro Caviezel to take the win, ahead of Sejersted and Walder, then Ganong, Kriechmayr and Jansrud.

13 Dec 20: Val d’Isere, Men’s Downhill: This should have been on Saturday but was swapped with the Super G as it was hoped conditions would be better on Sunday! Good news – start time confirmed. As I understand it Christian Walder, who was third yesterday, hasn’t qualified for the downhill so he won’t be racing today! Conditions certainly are much better – visibility is perfect although some racers have expressed concerns about the snow – it has been injected so should hold up and there is a good base. Slight delay to the start -  not sure why? Mauro Caviezel on course – trying for the double. Not a good start as he’s taken a gate very tight, hitting it with his head and ending with the flag wrapped round his boot – luckily he got rid of the gate pole quite quickly. Safely down but that won’t have helped. Bryce Bennett away bib 2; green to inter 5 but then red and second by 0.27. Kjetil Jansrud is also faster than Caviezel at the top [not having a flag on your boot seems to help1] – he’s losing a little lower down though, and into 2nd, +0.05!  Danklmaier into 4th; Aleksander Aamodt Kilde next and well green at inter 1 and 3 – gaining to 4 and nicely ahead at 5 and 6 too – he leads by a pretty impressive 0.73; great run. Matthieu Bailet into 4th; Matthias Mayer dead level at inter 2, slightly green at 4 but back slightly red at 5 – into 2nd, +0.23. Beat Feuz is slightly green at inter 2, pretty much level at 4 but a slight error has dropped a quarter of a second – fastest through the gun but into 2nd, +0.17. Ryan Cochran-Siegle pretty much half a second off the pace all the way, so he didn’t lose much between inter 3 and the finish – into 4th. That’s 10 away – Kilde leads from Feuz and Mayer. Big error from Vincent Kriechmayr has left him as the slowest so far; Niels Hintermann [SUI] could produce an upset here  - green at 2 and gaining time – 0.35 ahead at 4,  but he’s into the netting; luckily he’s back on his feet and skiing down.  Dominik Paris is slightly green at 3 and gaining to 4, but he’s red at 6 after a heavy edge – into 4th.  Urs Kryenbühl [SUI] is another racer who was green on the upper section; red at 4 and 5 but he’s coming back fast – he’s taken the lead by 0.09 – there’s an upset, especially as he very nearly crashed at the tunnel jump! The upper section is now more in the sun and might be getting faster – Johan Clarey 0.45 ahead at inter 4; down to just 0.03 at 6 and he’s into 3rd, +0.15. Carlo Janka fractionally green at 3, gained a bit to 4 but  a line error heading to Tunnel has cost him time- 9th! That’s 20 away – Kryenbühl leads from Kilde and Clarey; then Feuz, Mayer and Paris. That’s a good run from Romed Baumann [GER] into 6th! Now, Max Franz is in touch at inter 3 and still just 0.27 off the pace at 5 – lost a bit more lower down to finish 8th. This could be even more interesting – Otmar Striedinger [AUT] , green at 3 and 4, staying there and he’s done it! Striedinger leads by 0.05; the Austrians will be delighted if he stays there! Andreas Sander [GER] also in touch – he’s into 6th. Good run from Nils Allegre to go into 10th, but even more stunning was Martin Cater’s late charge from start number 41 – Eurosport coverage had ended but Cater had an absolute blinder and took the lead!! What an upset, even by the standards of this race, which had a few! So, unless there is yet another surprise, Martin Cater wins, ahead of Otmar Striedinger and Urs Kryenbühl; Kilde off the podium in 4th, ahead of Clarey and Feuz. Yes, that’s it - I wonder what you would have got back if you had put a fiver on predicting that top 3!?

14 Dec 20: Courchevel, Women’s Giant Slalom: Run 1: This is the second GS of the weekend, which should have taken place on Sunday! Certainly visibility is a lot better – sunshine and blue skies! The slope has been injected a lot and is now solid and a much fairer test. Mina Fuerst Holtmann away first – she’s fallen again, as she did on Saturday, but she’s OK. Marta Bassino is safely down, although she very nearly missed the final gate! Mikaela Shiffrin next and she’s looking good – green at 2 and 3 but she’s lost a little to the finish – she leads but by just 0.07. Federica Brignone into the red at inter 2 and 3 – she’s pulled back a little on the final section; 3rd, +0.14. Alice Robinson also just red at 2, and +0.52 at 3 – she’s missed a gate and fallen within sight of the finish – this is a tricky course, set by a Swiss coach. Petra Vlhova again red at 2, and +0.52 at 3, and she’s missed a gate – looks like the one that Robinson missed! Six away, 3 DNFs! Sara Hector is down but +1.50; Wendy Holdener is also off the pace on the top section – she’s +2.01 at the finish. Despite all the work on the course yesterday the surface seems to be cutting up. Liensberger +1.71; Stephanie Brunner is more in touch – into 4th, +0.70. Ten away, Shiffrin leads ahead of Bassino and Brignone [+0.14] but then quite a gap to 4th and beyond. Tessa Worley is much more in touch at inter 1 but she’s lost a little more lower down – into 5th, +0.88. Good run by Michelle Gisin, into 6th, +1.23. After that no one seemed likely to get into the top 10, although Ramona Siebenhofer [bib 26] managed to get into 15th – best of the later starters at present. Alex Tilley looking a bit ragged and she’s joined the DNFs. Of the 30+ bib numbers, Adriana Jelinkova [NED] got into 17th, and Maryna Gasienica-Daniel [POL] had another good run to 19th. Run 1 over; no late charges!
Run 2: Marie Therese Tviberg is the first away and she’s safely down! Her time is holding up well – with 10 away she still leads! A J Hurt [USA] in joint 2nd with Gritsch [AUT]. Ana Bucik should really have taken the lead but a big error just after inter 3 has dropped her to 4th. Elena Curtoni 0.82 ahead at 3 but losing time on the final section – she takes over the lead by just 0.20. Maryna Gasienica-Daniel hasn’t given Curtoni much time in the leader’s chair – that was a really great second run to lead by 0.85! Tina Robnik has gained a little to inter 2 but it’s gone by 3 – into 4th. That’s half way - Gasienica-Daniel leads from, Curtoni and Tviberg! Ramona Siebenhofer into 2nd; Sofia Goggia in touch at 2 and with good visibility, briefly red at 3 but a great last section gives her the lead by 0.15. Ricarda Haaser is alternating red and green and she’s the right colour by just 0.01 at the finish! Katharina Truppe looking good to 3 but then slipped to 4th. Wendy Holdener is nicely in touch – it’s all gone wrong  lower down though – just 13th. Lara Gut-Behrami also looking good, still green at 3 and she’s taken over the lead by 0.17. Eurosport are fooling around [there is actually no need to swap channels] – we’ve missed Katharina Liensberger’s run which is a shame as she’s taken the lead by 0.55! Sara Hector into 5th; Michelle Gisin lost time between 1 and 2 and she’s living dangerously at times but a good final section gets her the lead by 0.34. Tessa Worley has gained a lot to inter 1, lost 60% of it to 2, steady to 3 and she takes over the lead by 0.11! Stephanie Brunner has had a couple time consuming errors – into 4th. Three to go – Federica Brignone has 0.74 in hand – dropped a bit to 1, has it all back and more at 2, almost all gone at 3 after she almost fell, but she’s held on to lead by 0.27; what a recovery!! Marta Bassino has gained a little to 1, over a second ahead at 3 but then she’s fallen – seems to be OK. Mikaela Shiffrin has 0.14 advantage as she leaves the hut – slightly red at 2 but a massive 0.99 ahead at 3 and she’s taken her first win of the season by 0.82. What a race – Shiffrin wins, ahead of Brignone and Worley; Gisin 4th then Liensberger and Brunner. Best time on run 2 for Katharina Liensberger!

Hochfilzen - Women’s 7.5 Km Sprint, 11 Dec: Good conditions and an easier course than Kontiolahti, although this is a bit higher! Interesting that Røiseland is going mid 50s and Eckhoff in the 80s - Norwegians perhaps thinking the track will get faster? Eva Puskarčíková [CZE] the first away; Doro Wierer starting number 9 so presumably the Italians don’t share the Norwegian view of the weather forecast? Darya Blashko [UKR] clear at S1 but Justine Braisaz-Bouchet has missed 2! Good start by Mari Eder [FIN] – all 5 down and currently fastest after S1. She’s not there for long though – Doro has cleared too, with quick shooting and out 10.5 ahead. Blashko clear again at S2, but she’s a little slow on the skis – Tachizaki also 10/10 and faster but Hauser is quicker still despite 1 penalty at S1. Doro has also missed 1 at S2 – currently fastest here though. Back at S1 Alimbekava is clear and fastest at present; Denise Herrmann has missed 1. Hanna Öberg in for S1 – first shot missed and she’s not the fastest over the snow either. Julia Simon in touch at S2 despite 2 misses [1,1], but Dzinara Alimbekava is 10/10 and skiing quickly too; Elvira Öberg is clear after S1 though and even faster there! Vittozzi is 10/10 but 22.2 behind Alimbekava; Herrmann has missed 2 at S2. Back at S1 Marketa Davidova [CZE] is clear and just a fraction behind Alimbekava in 3rd. Hanna Öberg has missed her last shot at S2 and is slow by her standards while the faster sister today, Elvira, has just missed 2 at S2. Back at S1 Franzi Preuß is clear and faster than Alimbekava; Røiseland also clear and out 6th, +7.1. Davidova has missed 1 at S2; the French coach is shaking his head as Bescond misses 2 here – Preuß and Røiseland have missed 1 each. At present Alimbekava leads at the finish, ahead of Simon and Vittozzi; Davidova into 2nd, +19.4. Tandrevold is 1,1; Preuß has been going well on her final lap - +24.6 after S2 and into 2nd, now +9.9 at the finish line. Røiseland into 3rd, +16.9 so she’s pulled back over 10 seconds too. Back at S1 Hanna Sola [BLR] is clear and out 2nd, +1.4; Eckhoff moved her elbow fractionally after 2 hits and she’s missed 1 at S1. That might well be it – Sola has missed 3 at S2. Tiril Eckhoff clear at S2; long wait for the last shot but worth it – out 6th, +29.0. Janina Hettich [GER] is 10/10 but a little slow – out from S2 in 8th. Tiril is flying on the last lap – past Røiseland and closing on Preuß - she’s into 2nd, +8.5; what a final lap! Lucky she wasn’t listening to Patrick – he thought she had more time to make up! So, probably all over – Alimbekava [0,0] looks sure to take the win, ahead of Eckhoff [1,0] and Preuß [0,1] with Røiseland in 4th, then Davidova and Simon [1,1], the highest placed with 2 misses, +20.1. Wierer in 8th, nice to see Clare Egan [USA] in 10th, just ahead of Elvira Öberg – Hanna down in 29th, +1:15.1. No surprise that Eckhoff was fastest around the course, ahead of Simon and Davidova; Alimbekava in 10th with Herrmann 13th. Should be an interesting pursuit on Sunday.

Hochfilzen - Men’s 10 Km Sprint, 11 Dec: Norway going late again – Tarjei Bø is the last to go with bib 108! Tero Seppala [FIN] the first away today; Seb Samuelsson away bib 10 – will his ski speed suffer today as Hanna Öberg’s did? He certainly looked a bit unstable on the icy track going round the early corners! Seppala clear at S1; Krcmar has missed 2. Although this isn’t that much “at altitude” it is enough to cause some problem, it seems. Samuelsson is clear at S1 and 2.2 faster than Seppala; Simon Eder also clear and in touch. Jesper Nelin was fast into the range but he’s missed his first; Seppala has missed 1 at S2. Fak clear at S1 and leads out; Ponsiluoma very quick but he’s missed 1. Guigonnat is the first to clear all 10 – nice shooting! Seb Samuelsson is also 0,0 and 15.9 faster than Guigonnat! Simon Eder is also 10/10 and out between Seb and Guigonnat. Nelin is 1,1; back at S1 Benedikt Doll is clear and well in touch. Jakov Fak in for S2 – 1 miss, a long hold for the final shot and he’s missed that one too - pity. Martin Ponsiluoma has gone 1,2; he’s out 47.8 behind Samuelsson, who is flying on his last lap. Looking at the times at 1.9 Km the three fastest are all French – Jacquelin, Claude and QFM – Quentin will be in for S1 very soon – he’s clear and away in the lead. Erik Lesser has also cleared at S1 and he’s just 0.9 behind QFM. Jacquelin has missed 1 at S1; Doll has missed 1 at S2, leaving him +19.2 as he exits. Fabien Claude clear at S1, and quick – perhaps the tracks are getting faster, in which case the Norwegians have chosen well? Erik Lesser has also missed 1 at S2; Doll is closing down on Samuelsson but I think he’s got just a little too much to do. – over the line +7.4 in 2nd – currently Samuelsson, Doll and Eder. Back at S2 QFM has gone 10/10 and he’s 14.8 quicker than Samuelsson; Claude is shooting very fast but his last shot has missed – out 2nd, +11.7 though so he’s flying! Jacquelin [1,1] is even faster though; at 7.8 Km he’s ahead of Samuelsson’s time; back behind at 8.6 Km though! JoBø is on the tracks; Dale has cleared at S1 and is faster than Claude. At the finish it’s now QFM, ahead of Samuelsson and Jacquelin, then Doll, Lesser and Leitner [AUT]. However – back at S2 Johannes Dale has cleared all 10 – fast shooting and he’s out 9.6 ahead of QFM. Fabien Claude over the line in 2nd; French are 1, 2 and 4 at present. Christiansen over the line in 5th; at 7.8 Km Dale has pulled out another 5.4 seconds against QFM. JoBø has cleared at S1 but he was very lucky with the 4th! Dale over the line 17.1 ahead – a fantastic last lap! Laegreid clear at S1 and in touch; JoBø has missed his last shot at S2 – he’s out just ahead of Samuelsson’s time. Tarjei is clear at S1 – will he be able to beat his little brother again? Laegreid has missed 1 at S2 as well; that’s interesting – JoBø has lost about 3 seconds by 7.8 Km. He’s over the line in 4th,+41.2 – he’s lost almost 20 seconds to Dale on that lap. Tarjei has missed 2 at S2 – that’s it over! Well done to Johannes Dale [0,0]; he’ll have 17.1 seconds start for the pursuit over QFM [0,0]. Looks as though the snow is getting slower again, which isn’t helping Tarjei. Fabien Claude [0.1] holds on to 3rd, ahead of JoBø [0,1], Samuelsson [0,0] and Jacquelin [1,1]. Doll the best of the Germans in 8th, with Lesser 10th, just ahead of Tarjei Bø [0,1; +1:00.6]. No real surprises on the course times – Dale fastest ahead of Jacquelin and Claude. I see Arnd Peiffer didn’t start.

Hochfilzen - Men’s 12.5 Km Pursuit, 12 Dec: A nice healthy lead for Johannes Dale today! It’s snowing as they start – apart from the first 6 or 7 it’s quite crowded – quite a bit of fresh snow around on the tracks; Samuelsson has slipped off the edge! At 1.6 Km the top 12 are all within a minute of the leader. Dale in for S1 – wind is fairly calm but it’s snowing – 1 miss, rest looked good. QFM has cleared and is out 7.8 ahead of Dale with Jacquelin clear and 3rd, just ahead of JoBø; Doll and Lesser among those missing 2. Laegreid clear and 5th ahead of Fabien Claude [1 miss]. Dale back with QFM on the lap; Jacquelin and Johannes Bø have also closed in, Tarjei up to 5th. Leading 2 in for S2, with 2 chasers behind; QFM is shooting well – clear again and leads out! Top 4 all clear this time Tarjei and Claude have both missed 1. QFM leads, then Dale [+5.4], Jacquelin [+9.1] and JoBø [+11.5]. Garanichev is 10/10 and up from 29 to 12; Rastorgujevs also clear and 36 to 16! QFM seems to be opening a gap on Dale and JoBø? QFM in for his first standing shoot – that’s’ quick – all 5 down and away! Jacquelin also clear and out +11.1 with Samuelsson up to 3rd, +37.2 – top 3 all 15/15. Dale has missed 1 and is out 4th, but JoBø has missed 2 here, as has Tarjei [0,1,2]. Final shoot – the French are on fire today, both quick and accurate! QFM is away, 8.6 ahead of Emilien Jacquelin. Dale [1,0,1,0] out 3rd, ahead of JoBø [0,0,2,1], Laegreid [0,0,1,0] and Fabien Claude [1,1,0,1]. Samuelsson has missed 2 at S4. Guigonnat also 20/20 and up from 14 to 7; Anton Babikov [RUS] also 20/20 and going from 57b to 21! Very impressive win for Quentin Fillon Maillet, ahead of Emilien Jacquelin with Johannes Dale in 3rd. JoBø in 4th ahead of Fabien Claude and Laegreid, with Tarjei in 7th. Gainers include Guigonnat [14 – 9], Garanichev [29 – 14], Nelin [33-15], Hofer [50-17!], Eliseev [32-19] and Babikov [57-31]. Those losing places include Samuelsson [5-10], Seppala [16-26], Rees [17-28], Femling [19-33], Hidensalo [18-38] and Trsan [27-46]. JoBø fastest around the course, ahead of Tarjei and Ponsiluoma.

Hochfilzen - Women’s 10 Km Pursuit, 13 Dec: Not so nice as Val d’Isere, but good enough to race! There has been fresh snow, and it seems to be rather wet; Alimbekava is being hunted down by Eckhoff and Røiseland. Leader in for S1 – not much wind; Alimbekava clear and away with Preuß and Davidova within 6 seconds, but Eckhoff and Røiseland are missing – Røiseland just the 1 so out 6th, +24.9 but Tiril has missed 3! Doro up to 4th, ahead of Elvira Öberg, up from 11th; big sister is 17th from 29! Alimbekava has taken a fall on the icy snow, letting the chasing two past. Wierer and Røiseland making up time too. In for the second prone – Davidova has missed 1, so has Preuß. Alimbekava [0,0] clear and out but just 0.9 ahead of Doro [0,0] with Røiseland [1,0] and Elvira [0,0] close behind – all clear at S2. Hanna Öberg also 10/10 and up to 11th. Knotten, Tandrevold and Brorsson are among those who have gained places so far. Leading 4 in for S3 – Elvira has missed 3; Hanna is 15/15! So, Røiseland is clear and out, Alimbekava is 15/15 and 2nd, +8.3 with Doro Wierer [0,0,1] 3rd just ahead of Hanna Öberg with Franzi Preuß in 5th. Quite a few have missed 3 here; Brorsson, Chevalier-Bouchet, Hermann among them – Charvátová has missed all 5. Røiseland pushing again on the lap and now 15.3 ahead of Alimbekava at 7.6 Km, with another 25 seconds to Wierer and Hanna. Final shoot – Røiseland has missed 1; Alimbekava shooting slowly but she’s got 20/20 – out just 2.6 behind Røiseland. Hanna Öberg also 20/20 and away 3rd, +19.9 but Julia Simon [2, 1, 0, 0] is just 5 seconds behind despite those misses! Knotten [0,0,0,0] up to 5th with Doro Wierer [0,0,1,1] in 6th. At 9.2 Km Simon is past Hanna and closing on Alimbekava, but I suspect she’s safe. That’s another great victory for Marte Olsbu Røiseland, from 4th. Alimbekava stays 2nd with Julia Simon getting a very impressive 3rd. Hanna in 4th from 29th, then Knotten [16 to 5] and Wierer. Preuß in 8th, but started 3rd – 3 misses in total. Other gainers include Haecki [38 to 11], Kazakevich [23 – 14], Braisaz-Bouchet [43-16], Bescond [30-20] and Todorova [52-33]. Pity about Tandrevold – gaining well until the standing shoots – 0,0,2,2 and ended up 19th which was her start number. Losing out the list includes Vittozzi [7-15], Eckhoff [2-17], Eder [15-21], Hettich [13-24], Kaiseva [18-27], Lien [12-34], and Persson [14-39]. Justine B-B quickest around the course, ahead of Simon, Røiseland and Eckhoff.

Hochfilzen - Women’s 4 x 6 Km relay, 12 Dec: Well, the conditions here are much better than for the Alpine Skiing! There’s not much snow around apart from the actual tracks though! First leg away – Knotten just ahead of Bescond and Skottheim at 1.1 Km. In for the first prone – lots of good shooting but Bescond needed all 3 spares. Alimbekava leads out ahead of Vittozzi, Pavlova [RUS] Knotten, Skottheim and Hammerschmidt. France in 20th, +29.9; Estonia the only team on the penalty loop this time. Alimbekava has opened a small gap on the lap as they head for S2 – she’s missed 2. Knotten and Hammerschmidt clear and away ahead of Skottheim, Vittozzi, Pavlova and Zdouc [AUT]. Alimbekava used all 3 spares and out 7th; Bescond down in 17th after using all 3 spares again [the French coach will be shaking his head again] – USA doing 2 loops. A very close exchange – Germany just ahead of Sweden with Norway +2.0; then ITA/RUS/BLR; leading 3 all 0+0. At 7.1 Km Tandrevold is ahead of Linn Persson with Franzi Preuß 3rd – I wonder how tired she is after yesterday’s sprint? The leading 3 are pulling away a little – Kazakevitch [RUS] in 4th ahead of Lardschneider and Kryuko. In for S3 – Tandrevold has missed 1 but sued just 1 spare – out Persson, Preuß Tandrevold, +9.2. Lardschneider clear and 4th, ahead of Schwaiger and Kazakevitch. Julia Simon is clear and has got France up to 12th, but still 51.2 behind. Tandrevold has closed down on the lap – gap +3.4 at 9.4 Km. S4 and the misses have started, leading 3 struggling – Germany and Norway on a penalty loop! Persson [3 spares] leads out, ahead of Lardschneider [0], Dzhima, Davidova, Preuß and Tandrevold, +16.0. Odd, as the wind is very light and conditions are good on the range! Preuß and Tandrevold making up time, but Davidova looks to be ahead at the exchange. Leg 3 - Eva Puskarčíková briefly ahead but Hanna Öberg has got her almost at the line, ahead of Hettich [GER] and Eckhoff. At 13.1 Km Öberg is fractionally ahead of a flying Tiril, with Puskarčíková holding off Hettich, then Valentina Semerenko with Justine Braisaz-Bouchet in 6th – great work by Julia Simon to get France up to 6th at the exchange. S5 – Eckhoff clear and away just ahead of Hettich [also clear] and Öberg who needed 2 spares. Semerenko [2] in 4th ahead of Doro Wierer [0] and Justine B-B [2 spares]. Puskarčíková has had 1 penalty loop to do. On the lap Tiril Eckhoff is pulling away and amazingly Justine B-B is up to 4th! S6 – Eckhoff has missed 1; 1 spare and away, ahead of Hettich [1 spare] with Justine B-B [1] up to 3rd, ahead of Doro [1], Semerenko [3], and Kruchinkina [BLR, 1]. Hanna Öberg in 7th after doing a penalty loop, +1:00.2 – her younger sister, who has the final leg, won’t be impressed. Great recovery by the French. Tiril is cruising to the last exchange where Røiseland will take over. France up to 2nd on the lap with Hettich trying to hold off Wierer. Marte Olsbu Røiseland away with 27.3 in hand; Anais Chevalier-Bouchet just ahead of Denise Herrmann with Sanfilippo well in touch; they aren’t closing on the lap either! Elvira Öberg is over a minute back! In for the last prone shoot – the wind as a little stronger but Røiseland is clear and away. Chasing 3 in – spares being used! Anais C-B [2 spares] out 2nd ahead of Sanfilippo [1], Herrmann [2] and Öberg [0]. Røiseland is now 45.3 ahead! Poor Sola [BLR] is doing 3 penalty loops! Anais C-B is gaining time on the lap; Røiseland in for her final shoot – just 1 spare and away again! Anais C-B has missed her first – 2 spares and out ahead of Sanfilippo [0] with Öberg [1] close and just ahead of Herrmann [3]. The top 2 places look set, but there is a battle for the final podium place between Elvira, Denise and Federica! Røiseland takes a well-deserved win for Norway, ahead of France who made a fantastic recovery. Sweden have just outsprinted Germany for the final podium place with Italy 5th and Austria 6th.

Hochfilzen - Men’s 4 x 7.5 Km relay, 13 Dec: Hmm – it would be a brave person who bet against a Norwegian win, but strange things do happen – could the French do it? Snowing quite hard as they line up; that’s quite a pace for a first lap, especially on the wet snow! Just 5.2 seconds between the top 10 at the second timing point. Absolutely calm on the range as they come in for S1 – Laegreid leads out ahead of Femling, Dovzan [SLO], and Guigonnat – no spares for them! Burnotte [CAN] the quickest away of those needing 1 spare in 6th; no one on the penalty loop this time. A group of 5 have opened a small gap on the lap – led by Laegreid. Those 5 lead in for S2 – Laegreid and Lesser have missed, but they aren’t alone! Eliseev and Stalder [SUI] have used no spares this time and they lead out; Laegreid [2 spares] in3rd, ahead of Harjula [FIN; 1], Guigonnat [2] and Lesser [3], +13.1. Italy and Lithuania the only ones on the penalty loop. Eliseev is being hunted down on the lap; down to 5th at 6.4 Km! Exchange 1 – Norway just ahead of Finland then France, Germany, Russia and Sweden, +8.0. At 8.6 Km Jacquelin is just ahead of Dale, with Rees, Seppala, Nelin and Garanichev all close, then a gap to Eder. Eder seems to be closing a little as they head in for S3; Dale and Seppala have missed so it’s Roman Rees who leads away, ahead of Nelin and Garanichev [no spares]. Eder clear and up to 4th, ahead of Jacquelin and Seppala with Dale in 7th, +14.0. Lukas Hofer is clear and has pulled Italy up to just 40 seconds behind, a gain of 20 seconds. The leading 7 have opened up a useful gap as they come in for the standing shoot on this leg – a slow approach! Good shooting by Rees and Eder who are out in that order just 0.7 apart. Nelin 3rd +10.2, then Seppala, +21.6, Garanichev and Weger. Dale needed 2 spares and he’s 9th, Jacquelin has had another melt down and is doing 2 penalty loops – he’s 14th, +1:10.9! Second exchange – Dale has been pushing hard to make up for his standing shoot; Rees has done well – Germany lead, just ahead of Austria and Sweden [+2.0], then Norway, Finland and Russia; Italy up to 8th and France 11th. At 16.1 Km Doll, Leitner and Ponsiluoma are just 0.8 apart, in that order, with Tarjei Bø closing down on them. By 16.4 Km Bø, Latypov and Bauer are back with the leading 3. Third prone shoot – Ponsiluoma and Bø clear and out in that order; Doll used 1 spare and he’s out +14.5, just ahead of Latypov, Ranta [FIN] and Finello [SUI]. Latypov is past Doll on the lap but the leading 2 are pulling away – what will happen in the standing shoot? The 2 leaders have both missed; Doll is clear and he leads out ahead of Tarjei [2 spares], Ponsiluoma [3] and Latypov [2; +10.7]. Fabien Claude has used 3 spares which won’t help the French recover. Bø and Ponsiluoma have already passed Doll on the lap – he really is losing time here. Tarjei passes over to his brother, who is out just ahead of Seb Samuelsson on the final leg. Philipp Horn in 3rd, +10.5 then Loginov, Hartweg [SUI] and Eberhard [AUT]. Poor QFM has almost one and a half minutes to make up, from 9th place. That’s interesting, JoBø has missed 1 – Samuelsson leads out, with JoBø 5.3 back after needing a spare. Loginov clear and away 3rd, +35.1. Horn has used 2 spares and is a further 5 seconds back, but Eberhard, Hidensalo and QFM are doing a penalty loop each. Windisch is clear and Italy are now up to 5th. The final shoot – Bø and Samuelsson in very close together; JoBø had to shout at someone brushing his mat! Two misses each – Samuelsson used 2 spares and he’s away but JoBø is on the penalty loop – that problem with an official on his mat can’t have helped? Anyway, he’s out 2nd, +16.6 while Horn has gone clear and he’s 3rd, +24.7. Loginov has also done a loop and out 4th, +55.2, ahead of Krcmar [CZE, 0 spares] and Hartweg [0]. That’s a good result for Horn – well done! A great win by the Swedish team [0+8], with Norway [1+11] 2nd and Germany [0+7] taking the final podium place. Russia take 4th, ahead of the Czech Republic with France somehow in 6th, despite 3 loops and 12 spares.

Hochfilzen II - Men’s 10 Km Sprint [number 2], 17 Dec: This is the second men’s sprint here, because of the way the programme has been arranged to reduce travelling. The Swedes are among those hoping that it gets colder, and faster, later. Looks a lovely day – I wonder if the athletes have been here since the last races – if so there should be less effect from the altitude?? The snow looks a bit wet at this early stage – nice to see the sun, but … Anyway, Rastorgujevs has got the race started – Fabien Claude the fastest at 1.1 Km early on, and he’s clear at S1 too – nice shooting! Beni Weger is also clear and out +3.4; Simon Eder also clear and in touch, although his ski speed isn’t as good as some at present. Lukas Hofer clear and into 2nd after S1; Bjøntegaard isn’t here today so Aleksander Fjeld Andersen [NOR] is taking his place – good start as he’s also clear at S1 and just 1.6 behind Claude. Alex Loginov fast on the track but he’s missed 1 at S1; Claude at S2 – very fast but he’s missed the 4th shot there; Rastorgujevs is 1,2. QFM is at S1 and he too has missed 1 but Emilien Jacquelin is clear and faster than Claude. Eder is 10/10 – fast shooting but out 7.3 behind Claude. Lukas Hofer has missed 1 at S2 and he had a mechanical snag as well – even so just 10.9 behind; Eberhard is 0,1 and just 5.4 behind Claude. Andersen has missed 2 at S2, pity. Back at 1.1 Km the three fastest are JoBø, Dale and Laegreid in that order! QFM is clear at S2 and 10 seconds faster than Claude; Jacquelin has missed his last shot, but he’s still out 5.1 ahead of QFM – three French leading after S2 but they have all missed 1. Back at S1 Laegreid is clear and out 7.3 ahead of Dale, also clear, but JoBø has missed 2 – apparently he was tesi.ng his old rifle recently which isn’t a good sign. Eberhard going well on his final lap – he’s over the line ahead of Claude. At S2 Simon Desthieux has also missed his last shot – French coach is shaking his head again! Ah, at S2 Laegreid is 10/10 and out 46.0 ahead of Jacquelin – good shooting and massive ski speed! Johannes Dale is also 10/10 and out, but 22.2 behind Laegreid. Very impressive – JoBø clear at S2 and he’s just 32.9 behind, in 3rd. From a French 1,2,3 after S2 to a Norwegian potential podium! Dale is closing down on Laegreid on the final lap but he hasn’t got enough time – into 2nd, but now just 7.9 behind – good gains! Christiansen is 1,0 but out 6th after S2. At the finish JoBø is over the line in 3rd, +19.9; good run from Pidruchnyi [UKR; 0,0] too – he’s 4th at present behind the Norwegians. Back at S1 Tarjei Bø is clear and just 6 seconds behind Laegreid. Jesper Nelin is also clear there and out +11.2. Christiansen over the finish into 4th – top 4 all Norwegian at present! Tarjei Bø probably won’t be joining them – 2 misses at S2. Seb Samuelsson clear at S1 and out 4th, +9.2; Ponsiluoma has missed 1 at S1. AT 5.2 Km Samuelsson has lost just over 10 seconds; Nelin much the same, so maybe the Swedes have gone for the wrong tactics? Just to add insult to injury Nelin has missed 2 at S2; Samuelsson clear and out 4th, but +39.1. Sturla Holm Laegreid looks to have his second win wrapped up! Nice shoot by Ponsiluoma at S2 [1.0] – out 9th. Samuelsson over the line 5th, Ponsiluoma 9th. So, Laegreid wins, ahead of Dale, JoBø, Christiansen, Samuelsson and Pidruchnyi. QFM best of the French in 7th, Peiffer best German in 22nd, just ahead of Doll. Top 5 around the course all Norwegian!

Hochfilzen II - Women’s 7.5 Km Sprint [number 2], 18 Dec: Plenty of talent going in the 30s; lots of sunshine but no real contenders going late, as the Swedes tried yesterday. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet the first away; Persson and Skottheim both going relatively early. Justine B-B clear at S1; Persson has missed 1. Jessica Jislova [CZE] clear at S1 and closest to B-B but Skottheim has missed 1. Justine B-B at S2 – first 3 perfect but she’s missed the final 2. Back at the 1.1 Km point Tiril Eckhoff is fastest, just ahead of Tandrevold. Lisa Theresa Hauser has cleared at S1 and is out in the lead; Linn Persson clear at S2 [1,0] and out, but only 6.4 ahead of Justine B-B who had 2 misses. Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold clear at S1 and well in touch; Vanessa Hinz has missed 1 at S2 as has Jislova. Eckhoff and Røiseland have both missed 1 at S1 but they are fast! Elena Kruchinkina [BLR] is 10/10 and 14.7 ahead of Persson; Hanna Öberg has missed 1 at S1. Hauser has missed 2 at S2, and Brorsson 3; by contrast Tandrevold is 10/10 and out well ahead. Denise Herrmann has missed 1 at S1, and she’s a bit off the pace by her standards. Tiril Eckhoff is clear at S2 and even with that miss at S1 she’s out just ahead of Tandrevold. Doro Wierer has cleared at S1; Røiseland has taken an age with her second shot at S2 but she’s got them all down – out 4th, just behind Lunder [CAN] who is 10/10. Nice shooting by Hanna Öberg to clear at S2 but she’s 18.8 behind Eckhoff. Tandrevold over the line in the lead but Eckhoff is gaining time on the lap. Doro has missed 1 at S2 – back at S1 Clare Egan [USA] is clear and fastest there! Tiril Eckhoff is over the line, 7.6 ahead of Tandrevold; Røiseland has crossed the line in 3rd! Franzi Preuß [0,1] out from S2 in 5th; Hanna Öberg is losing time to Røiseland on the lap – over the finish line in 4th. Clare Egan at S2 and she’s missed 1; out 10th. Franzi Preuß going well on her final lap, but she hasn’t been able to catch Røiseland. Elvira Öberg [1,0] out from S2 about 6 seconds behind her big sister. Janina Hettich is 10/10 but her ski speed is a little off the pace. Ha, Elvira has beaten Hanna at the line; she’s 5th! The TV director seems to feel that Tiril is pretty safe as he’s showing clips of her run! Tatiana Akimova [RUS] clear at S1 and out 11th, +8.4. Even better, Chloe Chevalier [FRA, bib 100] is clear at S1 and out 4th, +3.1. Akimova has missed 2 at S2; Chloe Chevalier is at S2 – 2 misses for her too. Another impressive performance from team Norway – a win for Tiril Eckhoff [1,0], ahead of Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold [0,0] and Marte Olsbu Røiseland [1,0]. Nice to see Franzi Preuß [0,1] in 4th, ahead of the Öberg sisters where Elvira took honours! Great effort by Clare Egan to finish 9th, Doro in 10th, Anais C-B the best of the French 12th, just ahead of Hettich [GER]. Tiril was quickest around the tracks ahead of Røiseland with Davidova 3rd, just ahead of Tandrevold.

18 Dec 20; Val d’Isere, Women’s Downhill: Looks nice – good visibility and some sun at present. The start has been slightly lowered, apparently; Francesca Marsaglia is first away – safely down but a bit off the best time in training. Ragnhild Mowinckel is green at inter 1 and building on that advantage through to 4 and 5 – she leads by 0.86! Marta Bassino is well off at inter 2 [if the timing is correct] but she’s much more in touch by inter 4 – into 2nd, +0.58. Tamara Tippler red at 1 and 2 but just green at 3 and she’s kept that to lead by just 0.08. Fellow Austrian Stephanie Venier is going the other way – green at 1 and 2 but red at 3 and into 3rd. Sofia Goggia is bib 6 – just green at 2 but building to 4 and after a very impressive recovery she’s almost a full second ahead at 5 – she leads by a massive 1.14! Elena Curtoni can’t match Goggia but she’s into 4th; Ramona Siebenhofer is green at 1 and 2 but well red at 3 and losing more time from there to end 8th. Corinne Suter is 0.61 faster at inter 2 but losing a little from there – just 0.20 ahead at inter 4 – she’s done it by just 0.11. Ilka Stuhec green at 1 and 2 but red at 3 – she goes 3rd. TV break and then it’s Nicole Schmidhofer on course and that’s a nasty crash – actually through the netting. The rescue team are on site quickly but there’s no news and as Schmidhofer is the other side of the netting we can’t see how she is. So, at present Suter leads from Goggia and Stuhec. The course team are repairing the netting; the ski patrol seem to have finished that but there’s still no news, nor any sign of Nicole. The race is back on, with Michelle Gisin the first away – perhaps not surprisingly she’s a bit off the pace – into 9th. Nina Ortleib is more in touch – into 4th; interesting to see Petra Vlhova racing today – into 13th, +2.36. Federica Brignone also a bit off the pace here – that’s another nasty crash, at the same point that caught out Schmidhofer. This time the netting has held and stopped her – she’s standing up and seems OK. That was quite an impact, but she’s skiing away on her own. Someone asked how she was – I think her reply was “OK, just pain everywhere”! Apparently Nicole S was taken away on a sled and is at the base of the hill. Kira Weidle into 8th; Lara Gut-Behrami has had a good final section – into 6th. Now, bib 18 is Breezy Johnson, who was fast in both training runs – she’s in the red but well in touch – into 3rd, +0.20. Ester Ledecka right on the edge and into 6th; that’s the third crash there today – this time Joana Haehlen and the netting is broken again. Luckily Haehlen seems to be OK – tough people these skiers! Eurosport coverage is now shifting to the men’s Super G. Corinne Suter still leading, ahead of Goggia, Johnson, Stuhec, Ortleib and Ledecka. Alice McKennis Duran, who was also fast in training, has also crashed out – no news as there isn’t video coverage, but it’s a long interruption. Hopefully there will be news of Schmidhofer and Alice MD in due course. No change to the top 10 since Ledecka; another interruption as Laura Gauche [FRA] has also DNF’d. Race complete – great win for Corinne Suter, with Sofia Goggia and Breezy Johnson taking the other 2 podium places. NBC are reporting that Schmidhofer was taken to hospital with “face injuries but nothing too serious”; apparently Alice MD skied down on her own after a few minutes and Laura Gauche is also OK. Later updates say Nicole S has ACL problems and will probably miss the rest of the season; Alice MD will not race Saturday.

18 Dec 20; Val Gardena [Gröden], Men’s Super G: Looks nice here too; very fast snow conditions – Dominik Paris first away and safely down. Nils Allegre [FRA] green most of the way and he leads by 0.36. Lost my connection for a moment so missed Beat Feuz going into 2nd; Matthias Mayer red to 3 but then gaining time – he leads by 0.44. Andreas Sander [GER] is well in touch – red but only a couple hundredths off and into 2nd, +0.26. Mauro Caviezel going well – seriously green at 2 and although he’s lost a bit he takes the lead by 0.22. Vincent Kriechmayr has had a narrow escape and it’s thrown his timing – into 7th. Ten away – Caviezel leads from Mayer and Sander. Marco Odermatt is in touch – taking advantage of Alexis Pinturault’s decision not to race here; he’s 5th at present – useful points for the overall. Johan Clarey looking very smooth – lost a bit between 4 and the finish to take over 5th place. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde in touch at 2 and into the green at 3 and 4 – he leads by 0.12! Will he stay there – Kjetil Jansrud is green at 1, 2 and 3 but only fractionally – just red at 4 and into 3rd, +0.21! Twenty away – no change to the top 6 since Jansrud. Daniel Danklemaier has skied out – first DNF here today. That’s a good late run by Urs Kryenbühl [bib 32] into 11th and Romed Baumann [bib 43] has got into 16th – good effort! A good day for Norway – Kilde taking a well-deserved win, ahead of Mauro Caviezel and Jansrud. Mayer in 4th, ahead of Sander and Allegre.

19 Dec 20; Val d’Isere, Women’s Downhill 2: Well, let’s hope we don’t have so many crashes today! Marta Bassino first away – conditions look reasonable although maybe the light is a little flat? The compression area looks less tricky today – Bassino safely down but slower than yesterday’s winning time by quite a margin. Yes, Kira Weidle is green at inter 1 and building on the advantage all the way – she’s 2.65 faster at the line! That’s more like it! Sofia Goggia red at first but she’s into green at inter 3 and better at 4; that’s a good run – she leads by 0.59, although she doesn’t seem very happy with her time! Petra Vlhova next – 26th yesterday; into 3rd at present, ahead of Bassino! Mikaela Shiffrin isn’t racing the speed events in the early season, so any World Cup points for Vlhova this weekend will be good news for her! Nina Ortleib into 3rd; Laura Pirovano is one of the newer members of the Italian team – good start but a line error lower down has dropped her to 4th. Ester Ledecka goes bib 7 – green at 2 but red at 3, getting bounced around but into 3rd, +0.75. Now, Corinne Suter is nicely green at 2 but fractionally red at 3 for no obvious reason, and +0.20 at 4 – she’s into 2nd, +0.24. That’s 10 away – Goggia leads from Suter and Weidle. That’s good from Ramona Siebenhofer – nicely green at 2 and 3 but an error has cost her some speed and she’s into 4th. Lara Gut-Behrami also green at 2; bit low and close to the netting above the tunnel jump and nearly a second off the pace at 5 – into 6th. Breezy Johnson was quick in training and on the podium yesterday; she’s 0.74 ahead at inter 2 and still well green at 3, bit twisted and off the line like Gut – she’s into 3rd. Nice to see Joana Haehlen racing today after her crash; very close to the netting above the tunnel and that has cost her time – into 11th. Elena Curtoni is slower than most at the first speed guns, but green at inter 2 and 3; again close to the netting and she’s losing time – into 9th and spraying snow over the camera lens! Ragnhild Mowinckel has also started well, but like so many she’s gone from green to red between 2 and 3 and it’s going wrong lower down – just 14th. Ilka Stuhec has really started well – green at 1, 0.88 ahead at 2 and still green at 3 but time is slipping away lower down and she’s joint 6th with Ledecka. Michelle Gisin also good on the top section and still marginally ahead at inter 4, a heavy landing lower down and she’s into 8th. Mirjam Puchner green at 2 and 3, but again red at 4 – very easy to lose time on that section and she’s 10th. I’m not getting excited about “green at 2” any more – that lower section is tricky and one small error can cost a huge amount of time! No change to the top 10 since Puchner, but Marie-Michele Gagnon [bib 29] has done it – into 9th! Kajsa Vickhoff Lie [NOR] could also spring a surprise here – a lot of green but very close to that netting – a great run though and into 4th – glad Eurosport stayed for that! At present Goggia leads from Suter, Johnson, Lie, Weidle and Siebenhofer. Coverage swaps to the men’s downhill; no late changes to the top 10. Good win for Goggia, ahead of Suter and Johnson – same podium as yesterday but in a different order. Petra Vlhova will be disappointed to finish 33rd – no points today.

19 Dec 20; Val Gardena [Gröden], Men’s Downhill: Again, it’s looking nice here today; Urs Kryenbühl first away today – in trouble on the double humps near the finish but he’s recovered and he’s safe. Travis Ganong has done a better job of the rollers and he leads by 0.46. Kjetil Jansrud is bib 3 – well green at 2 and almost a second ahead at 3 – a brilliant run and he leads by 0.86! Carlo Janka lost a lot on the upper gliding section but he’s gained a lot on the rest of the hill to go into 2nd, just 0.16 off Jansrud’s time. Niels Hintermann [SUI] into 4th; Aleksander Aamodt Kilde on track and very green at the top and he’s keeping in the green; a slight error but he’s recovered it and he leads by 0.62 – great final section! Now that’s a race face! Martin Cater into 7th; good recovery after catching an edge near the finish. Vincent Kriechmayr into 4th; good lower section from Romed Baumann, he’s into 4th. Mauro Caviezel into 5th, but +1.28! Ryan Cochran-Siegle certainly in touch, just 0.08 off the pace at inter 5 and he’s into 2nd, splitting the two Norwegians! That’s a huge PB for him – very smooth run. Matthias Mayer has caught an edge early on and that’s cost him – he’s 6th at present. My prize for the most astonishing recoveries today will almost certainly go to Matthieu Bailet – I bet he’s glad to be safely down. Beat Feuz looking smooth as usual and he’s in touch – into 3rd, knocking Jansrud off the podium. Bryce Bennett into joint 4th with Jansrud – a good day for the USA team too. That’s 20 away, Kilde leads from Ryan C-S, Feuz, Bennett/Jansrud and Janka. Nils Allegre into 9th; best of the French so far. Jared Goldberg is another American who is going well today – he takes over 6th place. Max Franz into 9th, taking over as best of the Austrians, just ahead of Mayer. That might well be it – great win for Kilde, ahead of Cochran-Siegle and Feuz, with Bennett and Jansrud tied in 4th and Goldberg 6th. No last surprises but worth mentioning Bostjan Kline who ended up 17th from start number 56!

20 Dec 20; Val d’Isere, Women’s Super G: Still looking nice for today’s race [course set by a German coach]; nice to see Federica Brignone back today. Elena Curtoni first away and safely down – commentators think there were a couple errors so her time can be beaten! A couple components of the live feed [speed guns] don’t seem to be working at present. Ragnhild Mowinckel into 2nd; Francesca Marsaglia fractionally green at 2 but red again at 3; into joint 3rd with Priska Nufer. Lara Gut-Behrami green at 2 and 3 and she leads by 0.39. Ester Ledecka on course and nicely green at inter 1 and 2, 0.78 ahead at 3 and she leads by 0.78! Corinne Suter green at 3 and into 2nd by just 3 hundredths! Brignone on course now and just green at 2, slightly red at 3 – into 3rd. Petra Vlhova in touch to 2 but a mistake just before the compression has cost her some time – into 5th, but +0.84. Ten away, Ledecka leads from Suter and Brignone, then Lara G-B, Vlhova and Curtoni. Not a bad run from Tiffany Gauthier, into 8th; Sofia Goggia a bit off the pace today, a couple line errors and she’s 6th. Tamara Tippler was in touch on the upper sections but she’s lost time lower down – into 11th, but best Austrian at present – the Austrian press won’t like that! Marta Bassino is going better today, level at inter 2 and she goes 4th. Kasje Vickhoff Lie [bib 18] into 10th; twenty away – Ledecka still leading, ahead of Suter, Brignone, Bassino, Gut-Behrami and Vlhova. Good run from Keely Cashman [bib 35] to get into joint 10th with Lie. Superb result for Ester Ledecka, Corinne Suter 2nd and Federica Brignone in 3rd; Bassino 4th ahead of Gut-Behrami and Vlhova – good points for her!

Hochfilzen II - Men’s 12.5 Km Pursuit, 19 Dec: Good gap at the front for the three leading Norwegians, ahead of the fourth! It’s quite warm at Hochfilzen today; Dale is pushing hard on the lap and closing down Laegreid, JoBø has also gained time. The leading 2 are in together for S1, JoBø close behind – Laegreid clear and away ahead of Dale [+4.8] and Christiansen [+39.6] but JoBø has missed 2 and out 4th but +51.8. Ponsiluoma clear and up to 5th from 9, just ahead of Jacquelin. QFM has missed 1, Samuelsson 2. The two leading Norwegians are in for S2 – Laegreid fastest on the range so he leads out, 3.7 ahead of Dale – both clear. Christiansen [+42.6] also clear, as is JoBø [+48.3] this time and out just ahead of Jacquelin. Tarjei Bø clear and up from 14 to 7; Doll also 10/10 and in 10 from 23 at the start, Eder also going well and up to 11 from 25. Dale back in front on the lap; JoBø down to 6th behind Jacquelin and Ponsiluoma. Leaders in for the first standing shoot – Laegreid has missed 1, Dale 3. Ponsiluoma, Christiansen and Jacquelin are 15/15 and out in that order behind Laegreid. JoBø has missed 1 more and out 6th, just ahead of Tarjei [0,0,1]. Doll has missed 2 but Eder is 15/15 and 9th. JoBø is flying on the lap – 14 seconds gained by 9.1 Km; Lukas Hofer off on the bend – that won’t help his ski base! The final shoot – Laegreid clear this time; great shooting! Ponsiluoma [+27.1] and Jacquelin [+27.8] are both 20/20 and out in that order but JoBø is clear at S4 and out 4th, +31.3 – he’s ahead of Christiansen who is 20/20! At 11.2 Km JoBø is up to 2nd and Christiansen is just ahead of Ponsiluoma. What a final lap; Laegreid takes another impressive win – his third this season! Jacquelin takes 2nd, from 8th with JoBø in 3rd despite 3 misses! Ponsiluoma 5th from 9, just behind Christiansen. Tarjei 7th from 14; other gainers include Eder [25 to 9], Doll [23-13], Guigonnat [43 to 16], Eliseev [38-18], Lesser [46 - 20], Windish [56 to 28!] and Rastorgujevs [60-32]. Losing ground the list includes Samuelsson [5 to 17], Pidruchnyi [6-21], Garanichev [13-25], Hofer [15-26] and Eberhard [10-38].

Hochfilzen II - Women’s 10 Km Pursuit, 19 Dec: Well, the Norwegian skis seemed to be well prepared for the men, which won’t be good news for any non-Norwegian women! The track looks OK but there isn’t a lot of snow around once clear of that strip – I wonder if any of the women will ski off? The leading 2, Eckhoff and Tandrevold, are well clear of the chasing 4, Røiseland, Preuß and the Öberg sisters, then another gap to Wierer, Persson, Chevalier-Bouchet, Egan and Lunder. Leaders at S1 – Eckhoff shooting slowly but all 5 down, Tandrevold also clear but Røiseland has missed 1, as have the Öbergs. Hettich and Herrmann both clear. Out in order Eckhoff, Tandrevold [+10.0], Preuß [+25.2], and Doro [+42.4]. Sad to see both Hammerschmidt and Dunklee have missed 3 each. Tiril pulling out a bit on the lap and Røiseland is also going fast. Eckhoff in for S2 – 1 miss despite slow shooting; Tandrevold has missed her 5th and Preuß has also missed 1. Out Eckhoff, Hanna Öberg, Persson, Wierer, Røiseland and Tandrevold [+22.9]. At 5.6 Km Røiseland is up to 2nd, ahead of Doro and Hanna; Tiril in for her first standing shoot – clear and away! Røiseland has missed 2; Doro is 15/15 and out 2nd, +15.4 – Tandrevold [0,1,0] clear here and out ahead of Elvira [1,0,0], Preuß [0,1,0] and Hanna [1,0,1]. Clare Egan was going well, but she’s missed 2 here dropping her out of the top 10. Alimbekava [1,0,0] is going well – up from 31 to 17. Eckhoff still pulling away, and she’s in for the last shoot – lovely shoot and she’s away! Hanna and Doro have both missed 1 but out 2/3, ahead of Elvira, Tandrevold and Franzi Preuß. Tandrevold up to 3rd, ahead of Elvira and Doro, who has just stumbled on the hill – there wasn’t a gap there! Tiril Eckhoff [0,1,0,0] has cruised to another win, Hanna Öberg [1,0,1,0] comfortably 2nd. Great race for the final podium place; Elvira Öberg [1,0,0,1] has just outsprinted Tandrevold [0,1,0,1] to get it! Wierer in 5th ahead of Preuß with Røiseland in 7th. Among the gainers Hanna [6-2], Doro [10 to 5], Herrmann [23-9], Alimbekava [31-11], Vittozzi [30-13], Simon [49-14!!], Weidel [43-21], Dzhima [40-23], Schwaiger [52-24], and Minkkinen [44-25]. Those going the wrong way include Egan [9-18], Kruchinkina [7-27], Chevalier-Bouchet [12-28], Tomingas [16-34], Jislova [24-42], Hinz [26-45] and Blashko [34-51]. Julia Simon fastest around the course ahead of Davidova and Herrmann although Eckhoff did cruise the final lap! What a day for Norway – winning both pursuits! Sweden coming back on form too, and nice to see 2 Germans in the top 10.

Hochfilzen II - Men’s 15 Km Mass Start, 20 Dec: More sunshine here! The William Tell overture sees the race away; Mike saying that it isn’t a really fast pace at first – he’s obviously never seen me ski cross country! At 1.1 Km it’s 3 Norwegians ahead – Dale, JoBø and Laegreid with Seb Samuelsson in 4th; 6.2 seconds separate the top 20. The pace has picked up a bit and the pack is starting to open out; bunching up again as they come in for S1 – no wind at all. Samuelsson, Christiansen, Doll, QFM and Jacquelin among those with 1 miss. JoBø clear but shooting slowly. Fak is first away, followed by Claude, Dale, Tarjei Bø, Lesser and Hofer. Nelin has missed 2, Moravec 3. Dale pushing the pace on the lap; Claude has passed him as they come in for S2 – some good shooting here but Claude has missed 2 and Dale 1. Laegreid leads out, ahead of Tarjei, JoBø, Loginov, Peiffer and Andersen [NOR, +5.1] – all 10/10. At 8Km JoBø is leading, ahead of his brother with Alex Loginov right up with them. Still quite a tight group as they come in for the first standing shoot – JoBø has missed 1, Loginov 2, Tarjei 1 and same for Fak, Dale, Hofer among others. Dale [0,0,0] out first ahead of Ponsiluoma [1,0,0], Peiffer [0,0,0], Eder [0,0,0], Doll [1,0,0], and Lesser [0,1,0]. JoBø in 7th, +21.1. JoBø is 5th and +11.6 at 10.1 Km and he’s up with the leading 3 by 11 Km! The final shoot – Laegreid has missed 1, JoBø 2! Martin Ponsiluoma clear here and away with Arnd Peiffer 20/20 out +0.4 in second, only just ahead of Jacquelin [+3.3] despite the Frenchman’s 2 misses. Doll in 4th, just ahead of Tarjei then a gap to Laegreid in 6th, +17.7. At 13.1 Km Ponsiluoma is still just ahead of Peiffer but Jacquelin has dropped back a bit and has Doll and Tarjei on his heels. Same 2 away at 14 Km, but Doll, Tarjei and Jacquelin are very close for the final podium place. Peiffer has the inside line as they sprint for the finish – what a win for Arnd Peiffer! Ponsiluoma in 2nd, and Tarjei Bø has out-sprinted Doll for 3rd. Jacquelin in 5th, Laegreid 6th and JoBø getting 7th – his worst result this season?

Hochfilzen II - Women’s 12.5 Km Mass Start, 20 Dec: A tiny bit late swapping to this one as I was watching Pinturault win the GS at Alta Badia! Early on Røiseland leads ahead of Hanna Öberg, Eckhoff, Elvira, Tandrevold and Preuß; 8.5 seconds between the top 20. In for S1 – Hanna, Preuß and Herrmann among those missing 1; Alimbekava, Skottheim and Tandrevold among those with 2! Røiseland leads out just ahead of Doro Wierer, Elvira, Eckhoff, Knotten and Persson. Second prone – Røiseland and Persson have missed 1. Eckhoff leads out just 0.6 ahead of Doro, with Elvira 3rd ahead of Davidova, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Knotten – all 10/10. Herrmann has missed another 1, as has Tandrevold. At 6.6 Km it’s Tiril, Elvira and Doro, with Justine B-B and Marketa Davidova in touch – Hanna 6th but +17.4. First standing shoot – leading 5 all in pretty much together – Doro, Elvira and Tiril have missed 1! It’s Davidova who leads out, with 15/15, ahead of Røiseland with Doro a further 10 seconds back, just ahead of Knotten [15/15], then Elvira and Eckhoff. Janina Hettich is 15/15 and 7th, but she’s only just ahead of Hanna who is [1,0,1]. Justine B-B missed 2 there, as did Franzi Preuß; Clare Egan has missed 3. Røiseland has taken over the lead at 9.1 Km ahead of Davidova, Eckhoff, Elvira, Wierer and Knotten. In for the final shoot – Røiseland [0,1,0,0] has made no mistakes this time and she’s out 11.1 ahead of Wierer [0,0,1,0] and Tiril Eckhoff [0,0,1,0]. Davidova 4th after 1 miss at S4 with Herrmann [1,1,0,0] close and Hettich the first of the 20/20 group, but only just ahead of Elvira [0,0,1,1]. Knotten has also missed 1 here and out 9th. In fact Hettich seems to be the only 20/20 today. Fairly predictably Eckhoff is past Wierer, but Doro is still just in touch; Davidova holding off Herrmann. Hettich down to 8th, just ahead of Preuß [1,0,2,0]. Marte Olsbu Røiseland cruises to another win, Tiril Eckhoff 2nd having dropped Doro on the final section of the lap. Davidova has held off Denise Herrmann, with Elvira 6th. Nice to see Hettich has held on to 10th, just behind Franzi Preuß. Looks like Skottheim has been injured as she crossed the line?

20 Dec 20; Alta Badia Men’s Giant Slalom – Run 1: Back to the technical events for the men; looks a very technical set, by a German coach. Filip Zubcic first away and safely down – just one error. Tommy Ford is 0.84 off the pace after his run.  Zan Kranjec more in touch, into 2nd, +0.34; Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen green at inter 1 but red at 2 – he’s into joint 2nd! Alexis Pinturault green at 1, 2 and 3 – he leads by 0.26, lovely run. Marco Odermatt into 3rd; Henrik Kristoffersen on course – he’s not having a good year, by his standards and today is no different – into 6th, +0.81. Kilde is back on his tech skis and he’s 7th at present! Luca de Aliprandini out almost at the top – the Italian coaches don’t look impressed;  a massive error by Loic Meillard has spoiled his day, +3.18 at the finish. Faivre into 6, Gino Caviezel goes 7th; Lucas Braathen even more in touch and he’s 4th, +0.51. Fifteen away – Pinturault leads from Zubcic and Odermatt. Nice to see Ted Ligety competing here – into 13th, +1.63. Thibaut Favrot has skied out, taking some advertising with him – luckily he’s OK. Good run from Roland Leitinger [bib 21] into 8th place; nice work by Justin Murisier too, bib 25 and into 10th, just 0.79 off the pace. No change to the top 4 since Braathen, and maybe Murisier will be the last to change the top 10? Apparently not, Atle Lie McGrath [NOR] is flying – well in touch at 1 and 2 and green at 3; the final roller has cost him a little but he’s into 4th, +0.46. Of the later starters Stefan Brennsteiner [bib 34] managed 15th, and River Radamus [bib 39] took 16th.
Run 2: Another tricky course and as the light changes some of the later starters might have snags with visibility? I’m a bit disappointed to see Victor Muffat-Jeandet so far down the list after run 1, and he hasn’t matched Aleksander Andrienko [RUS] who was the first away on run 2. Semyel Bissig [SUI] has taken the lead – some amazing recoveries too; Marco Schwarz into 2nd. Riccardo Tonetti is the only Italian in run 2 – nice to see he’s taken over the lead! Erik Read into 3rd; Alex Schmidt [GER] building to inter 2, still nicely green at 3 and he takes over the lead. Stefan Luitz into 3rd; that’s half way – Schmid leads from Tonetti and Luitz. First to go after the TV break is Tommy Ford, and he’s taken the lead!  Kilde into 2nd;  Kristoffersen is having more snags and he’s just 8th – that’s 7 places lost at present – he really is having some issues this season. That’s better from Justin Murisier – he’s taken the lead. Just 8 to go, and another TV break – Murisier leads from Ford and Kilde, then Schmid, Brennsteiner and Tonetti , who still has the best time on run 2.  Zan Kranjec into 6th;  this course really is demanding – all too easy to lose time here! Atle Lie McGrath has gained a little by inter 1 and 2, still green at 3 – that was a great run and he takes the lead, knocking Kilde off the podium in the process! Marco Odermatt can’t match that – into 3rd; Zubcic possibly trying too hard and he’s just 9th.  Just Alexis Pinturault to go – holding well at 1, he’s lost a bit to 2, took a tiny bit back at 3 and he’s done it – by just 0.07 – first French winner here since 2001?? Alexis Pinturault takes the win, ahead of McGrath, Murisier, Odermatt, Ford and Kilde!

21 Dec 20; Alta Badia Men’s Slalom – Run 1: This is usually a parallel event, but this year it’s going to be a straightforward slalom! Well, perhaps not that straightforward as this is a very tight, technical course – set by a Norwegian. Alexis Pinturault first away and safely down. Clement Noel has fallen – although he’s finished that won’t get him a second run. Next is Henrik Kristoffersen, who feels his slalom form is better than his GS – he’s in the green but only 0.02 ahead of Pinturault at the finish, he lost a bit on that final section. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag in the red all the way until he gained after inter 3 to take the lead by 0.03! Marco Schwarz also in trouble – into 4th, +0.44. Ramon Zenhaeusern into 4th; Daniel Yule is green at 2 and he’s kept it there – he leads by 0.10. Good start by Alex Vinatzer and he’s built from inter 2 – he leads by 0.27, that’s a good margin! Alex Khoroshilov the first DNF; Michael Matt had a messy top section but he’s pulled back some time to go 3rd, +0.36. Bib 15 is Dave Ryding – into 9th, +0.77. First TV break – Vinatzer leads from Yule and Matt. Good to see Stefan Hadalin racing today, after a nasty fall yesterday – he’s 14th though. Braathen has straddled, so he’s out; no change to the top 10 since Dave Ryding went 9th.
Run 2: Joined this slightly late – with 5 away Kristoffer Jakobsen [SWE], 29th after run 1, is leading. Conditions are a bit warm, which might cause a few snags? Christian Hirschbühl into 2nd; Luca Aerni has taken over that place and the piste is already looking a bit rutted. Loic Meillard was green until inter 3 but once again he has lost a bit on the lower section and into 2nd by just 0.03! Stefano Gross has lost a massive amount on the flatter lower section; Adrian Pertl [AUT] has done better and into 3rd. Those last 5 turns are really causing problems – Erik Read green at 3 but ending up 4th. We’re halfway – Jakobsen still leads, having so far gained 13 places, ahead of Meillard and Pertl. Linus Strasser was another who was green at inter 3 but a couple errors have dropped him to 6th.  Now ,Manuel Feller has actually gained from 1 to 2 and he’s keeping nicely green – he takes the lead – he’s justifiably happy with that! Suddenly things are starting to change – Tanguy Nef [SUI] into 2nd. Marco Schwarz dead level at 2 and 3 – into 2nd, +0.04! Dave Ryding into 4th; was that a naughty word I lip read? Ramon Zenhaeusern has lost time but he had enough in hand – he leads. Muffat-Jeandet into 4th; Pinturault off the pace a little and just 7th. Henrik Kristoffersen next, with 0.12 in hand – already red at 1, pulled back a bit between 2 and 3 but that’s just 5th, +0.37. Luckily I can’t speak Norwegian but I think he’s not happy! Sebastian Foss-Solevaag has also had a difficult run – into 7th.  Michael Matt has also had a disappointing run – he’s 13th!  Daniel Yule into the red at 2, still in touch at 3 but then he’s losing time – into 6th. Just Alex Vinatzer to come; his advantage has halved at inter 1 but he’s really taking risks – red at 2 and he’s only into 4th. Well, that’s good news for Austria - Ramon Zenhaeusern may have taken the win for Switzerland but with Manuel Feller in 2nd and Marco Schwarz 3rd the Austrian press have something positive to report this time!

22 Dec 20; Madonna di Campiglio, Men’s slalom, run 1: Under the floodlights and this looks a very tricky course, set by a Russian coach! Daniel Yule first away and down but there was one error. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag is bib 2 and he’s 0.78 faster – that’s a considerable margin! Alexis Pinturault has gone into joint 2nd with Yule; Henrik Kristoffersen was in touch at 2, but then he’s losing time - +1.25 at the finish and he’s really surprised by his time. Clement Noel into 4th; Ramon Zenhaeusern is just green at 2, but back red at 3 – he goes 2nd, but still +0.40 – Seb F-S’s time is looking really good! Marco Schwarz is also just over a second off the pace; Alex Khoroshilov slowest so far. Dave Ryding is bib 9 – OK at inter 2 but then he too is losing time lower down – into 8th, +1.32. Victor Muffat-Jeandet is more in touch – into 6th, +0.88. Linus Strasser is also going well – he’s into joint 6thwith Victor M-J. Alex Vinatzer next and he’s well in touch – he’s 3rd, +0.50; Manu Feller is going well too on these tricky snow conditions – into 4th. Fifteen away - Sebastian Foss-Solevaag leads from Zenhaeusern and Vinatzer, then Feller, Pinturault and Yule. Feller has the highest bib number of those in the top 10. Tanguy Nef in touch at 2 but he’s made a big error on the steep – joint 18th. Now, that’s a good effort – Stefano Gross, bib 28, into joint 13th with Dave Ryding and he’s the highest bib number in the top 20. Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen, bib 40, into 27th – might get a second run?
Run 2 – I missed the start of this and joined just as Dave Ryding had his second run – not one of his best as he ended up 11th, so he’s already lost 10 places. Apparently it’s got warmer, rather unexpectedly! Henrik Kristoffersen on course – he’s gained from 2 to 3 and he’s really fired up – he leads by 0.54; much more what he expects! Jean-Baptiste Grange down to second ahead of Kristoffer Jakobsen, who has had another good second run – best time on the run so far and gaining 12 places already! Marco Schwarz into 3rd; Victor M-J was looking good at inter 1 but he’s straddled. Linus Strasser already red at 2 – he’s into joint 2nd but 0.54 behind Kristoffersen; Clement Noel still green at 2 but then a mistake and he’s losing time – just into 4th. Daniel Yule has lost all his 0.47 advantage by inter 1 and it’s all going wrong – he’s 17th! Alexis Pinturault into 3rd on an increasingly rutted course; four to go and Manu Feller has 0.73 in hand – just 0.16 left at 2, quite red at 3 but he’s pulled back time on the flat to go 2nd. Alex Vinatzer has also lost a lot to inter 2, and he too is red at 3 – he takes over 2nd place. Ramon Zenhaeusern has an advantage of 0.85 but it’s down to 0.24 at inter 2; he’s had a difficult run and he’s only 12th. Just Sebastian Foss-Solevaag to come – a massive 1.25 in hand ; down to 0.51 by inter 2 and again he’s red at 3 – he’s held it there though to go 2nd! Henrik Kristoffersen will be delighted with that win, ahead of Sebastian Foss-Solevaag and Alex Vinatzer; Feller 4th ahead of Noel and Grange. Dave Ryding down in 21st.

28 Dec; Semmering, Women’s GS run 1: Missed the start of this and joined at the TV break, with Petra Vlhova leading from Marta Bassino [+0.22], Michelle Gisin [+0.35] and Mikaela Shiffrin [+0.59]. Then Hector, Gut-Behrami, Worley and Brignone. Sofia Goggia and Alice Robinson the 2 DNFs so far.  Tina Robnik the first to get into the top 10 after the break – 10th place.  The course between inter 2 and 3 seems to be the place where it’s easy to lose time! Now Ramona Siebenhofer  was actually green at inter 1, but she’s lost it lower down and she’s 21st, +2.70 – not sure she’ll get a second run. The later starters all seem to be over 2 seconds off the pace; Thea Louise Stjernesund might do better – just green at 1, red at 2 but in touch and she’s into 12th, +1.86 – best run for a while! I don’t think I’ve veer skied at Semmering, but it looks nice, although I’d prefer not to have a tricky course like this waiting for me! That’s 30 away; no change to the top 10 since Robnik went 10th. Alex Tilley safely down after 2 DNFs [Hurt and Hudson] but she’s 29th and unlikely to get a second run. The wind is now picking up as well, so a late surprise is looking even less likely – maybe Alex will be OK after all? Sara Rask [SWE] into 29th, pushing Alex into 30th! Elisa Mörzinger [AUT, bib 42] did manage green at inter 1, which hasn’t happened for a while, but she’s lost it later – Kristina Riis-Johannessen [NOR] has done better though and into 21st from bib 43! Alex Tilley is now 31st, so no second run. Kristin Lysdahl into 26th; a nasty looking crash for Riikka Honkanen [FIN],  but she’s back on her feet and seems OK.  Mikaela Tommy [CAN] was in touch at inter 2 but she’s had to put the brakes on lower down, into 35th! Now, Paula Moltzan [USA] has made late charges before this season, and she’s in touch at 2 but once again the section to inter 3 has cost her time and she won’t get a second run either. Great effort by Laura Pirovano [ITA] to get into the top 30 from bib 67; into 28th!
Run 2: Should be interesting – the course did cut up on run 1, so we’ll see how the top 5 after run 1 cope with that! This run will be from the reserved start; the wind has picked up and visibility looks tricky – not surprisingly the start has been delayed now – initially for 15 minutes.  This isn’t looking good – the wind is getting up even more – some of the lifts have been stopped and a couple of the gate panels are blowing out and having to be replaced! Another 15 minutes delay. There is an inflatable barrier being blown down the hill, among other things  - that’s enough and the race is “cancelled”. There will be some very disappointed athletes but conditions really weren’t suitable for a second run. Not sure if this race will be rescheduled or if they will try a second run tomorrow?? No – cancelled!

28 Dec; Bormio, Men’s Super G: Postponed until Tuesday, due to heavy snow and poor visibility, so the Downhill moves to Wednesday.

29 Dec; Bormio, Men’s Super G!: Well, this is the one that should have been raced yesterday! This looks a tough one, set by a German coach – Alexis Pinturault first away. Safely down and that looked pretty good. Dominik Paris couldn’t quite match it - he’s second; Andreas Sander was off the pace at inter 1, better at 2 but into 3rd. Bib 5 is Vincent Kriechmayr – that was a super run – he takes the lead by a massive 0.99! Mauro Caviezel is green at inter 1, a little less green at 2but still keeping it through 3 – Kriechmayr was superb on the final section though – Caviezel into 2nd. Ryan Cochran-Siegle is green at 1 and shown as over a full second ahead by inter 2; that seems to be correct as he’s still 1.11 ahead at 3 and he takes the lead buy 0.79! Aleksander Aamodt Kilde is next – fractionally red at inter 1; his line looked good but he’s over a second adrift at 2 – he’s just 3rd, +1.18! Maybe just pushing too hard? Adrian Smiseth Sejersted  was just green at 1, but he too is red at 2 – he’s into 3rd, +0.94. Marco Odermatt into 6th; Kjetil Jansrud in touch at inter 1 but he too is over a second off the pace at 2, maybe not 100% fit after a day missed in practice  – into 6th. Matthias Mayer is also over a second back at inter 2 – he can only manage 8th! Travis Ganong can’t match his fellow American – he’s 10th! It’s astonishing to see Beat Feuz over 2 seconds off the pace at inter 2 – he can only manage 18th! That’s 20 away and the second TV break – Ryan C-S leads from Kriechmayr [+0.79], Sejersted [+0.94], Kilde, Caviezel and Jansrud. Last change to the top 10 was Ganong [bib 17], currently 10th.  That’s a nice run from Urs Kryenbühl [SUI, bib 22], into 7th; Gino Caviezel goes 10th. Romed Baumann [GER] green at inter 1 – first green there for a while, but he’s lost time lower down – even so, into 7th! That’s 30 away – no change to the top 6, Baumann the best of the later starters so far, in 7th. Loic Meillard [bib 31] into 13th; some of the other bib numbers in the 30s aren’t having a good time though  – several DNFs including 3 in a row – Cater, Weber and Monsen. That’s pretty good – Simon Jocher [GER, bib 41], into joint 15th position with Ganong! That’s it – an impressive win by Ryan C-S, only 2 other skiers within a second of his time! Vincent Kriechmayr in 2nd, ahead of Sejersted, Kilde, Caviezel and Jansrud.  

29 Dec 20; Semmering, Women’s Slalom run 1: No Charlie Guest today as she’s “self-isolating”.  The course for run 1 has been set by a Slovenian coach and it looks to be a real test; first away is Katharina Truppe – safely down. I’m not sure that she’s entirely happy with that run , but Wendy Holdener can’t match her time; 2nd and +0.16. Michelle Gisin is in good slalom form this season, and she’s green by inter 2 – she’s built on that and leads by 0.51. Petra Vlhova is just red at inter 1 but she’s finding this course tricky and she’s the slowest so far – into 4th, +0.87. Katharina Liensberger into 2nd; Mikaela Shiffrin next – already 0.36 in the green at inter 1, better at 2, lost a little to 3 and a bit more to the line – she leads by just 0.02! Fifteen away – Shiffrin leads from Gisin and Liensberger, then Truppe, Holdener and Vlhova. Franziska Gritsch into 7th;  Sara Hector into 16th and Paula Moltzan was looking to be the best of the later starters until a massive error.  That’s 30 away, no change to the top 10 since Gritsch. Andrea Filser [GER, bib 35] into 15th; very creditable as the course is getting bumpier! Shame – Alex Tilley has joined the DNF list. Another very creditable run, this time by Andreja Slokar [SLO, bib 56] to get into 16th – it can still be done!
Run 2: Under the floodlights – another tricky looking course! Five away and Marta Rossetti has just taken the lead. Nina O’Brien briefly red at inter 3 but she’s recovered to take over the lead by 0.09. Maria Therese Tviberg [NOR] is going well – briefly into the red at 2, but then building all the way to lead by 0.49 – bib 54 as well! Ten away; Tviberg leads from O’Brien and Rossetti. Katharina Huber into 3rd; here comes Andreja Slokar who did so well on run 1 to get 16th from a start number of 56 – that’s awful for her – a fall and DNF. Half way and the top 3 are unchanged since Huber joined them. Andrea Filser also out; Federica Brignone was nicely in touch at inter 3 but the final section cost time and she’s 7th. Katharina Gallhuber has lost almost all her advantage by inter 1 and it’s getting worse for there – 16th.  Now, Kristin Lysdahl has 0.69 in hand – lost a bit to inter 1 but gained again to 2, still well in front at 3 – lost on the final section but she had enough to let her take the lead by 0.17. Chiara Mair [AUT] into 6th; just 8 to go and Lysdahl leads from Tviberg and O’Brien. Lena Dürr another one who has lost a  lot of time on the final section – potentially top 3 at inter 3 but then into 7th.  Gritsch out just after the start; Petra Vlhova next with almost a second in hand; she’s built slightly to inter 1 and still has just over a second at inter 3 – she leads by 1.04! Wendy Holdener is slightly red at inter 2 – into 2nd, just 0.07 behind Vlhova. Truppe into 3rd, but here comes Katharina Liensberger – building to inter 2, lost a tiny bit to 3 but then a superb final section gets her the lead by a massive 1.25 seconds – not surprisingly that’s the fastest time on run 2! Michelle Gisin briefly red at inter 2 but she’s green again at 3 and she takes the lead by 0.11 – great effort, great run! Just Mikaela Shiffrin to come and she has just 0.02 in hand – she’s red at inter 1 and redder at 2 and 3 – she’s into 3rd! Brilliant result for Michelle Gisin, her first ever World Cup win I think, Katharina Liensberger in 2nd [best time on run 2] and Mikaela Shiffrin in 3rd.  Petra Vlhova 4th, ahead of Holdener and Truppe.  Now that was a nail biter!

30 Dec; Bormio, Men’s Downhill: This is the race that was postponed from yesterday to allow the Super G to take place! The big question is, can Ryan C-S manage the double? Max Muzaton first away and safely down; Romed Baumann is faster – I wonder if the Austrians are regretting his “defection” to Germany? Mauro Caviezel is even faster – slightly red at inter 4 but the final section was superb and he leads by 0.86! Nasty fall for Nils Allegre; he’s managed to ski away from it, so hopefully nothing too serious? Apparently the conditions are quite different today – lots of fresh snow since the practice sessions. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde next to go – slightly green on the upper sections, 0.49 ahead at inter 4, but Caviezel was faultless from here – Kilde into 2nd, +0.12. Now, Ryan C-S is on course – an epic recovery early on and amazingly he’s still green – 0.64 ahead by inter 3, still well green at 5 but he’s tiring; another recovery and into 3rd! Christof Innerhofer is green at inter 3 and 4, but red at 5 – into 4th. Beat Feuz into 4th; Urs Kryenbühl is 0.50 green at 4 and still green at 5 – that was an impressive final section and he takes the lead by 0.10; Switzerland first and second. TV break and now it’s Vincent Kriechmayr; nicely green at 3, just 2 hundredths green at 5 and he’s kept that advantage to the line – Kriechmayr leads by 0.02! Bryce Bennett has fallen – seems to be OK. Matthias Mayer also green at 3, red at 4, green at 5 – good final section and he leads by 0.04 – now it’s Austria 1 and 2! Dominik Paris on course – he’s won here 4 times – green early on but red at 3.; he’s pulling back time lower down – into 4th, just 0.13 off the lead. Carlo Janka has fallen off the rocker jump – he’s standing up and someone has given him his other ski back; he is skiing/walking away but seems a bit unsure of how well he is? Twenty away – Mayer leads from Kriechmayr and Kryenbühl; Paris 4th, ahead of Caviezel and Kilde. Ralph Weber [SUI] has done a repeat of Carlo Janka’s fall, but he seems less hurt. Johan Clarey [bib 17] is the highest number to get into the top 10, despite some well known skiers trying! That was a recovery and a half by Sejersted – lucky to avoid the netting! Matteo Marsaglia has done well to go 14th from start number 29; Andreas Sander [bib 30] into 16th! That’s a good run from Marco Odermatt [SUI, bib 31] – he’s 12th! Valentin Giraud Moine has had a nasty crash – more twisted than those who walked away earlier; amazingly he seems to be unhurt and he’s off under his own steam! Brice Roger [bib 39] into a very creditable 17th; Daniel Hemetsberger [AUT, bib 42] has managed 21st and now Felix Monsen [SWE, bib 44] has gone 17th! That’s it – an impressive win for Matthias Mayer, with Vincent Kriechmayr in second – that should keep the Austrian press happy for a while! Urs Kryenbühl continues his good form with the final spot on the podium, ahead of Mauro Caviezel, and Kilde.

3 Jan 21; Zagreb, Women’s Slalom – run 1: Happy New Year! The Snow Queen Trophy – not ideal conditions as it’s very misty and the snow is soft and wet – the camera run has been enlivened as Ivica Kostelić, despite his massive experience, has had a stumble! This first run on a course set by a Norwegian coach- the piste looks very “end of season”! First away is Chiara Mair; safely down but second away Katharina Truppe has straddled early on. Bib 3 is Petra Vlhova – nicely green at inter 2 and 0.74 ahead at 3 – she’s 1.5 ahead as she cross the line! Michelle Gisin in touch at inter 2 and she’s into 2nd, +0.38; Mikaela Shiffrin not so close – 0.50 off the pace at 2 but she’s pulling back a little on her new skis – into 3rd, +0.42. Katharina Liensberger is living dangerously – great recoveries and she’s 2nd, +0.32. Only 7 away so far and the course is getting rutted already; Vlhova leads from Liensberger, Gisin and Shiffrin. Mina Fuerst Holtmann’s coach set this pattern of gates, but conditions aren’t good – into a very creditable 7th.  Fifteen away now; no change to the top 6 since Wendy Holdener [bib 7] went onto 5th. Only 3 skiers are within a second of Petra Vlhova’s time and the later starters are recording some big time gaps – the aim now must be to qualify for run 2 and make best use of the repaired piste. Good run from Katharina Gallhuber [bib 19] to get into 9th; it’s not often you see green/brown patches on a World Cup race piste! Meta Hrovat [bib 25] into 14th; Alex Tilley has joined the DNFs.
Run 2: Looking at the start list it’s interesting to see that after coverage finished a few of the higher bib numbers did get into the top 30 to qualify for a second run – among them Josephine Forni [FRA, bib 39] into 28th, Katie Hensien [USA, 47] into 25th and Paula Moltzan [USA, 42] into 23rd! Still a bit warm but at least the visibility is better – course set by an Austrian coach, I think. Nina O’Brien first away and she’s a DNF! Martina Peterlini [ITA] is safely down on what seems to be a very technical set; Forni has clocked exactly the same combined time! Nastasia Noens [FRA] is going well – gaining time to inter 3 and she leads by 1.05! Hensien into 2nd; Martina Dubovska [CZE] has taken over that place. Paula Moltzan next after another good first run, and she’s green all the way to 3, and living dangerously – into 2nd!  Tviberg doing well but she’s hit a bump and skied out; Sara Hector has straddled and Franziska Gritsch has also joined the DNFs. Katharina Huber next and she has 0.90 in hand – lost a bit to inter 1 but then steadied and looking good – she’s fallen, well in sight of the finish. A good run from Kristina Riis-Johannesen [NOR] to go 2nd, just 0.03 off Noen’s time! That’s half way – Noens leads from Riis-Johannesen and Moltzan. First away after the break is Emelie Wikström – gradually losing time all the way and into 4th, +0.09! Laurence St-Germain more in touch to 2, lost quite a bit to 3 and between there and the line she’s lost a lot of time – into 7th. Kristin Lysdahl has 1.51 in hand as she starts – still just over a second left at 3 – she takes over the lead by 0.95; third fastest on run 2 so far. Erin Mielzynski [CAN] gaining time steadily all the way – into the lead by 0.34! The fog is coming back too – this time on the lower section; Katharina Gallhuber into 3rd and there’s another TV break. The mist is moving around; Lena Dürr into 3rd. In these conditions it’s even easier than usual to  lose time; Chiara Mair into 4th. Five to go – Wendy Holdener still just green at inter 3 and into 2nd, +0.06.  Mikaela Shiffrin next – 1.43 in hand at the start; lost a small amount to inter 2 and a tiny bit more to 3 – she leads by 1.13! Michelle Gisin just red at inter 1, back to 0.24 green at 2, a massive 0.46 at 3 – brilliant upper section, then a couple errors and she leads by 0.05! Katharina Liensberger into the red at 2, more red at 3 but a brilliant lower section has got her into the lead by 0.17 – great recovery! She gained 0.48 from inter 3 to the line! Just Petra Vlhova to come – she really is charging – bit scrappy but building to inter 3 – she’s lost 0.53 from there to the line to win by just 0.05 – all very close! Impressive stuff from Vlhova to recover to take the win, ahead of Liensberger and Gisin, with Shiffrin 4th and then Mielzynski and Holdener. Fastest time on run 2 still held by Noens, who gained 15 places!

Almost feel like I'm intruding, but just wanted to say happy new year and good on you for keeping the updates coming

6 Jan 21; Zagreb [Crveni Spust], Men’s Slalom – run 1: Nice to see someone else here – please, intrude away! Well, Snow King day in Zagreb – hopefully the track will be in better shape today, but apparently it is quite warm again! Henrik Kristoffersen will be first away today on a course set by a Frenchman who is an Italian coach! Dave Ryding is bib 10. Not only is the snow a problem, but it’s a long course – 75 turning gates. Right, Kristoffersen away – visibility is not good – mist coming in and he’s getting bounced around – safely down, but a slight error near the finish and he doesn’t look too happy with that. His fellow Norwegian, Sebastian Foss-Solevaag, is well green at inter 2 and more so at 3 – he has lost a little to the line after a series of impressive recoveries, but still leads by 0.67. That was impressive skiing, but it’s cost him time. Marco Schwarz a full second back at inter 3 but he’s done better after that to go 2nd, +0.42. Visibility looks to be getting worse; Alexis Pinturault also just over a second off the pace at 3 – into 3rd. Daniel Yule into 5th, behind Kristoffersen; Ramon Zenhaeusern a second back at inter 2, worse at 3 and 6th, +0.99. Seems Nick’s cash will be in the bookie’s pocket today! Clement Noel is more in touch at 3 and he’s had a better final section too despite a couple snags – he leads by 0.36. Loic Meillard has straddled; Alex Khoroshilov goes 8th. Dave Ryding next – also in touch at inter 2 but he’s lost it lower down – disappointing – he’s 9th, +2.19! Alex Vinatzer has also straddled; Linus Strasser green at 2, red at 3 and more red at the line – 5th, +0.96. Victor Muffat-Jeandet just green at 2; he too has lost a bit from there – into 4th, +0.89. Manu Feller is 0.50 ahead at 2, just green at 3 as the snow starts to fall – he goes 3rd, +0.51. Michael Matt slowest so far; that’s 15 away – Noel leads from Seb F-S and Feller. Filip Zubcic into 8th; Jean-Baptiste Grange, who won here in 2009, in touch at 2 but he too is losing time lower down to drop to 14th. Nice run by Fabio Gstrein to go 8th; excellent attempt by Stefan Hadalin [SLO] to go 5th – nice skiing! Lucas Braathen was well in touch at 2, but he’s out; that’s 30 away – no change to the top 3, Hadalin the best of the later starters in 5th. Dave Ryding currently in 22nd – might just get a second run, especially as the snow is falling and the DNF list is expanding. Good late run by McGrath [NOR, bib 44] into 15th! That’s it – no change to the top 10 since Hadalin; Kristoffersen in 11th and Ryding in 24th after Matej Vidovic [CRO, bib 52] managed 21st place!
Run 2: Still warm; course set by an Austrian coach, with 72 turning gates – apparently very technical. Samuel Kolega [CRO, bib 53] will be the first away – safely down and the next 3 [Digruber, Sala and Razzoli] can’t match his time. Michael Matt is more in touch and gaining time from 3 to the finish – he leads by 0.51. Seb Holzmann [GER] gained to 1, dead level at 2, ahead at 3 but he’s lost time on the final section to go 3rd. Dave Ryding off the pace at 3 and sadly he’s lost a lot to the line, slowest so far and +1.93. Matej Vidovic gained to 1, level at 2, ahead again at 3 – he’s into 2nd, +0.31; Croatia currently 2 and 3! Alex Khoroshilov still just green at 3, but again the final section has taken time away – into 3rd. That’s half way – Matt leads from Vidovic and Khoroshilov. First after the break is Atle Lie McGrath, who has 0.80 in hand; he’s a bit unlucky with the weather but still just green at 3 but a scrappy final section drops him to 6th. Ramon Zenhaeusern is losing time all the way down – no time at inter 3 but he’s into 2nd, +0.23. Visibility is getting worse at the top; Kristoffer Jakobsen had a big green light at 3 but he’s fallen – he will finish legally but that was a real pity! Daniel Yule is losing a little time to 3, but he too is finding the final section tricky – good recovery and into 3rd. Next is Henrik Kristoffersen, 1.21 ahead as he leaves the start hut – just 0.46 left at 3, and the final section has claimed another victim – he’s just joint 3rd with Yule, +0.24. Filip Zubcic still has 0.77 in hand at 3 – hard to bear, he’s second by just 0.01! Fabio Gstrein started with an advantage of 1.25 – still 0.57 left at 3, BUT here’s the final section and he goes 3rd, +0.12. Another TV break – Matt still leads [17 places gained so far], ahead of Zubcic and Gstrein! Linus Strasser on course and losing a little to inter 2but he’s gained some back by 3 – again he’s lost time to the finish but he had enough in hand to take over the lead by 0.46. Alexis Pinturault has had a big error before inter 2 and despite actually gaining a little between 3 and the finish he’s just 12th. Victor Muffat-Jeandet has gained a little to inter 1 but then it’s going the wrong way – into 4th. Stefan Hadalin looked a bit stiff on this run – 12th; Marco Schwarz has gained to inter 1, less green at 2, red at 3 but a good final section pulled back some time and he’s 2nd. +0.16. Manu Feller has also gained to 1; like Schwarz he’s red at 3 and again has pulled back to the finish – he takes over 2nd. Just 2 to go - Sebastian Foss-Solevaag also red at 3, but unlike the two Austrians he’s lost more time to the finish and is just 12th. Clement Noel has gained a little to 1, but he’s just 0.38 left at 2, red at 3 and he can’t control the ruts on the lower section – he’s 7th! So, that was a big upset – Linus Strasser takes a well-deserved win, the first time a German has won a slalom here. Manu Feller second, ahead of Marco Schwarz, which will please the Austrians, then Matt [best time on run 2], Zubcic and Victor M-J. Kristoffersen in joint 10th, Dave Ryding down in 27th. Biggest gain on run 2 to Michael Matt with 22 places gained.

Oberhof – Women’s 7.5 km Sprint, 8 Jan 21: Quite misty but very little wind; new snow last night has left the tracks a little soft. Quite a large field today – 104 starters. At 2 Km the fastest early on is Susan Dunklee; Kuklina [RUS] has just gone faster and Selina Gasparin is faster still. At S1 Dunklee has missed 2; Kuklina clear and fastest so far. Johanna Skottheim also clear at S1 and just 11.7 behind Kuklina; Tiril Eckhoff also clear and fastest for a brief moment until Marketa Davidova clears and leaves just 1 second ahead. Good shooting by Anna Weidel, all 10 cleared but her ski speed isn’t quite there yet. Larisa Kuklina also has 10/10 and she’s over 50 seconds clear at present; back at S1 Hanna Öberg clear and in touch. On the loop Eckhoff has opened out a lead over Davidova; Tiril clear at S2 as well and out 39.3 ahead of Kuklina; Davidova has missed 1 here, but still 3rd at present. Now, Marte Olsbu Røiseland is at S1 – she’s missed 1. Hanna Öberg is 10/10 and out 22.6 behind Eckhoff. Julia Simon missed 2 at S1, but she’s clear and very quick at S2 – out 5th, ahead of the clear shooting Clare Egan. Denise Herrmann has missed 1 at S1; Hanna Öberg is losing a little time to Tiril on the final lap – she’s lost about 7 seconds by the finish, but currently 2nd. Back at S2 Røiseland has missed another. Evgeniya Pavlova [RUS] also 10/10 and pretty quick – Julia Simon [2,0] over the line, currently 3rd; interestingly she’s quicker than Røiseland [1,1] who is over the line 4th. Franzi Preuß out from S1 clear and in touch; Herrmann is 1,1 and over a minute back after S2. I missed Dunklee at S2 – she missed another 3, and Tandrevold was also 2,3. Lisa Theresa Hauser [0,1] 4th as she leaves S2; back at S1 Doro Wierer has missed 1. At present Tiril Eckhoff is looking comfortably in the lead, ahead of Hanna Öberg, Julia Simon, Marte Røiseland, Pavlova and Davidova. Herrmann best German at present; Preuß has missed 1 at S2 and is losing time to Herrmann on the lap – silly me – she’s pulled back later and is just 0.2 ahead of Denise at the finish. Hauser has crossed the line into 3rd, dropping Simon off the podium. Doro is 1,1 and out 26th after S2. Good effort by Yuliia Dzhima [0,1], into 9th. Fast skiing by Elena Kruchinkina [BLR; 0,2] into 8th. And that’s how it ended – great win for Tiril who has 29.6 seconds advantage for the pursuit.

Oberhof – Men’s 10 km Sprint, 8 Jan 21: An even bigger field – 107 starters; the weather doesn’t look nice, still misty and seems to be snowing too. At 2.3 Km, the early leader is Seb Samuelsson, just ahead of Martin Ponsiluoma. Samuelsson has missed 1 at S1; Ponsiluoma clear and out in the early lead. Antonin Guigonnat clear too but 15.2 back as he leaves S1; Jesper Nelin also clear and out 2nd, +10.7, taking over 2nd from Guigonnat. Samuelsson has missed another 1 at S2 [1,1], but Ponsiluoma has missed 2 here – even so he’s out 15.0 ahead of Seb! Back at S1 Andrejs Rastorgujevs is clear and out 3rd; Dale has missed his 5th shot. Matvey Eliseev clear and out just ahead of Rastorgujevs; Sergey Bocharnikov [1,0] now leading after S2 but JoBø has just cleared at S1 and he’s already 15.8 ahead of Ponsiluoma’s time. Nelin has missed 2 at S2; Rastorgujevs 3. Lukas Hofer clear at S1 and out 13.8 behind JoBø; at S2 Eliseev has missed 1 but out ahead of Bocharnikov – Johannes Dale faster than both of them. Doll and Peiffer both clear at S1 but over 20 seconds off JoBø’s time. Fabien Claude and Sturla Holm Laegreid both clear at S1 and out 3rd and 5th respectively. JoBø has missed 1 at S2 but he’s still out 29.0 ahead of Dale, who also had 1 miss [1,0]. Tarjei Bø clear at S1 and 9.8 slower than his little brother; Benedikt Doll has missed 1 at S2. Erik Lesser now 1,1; Hofer has missed 1 at S2 but still out just ahead of Dale. Fabien Claude has also missed 1 here and out 2.6 behind Dale. Laegreid one of very few to clear all 10 – out 1.1 behind JoBø’s time! Now Tarjei Bø has joined the elite 10/10 club and he leaves the range 3.3 ahead of Johannes! At the finish JoBø is comfortably in the lead, Luka Hofer into 2nd, Dale 3rd ahead of Ponsiluoma; Fabien Claude crosses the line 5th. Laegreid has crossed the line in 2nd, +21.6, despite his 10/10. At 9 Km Tarjei is now 4.8 behind Johannes; he’s over the line in 2nd, +10.8. Beni Weger 10/10 and out from S2 in 6th; over the line in 9th at present. Looks like an all Norwegian podium – JoBø, Tarjei and Laegreid! Well done to Lukas Hofer for getting 4th ahead of Dale and Ponsiluoma. Yes, that’s it! Simon Desthieux [0,1] the best of the French in 7th, Doll [0,1] best German but only 15th, + 1:12.0. Seems JoBø was right to say he’d come back faster after Christmas!

8 Jan 21; Adelboden [Chuenisbärgli], Men’s Giant Slalom, run 1: The start of a fairly busy weekend, with races here and in St Anton [and biathlon too]. Breaking news is that Zan Kranjec, last year’s winner [bib 4], may not start due to back problems? Alexis Pinturault first away on a course set by a French course – safely down and that looked good! This is a tough venue – steepest on the final section; Tommy Ford is bib 2 – he’s a massive 1.15 slower, still coming back from injury?! Filip Zubcic is more in touch but even he is almost a full second off the pace. Kranjec isn’t starting; Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen next and he’s the slowest so far. Now, what sort of day will Henrik Kristoffersen have today; that’s another surprise – he’s now the slowest, maybe his new setup isn’t right? Marco Odermatt has also lost quite a bit of time between inter 1 and 2; he’s into 2nd, but +0.96 – just 0.01 ahead of Zubcic. Two big errors mean Luca di Aliprandini is 2.64 off the pace; there are some good names getting big time gaps on this piste! That’s 10 away – Pinturault leads from Odermatt and Zubcic who are the only two within a second of his time.  Ford currently 4th, +1.15, ahead of Leif K N-H with Kristoffersen 6th. Kilde into 7th; great effort and superb recoveries! Gino Caviezel has skied out – apparently big brother Mauro has had a serious accident, training in Garmisch, which can’t have helped his focus – let’s hope Mauro is on the way to recovery.   Loic Meillard into 7th; Ryan C-S has had a superb final section – 1.21 off the pace at 3 in a potential 9th, but he’s got into 5th with that performance on the steep.  Justin Murisier [SUI, bib 18] has done much the same, but lost even less between 3 and the finish to take over 5th.  Nasty crash for Atle Lie McGrath, into the nets – he’s up and seems OK. Great to see Ted Ligety still racing; a few errors and the commentators reckon his technique isn’t the best way to ski this type of course – sadly slowest so far. I thought Stefan Brennsteiner might have got into the top 10 but a massive error just coming onto the steep has spoilt that! That’s better by Riccardo Tonetti – he’s in touch at 3 and a good final section gets him into 12th. Thirty away – no change to the top 4, and no change to the top 10 since Murisier went into 5th! A couple good runs from the later starters – Semyel Bissig [SUI, bib 33] into 14th; Raphael Haaser [AUT, bib 35] into 17th, Aleksander Andrienko [RUS, bib 45] taking over 17th.  Coverage has stopped, but it seems unlikely that anyone can challenge Pinturault!
Run 2: Course set by a Norwegian coach. That turn onto the steep looks just as tricky as run 1! Daniele Sette [SUI] got it right, but his lead is short lived as Roland Leitinger goes 1.23 faster. That combined time might last a while – Marco Schwarz into 2nd. Ten away and Luca di Aliprandini into joint 2nd. Almost at half way – Fabian Wilkens Solheim [NOR] into 2nd, behind Leitinger; Schwarz and di Aliprandini tied in 3rd. Semyel Bissig out – pity after such a promising first run; he seems to be OK although he’s bent one of his skis! Erik read in touch, but he’s just red at inter 3 and into 5th. Riccardo Tonetti still well green at inter 3, and he’s shown as leading but he missed a gate so that will be a DSQ. Lucas Braathen has made no such error but he’s fallen as he crossed the line; Aleksander Aamodt Kilde already on course and there’s no yellow flag – green at 3 and he takes the lead by 0.43. Obviously Kilde knew nothing of the problems at the finish – Braathen does look to be injured and has now been taken away on a stretcher. The race is now interrupted; Loic Meillard next to go and he goes 2nd, +0.18. Another TV break and then it’s Henrik Kristoffersen; red at 2 and a bit wild – into 4th.  Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen has taken over that place; Justin Murisier was off the pace at inter 3 but he’s had a superb final section to go 2nd, +0.08. Tommy Ford red by 2 and into 7th;  Filip Zubcic has gained time to inter 1 and has over a second in hand at 2 and 3 – he leads by 1.17! That was a superb run; second fastest on run 2. Marco Odermatt red at inter 1, less red at 2, redder at 3 and a good final section gets him 2nd, +0.07. Just Alexis Pinturault to come – 0.97 in hand; he’s gained a bit between 1 and 2, and that’s a great run – fastest on run 2 and he wins! Pinturault takes the win, ahead of Zubcic and Odermatt with Kilde in a very impressive 4th. Murisier in 5th, with Meillard 6th. In the GS standings Odermatt leads by just 10 points from Pinturault, who remains in the lead in the overall, where he is 60 points clear of Kilde.

9 Jan 21; Adelboden [Chuenisbärgli], Men’s Giant Slalom, run 1: This is the second GS here this weekend. It’s a nice looking day - Loic Meillard first away and safely down. Updates on the two Norwegians who crashed yesterday – Lucas Braathen has ligament damage and a cracked patella, Atle Lie McGrath [who seemed to be OK immediately after the crash] has less serious ligament tears apparently – both out for a while, probably the whole season for Braathen? That might explain why Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen is well off the pace? Marco Odermatt into 2nd; that’s a bad crash today for Tommy Ford – he seemed to recover but then went through a panel and a nasty fall followed, taking out a couple officials. Quite a long delay while the medics attend Tommy Ford and add some new safety netting. Apparently Tommy has now been evacuated by helicopter so he can be properly checked – no more info but the race should be back soon. Filip Zubcic is the first away after the interruption – he’s lost quite a bit of time between inter 3 and the line – into 3rd but just over a second off the pace. Bib 6 is Alexis Pinturault and he’s red at inter 1 but he’s pulling it back and just 0.06 red at 3 – he’s into second, +0.30. Henrik Kristoffersen on course and he’s not having a happy time here, by his standards – he’s over a second off the pace at inter 2 and into 5th, +2.08. Alex Schmid has taken over 5th place; Victor Muffat-Jeandet in touch at inter 3 but he’s lost a lot of time to the finish and goes 7th, +2.13. Fifth seems to be popular – Luca de Aliprandini has taken it over; next on course is Justin Murisier and he’s into, guess where, 5th! Gino Caviezel next, and he’ll be relieved to know that big brother Mauro’s crash wasn’t as serious as they thought yesterday – and, yes, he’s into 5th! Faivre and Read off the pace. Last racer before the TV break is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and he’s really working hard – what a run from a speed specialist to go 4th, +0.98. Roland Leitinger had a superb 2nd run yesterday and he’s going well today too – into 6th. Thibaut Favrot into 6th; latest news from hospital is that Tommy Ford is conscious and being sent for tests – it might be better than initially feared, hopefully. Coverage has shifted to the Downhill at St Anton; looking at the live ticker there have been no late changes to the top 10 so far. Run 1 over – Loic Meillard leads from Pinturault, Odermatt, Kilde, Zubcic and Favrot.
Run 2, set by an Italian coach: Tommy Ford up and talking, which seems positive although he still needs a few tests – a later update says he’s broken his leg? Fabian Wilkens Solheim has had a good run to take the early lead; Manu Feller has taken over. Good run from Christian Borgnaes [AUT] into 3rd; 10 away and Feller leads from Solheim and Borgnaes. Erik Read green to inter 3 and gaining at times but into 2nd; Marco Schwarz into 2nd and Faivre 4th - that’s half way! Giovanni Borsotti had 0.62 in hand; dead level at inter 3 and into 4th. Henrik Kristoffersen on course – 0.75 in hand as he starts, two thirds gone by inter 1 and red at 2; it’s going away from him – he’s into 16th, +1.94. Now, Luca de Aliprandini has over a second in hand and he’s keeping it to inter 2 – lost a bit later but he’s taken the lead by 0.50! Justin Murisier seemed off the pace at inter 3 but he’s had a superb final section which has got him into 2nd. Gino Caviezel is back in touch today and he’s into 2nd, +0.14 – great effort. Manu Feller off the podium, but he’s still got the fastest time on run 2 and he’s gained 17 places! Roland Leitinger into 3rd; Thibaut Favrot is making some errors but they don’t seem to be having as much effect as might be expected – a very impressive 4th. Filip Zubcic has lost a little to inter 3 but a massive final section has gained him time and he leads by 0.80! Kilde on course; slight gain to inter 1, fractionally red at 2, +0.15 at 3 but he is into 2nd, +0.43 – very impressive! Marco Odermatt gained to 3, but lost time afterwards – even so into 2nd, +0.41. Alexis Pinturault starts with an advantage of 0.72 and he’s gained to inter 1, even more to 2 and he’s 1.42 ahead at 3 – he leads by 1.26 – no surprise that he is the fastest on run 2; superb stuff. Loic Meillard has drifted into the red at inter 1 and he’s lost quite a lot from there to inter 2; great recoveries and he’s into 3rd! So, Alexis Pinturault has done the double in the GS races here, today ahead of Zubcic and Meillard; Odermatt in 4th ahead of Kilda and de Aliprandini. That puts Pinturault 40 points ahead of Odermatt in the GS standings, and 115 ahead of Kilde in the overall.

9 Jan; St Anton, Women’s Downhill: Looks a lovely day – not a good start though as Nina Ortlieb is first away and a DNF – didn’t look serious thankfully. Michelle Gisin next and she is safely down – we have lost Matt’s commentary as they have technical issues and a stand in! Lara Gut-Behrami green at inter 2 and building – she leads by 0.52. Ragnhild Mowinckel into 3rd, but +1.68. Nice to see St Anton in such good conditions – my only visit was on a day when the upper mountain was closed due to a serious blizzard; the lower slopes were open but not prepared, and in poor vis – interesting, I think, was my assessment? Anyway, Sofia Goggia next and she’s on the edge all the way – really risking it and she leads by a massive 1.34! Marta Bassino into 3rd; Corinne Suter is in touch but red all the way – into 2nd, but +1.16. Ramona Siebenhofer into 5th; Ester Ledecka still in touch at inter 3 and into 2nd, +1.10. Tamara Tippler is fast through the top speed trap and going nicely – she too has lost quite a bit between 4 and the line though – into 2nd, +0.96 – TV break; Goggia leads from Tippler and Ledecka. Elena Curtoni into joint 5th; that’s a good run from Breezy Johnson, briefly green at 2 and she ends up 3rd, +1.04. Ilka Stuhec fast at the top but that final section seems to be a very easy place to lose time – into joint 5th with Suter. Good to see Petra Vlhova racing here – that’s a very creditable 10th. Twenty away – Goggia looks secure – only Tippler is within a second of her time, Breezy Johnson 3rd ahead of Ledecka, and Stuhec/Suter. Laura Pirovano is looking good – just +0.52 at inter 4 and she’s into 5th, +1.15. Coverage moves to Oberhof for the biathlon! That was it, no change to the top 10 since Pirovano – brilliant win for Sofia Goggia, ahead of Tippler, Johnson, Ledecka, Pirovano and Stuhec/Suter.

Oberhof – Women’s 10 Km Pursuit, 9 Jan 21: Quite misty again, but better than yesterday. Tiril Eckhoff has gained a small amount of time over Hanna Öberg by 1.4 Km; Denise Herrmann has gained 4 places to there; Hanna Sola 6 places gained. Tiril at S1 – great shooting, all 5 down. Hanna Öberg has missed her first; Hauser clear and out 2nd, but +43.9, with Hanna Öberg 3rd ahead of Davidova, Røiseland and Kruchinkina. Preuß clear and 9th from 14; Herrmann has missed 2 and down to 27 from 15. Davidova up to 3rd on the lap, from 7 at the start. Eckhoff in for the second prone – she does cant the rifle, but it usually works – she’s missed her last shot. Hauser, Davidova and Røiseland all clear and out in that order, behind Tiril! Hanna Öberg has missed 2 here. Doro is 10/10 and out 18th, from 31 at the start. Sadly Denise Herrmann has missed another 2 – she’s going backwards, 15 to 33. Same for Sola [2,2], 26 to 35. Eckhoff in for the first standing shoot – all 5 down and away. Hauser clear and out +28.6 just ahead of Røiseland [15/15, +29.3]. Davidova has missed 1 and out 4th, ahead of Monika Hojnisz-Starega [0,0,0; up from 17]. Preuß has missed 2 here, so have Julia Simon, Egan and Dzhima. Doro clear again and up to 8th. Tiril in for the last shoot – slow to settle and she’s missed the last one. Røiseland is 20/20 and out 2nd, just 3.1 behind Eckhoff; Hauser has missed 1 and out 3rd, +24.7 and she has a good gap back to Doro who is also 20/20 and up to 4th just ahead of Mironova [1,0,1,0] and Hojnisz-Starega [0,0,0,1]. Sadly Davidova has missed 3 here. There is a tactical battle going on between the two Norwegians; Doro has dropped to 7th at 8.8 Km. This is a thrill – a sprint for first – Tiril gets it by 0.5! Hauser in a safe 3rd; Mironova in 4th [from 16th], ahead of Chevalier-Bouchet [10 to 5], Hojnisz-Starega [17 to 6] and Doro Wierer [31 to 7]. Other gainers include Persson [19 – 10], Elvira Öberg [24-13], Alimbekava [37-16], Hinz [33-21], Knotten [34-22], Lunder [48-23], and Hettich [44-28]. Those losing ground include Hanna Öberg [2-8], Simon [4-15], Bescond [12-20], Pavlova [6-31], Herrmann [15-32 with 7 misses], Chevalier [18-35] and Egan [13-38]. Great win for Tiril but pushed all the way by Røiseland – very enjoyable.

Oberhof – Men’s 12.5 Km Pursuit, 9 Jan 21: Last event of a very busy Saturday! Still misty; JoBø has gained a little time over his brother by 2 Km – the top 5 are still in the same order as the start. Johannes already in for his first prone – a slight pause and he missed the 5th. Tarjei clear as are Laegreid, Hofer and Dale but only Tarjei is ahead of JoBø as they leave the range! Fak clear too and up to 7 from 12th; Loginov 11th from 19. JoBø has passed Tarjei but they remain close – but the chasing pack have lost 10 seconds by 4.5 Km. The leading 2 are in for S2 – Tarjei has cleared but Johannes has missed another 1. Tarjei leads out, Dale in 2nd, +20.2 ahead of JoBø, +21.6. Laegreid and Hofer have also missed 1 and out in that order ahead of Fabien Claude. Doll clear and up to 8th, Ponsiluoma [1,3] is having a bad day, and out 27th. Tarjei in for S3 – foggier on course but fine on the range – slow but all 5 down, and he’s away. JoBø has gone for the “shoot fast” option and he’s missed 4! Dale clear and out 2nd, +17.3, Laegreid clear this time and 3rd, +32.2, Hofer [0,1,1] in 4ht, just ahead of Fak [0,0,0] and Weger [1,0,0]. Samuelsson [1,0,0] going well and up to 8th from 18. Tarjei in for the final shoot – he’s missed his first and 2 more! Dale has missed 2, Laegreid his last one! Hofer has missed 2, Fak 1 – all change!! Weger and Doll 2 each! After all that Laegreid [0,1,0,1] leads out, ahead of Dale [0,0,0,2; +10.7], Tarjei [0,0,0,3], Fabien Claude [0,0,2,0], Fak [0,0,0,1] and Hofer [0,1,1,2, +41.7]. JoBø [1,1,4,1] in 8th! Sturla Holm Laegreid takes the pursuit, ahead of Johannes Dale and Tarjei Bø – another totally Norwegian podium! Fabien Claude in 4th, then Hofer, Fak, Samuelsson [from 18] and JoBø [from 1st]. Other gainers include Arnd Peiffer [0,0,0,0; 47 to 10!], Lesser [25-11], Christina Gow [29-14], Finello [50-28] and Schempp [58- 45]. Losing places, the list includes :Ponsiluoma [6-12], Weger [9-20], Latypov [11-22], Guigonnat [22-37], Strolia [20-46] and Streltsov [27-51]. An interesting race!

Oberhof – 4 x 6 Km Mixed Relay, 10 Jan 21: Sadly this clashes with the Women’s Super G from St Anton – I wonder if I can track both? Interesting that the Norwegians have included Tandrevold after her poor performance in the sprint, but this is a different event – spare rounds! Early on Chevalier-Bouchet leads from Tandrevold, Eder [FIN], Kaisheva and Alimbekava. As the lap continues Alimbekava has opened up a gap; no one seems keen to go with her; in for S1 – Alimbekava has missed 2 and is on the penalty loop; Chevalier-Bouchet clear and leads out ahead of Hinz, Lardschneider [ITA], Jislova [CZE], Zbylut [POL] and Tandrevold – all clear with no spares used. Anais C-B in for the standing shoot – excellent stuff, all 5 down. She leads out, ahead of Vanessa Hinz [both clear with no spares], then Egan [2 spares at S1, clear here], Bendika, Persson and Tandrevold [1 spare; +23.0]. Egan past Hinz early on the lap, Tandrevold up to 4th. At exchange 1 Justine Braisaz- Bouchet takes over the lead, 11.1 ahead of Reid [USA], with Denise Herrmann just behind her, then Røiseland, and Elvira Öberg. On the lap Herrmann goes up to 2nd and Davidova is past Bulina. Justine B-B in for S3 – nicely done, all 5 down and she’s out, pity about the stumble, Herrmann also clear and away; Reid out 3rd, Røiseland needed 2 spares but out 4th, +27.0 ahead of Mironova and Zuk [POL]; Elvira is on the penalty loop and out 13th. Herrmann not closing yet, the chasing pack are working hard. Leading 2 in for S4 – Justine B-B has missed her first, 2 spares and away, 8.4 ahead of Herrmann who also needed 2 spares. Svetlana Mironova clear and out 3rd, +9.5, then Røiseland [1 spare], Zuk [0], Reid [1]. On the lap Mironova is closing on J B-B, and past Herrmann! She’s into the lead! Røiseland has closed too; at exchange 2 Alex Loginov leads by 7.6 from Benedikt Doll, good work by Denise Herrmann to get Germany back [did Justine have a stumble?], and Fabien Claude is 3rd, ahead of Dale [+14.3]. On the lap Claude is past Doll as they head for S5 – Loginov has missed 1, France 2and Germany 1 – Alex Loginov away, Doll +1.4, Dale clear and +2.1, Claude has use 2 spares and he’s +10.2. Bocharnikov has got Belarus up to 5th, ahead of Weger. Dale tracking Loginov; he’s got past Doll after a slight clash. In for S6 and no wind showing on the flags – Loginov has missed 1, but so have Dale and Doll, Claude 2. Loginov out 9.6 ahead of Dale with Doll just over another second back, Claude +19.8, just ahead of Bocharnikov and Weger; Nelin on the penalty loop. Dale is closing on Loginov, Doll steady. Dale has got the gap down to 3.6 at the final exchange, as Laegreid takes over just behind Latypov; Peiffer out +10.9, ahead of QFM [+18.3], Smolski [BLR, +24.5] and Wiestner [SUI, +34.6]. On the lap QFM has gained 10 seconds to get right onto Peiffer’s heels! Laegreid leading in for the final prone shoot – Latypov clear and away, Peiffer 2nd [0 spares], +14.5, then QFM [0, +14.8], Laegreid [1], Smolski [1], and Wiestner [SUI, 2, +56.3]. Laegreid has gone into 2nd and the chasing 3 are closing on Latypov as they come in for the final shoot! Latypov and Peiffer missing. QFM clear and he leads out, 7.6 ahead of Laegreid [1] then Latypov [2], +9.3. Arnd Peiffer is on the penalty loop and out 5th, some 8 seconds behind Smolski [no spares]! On the lap Laegreid and Latypov have closed on QFM – they are both past and Fillon Maillet is dropped. A sprint for the line and Latypov takes the win for Russia [0+7]. Norway [0+7] in 2nd ahead of France [0+6]. Belarus [1+5] in a well-deserved 4th ahead of Germany [1+7] and Switzerland [0+7]. I wonder where Belarus might have finished if Alimbekava had taken lap 1 a little more slowly and avoided the penalty loop?

Oberhof – Single Mixed Relay, 10 Jan 21: Now there’s a powerful team for Norway – Tiril Eckhoff and JoBø! Germany have Hettich and Lesser, France Simon and Jacquelin, Sweden Hanna Öberg and Samuelsson, Italy Wierer and Hofer and Russia Pavlova and Eliseev. Looks like the Czech Republic aren’t starting? Race on – Hettich has taken a fall, squeezed out at the corner. Now this live ticker has gone mad – showing everyone as the same elapsed time at 0.8n Km! In for the first prone – all very close [although not identical!]. Some good shooting – Hanna Öberg leads out, ahead of Julia Simon, Tiril, Cadurish [SUI], and Pavlova, +3.8 – no spares for any of them; I think it was Slovakia who are on the penalty loop? A big bunch in for S2, with the men standing by for leg 2 – this is all very quick! Very quick by Julia Simon who leads out ahead of Eckhoff; Russia and Ukraine in all sorts of problems and they aren’t alone. Straight into exchange 1 – Jacquelin away just 3.7 ahead of JoBø, Samuelsson is 10.7 behind in 3rd as he takes over, then CAN/ITA/KAZ. Jacquelin and JoBø are in for S3 – both clear and the Norwegian leads out; Seb Samuelsson out 3rd, +7.2, then Gow, Hofer and Kireyev [KAZ], with Erik Lesser in 7th, +25.1. I am getting very fed up with the Bridgestone advert, it’s on almost every break! Just back in time for S4 – JoBø has missed 2. Jacquelin away and at the next exchange France are 16.4 clear, ahead of Norway, Germany [well done Erik Lesser], Sweden, Canada and Italy. On the lap Hanna Öberg and Emma Lunder are past Hettich. Simon in for S5, she’s missed her first as Eckhoff settles – Tiril away [0 spares], then Simon [2], +5.1, Öberg [0], Hettich [0], Lunder [0] and Dunklee [0], +37.7. On the lap Simon is back with Eckhoff – they are coming in for S6 already; Simon has used 1 spare and away but Eckhoff is doing 3 penalty loops! Hanna Öberg [1 spare] is 2nd, ahead of Lunder [1], Sola [BLR 1] and Hettich [2]. Somehow Eckhoff is 6th, +51.2 despite those penalty loops! Jacquelin has a 30 second advantage over Samuelsson with Christian Gow in 3rd, just ahead of Labastu [BLR] and JoBø. The final prone shoot and Jacquelin is clear and away; Samuelsson has done the same and he’s a few seconds closer. Gow clear, +45.6 ahead of Lesser [1], +51.2. JoBø has used all 3 spares and now 6th, +1:04.6. Sean Doherty seems to have done 2 penalty loops. Emilien Jacquelin in for his last shoot – that was very quick and all 5 down in superb style! Samuelsson out, 1 spare, with JoBø out 3rd! Lesser needed 2 spares and out 7.7 seconds behind JoBø! A very good race for the French [0+3] who cruised to the win. Sweden [0+5] in 2nd and somehow Norway [3+8] have managed to get the final podium place! Germany [0+6] in 4th ahead of Belarus [0+6] and Canada [0+4]. Russia [2+12] in 9th, USA [2+8] in 11th. Well done to Belgium [0+4] getting 12th.

12 Jan 21; Flachau [Hermann Meier] , Women’s Night Slalom, run 1: A busy evening ahead – 67 starters for run 1, including Charlie Guest [bib 35]. Happy Birthday Ed Drake! Not the best evening sadly as it’s snowing; quite an offset pattern of gates on this run – not sure who set it yet. Ah, it’s a German coach. Wendy Holdener first away and she’s down. Petra Vlhova is bib 2, and fresh [?] form the speed races last weekend; she’s red at inter 2, redder at 3 but she’s pulled back time – into 2nd, +0.06. The commentators reckon she might, unsurprisingly, be rather tired after such a schedule? Chiara Mair over a second off the pace; Katharina Truppe even slower – odd as they practice here! The piste is apparently very hard and icy so it looks hard to get enough purchase at times? Mikaela Shiffrin green at 1, less green at 2, slightly red at 3 but a good final section gives her the lead by 0.08. Katharina Liensberger into 4th; Michelle Gisin pulled back a little between 2 and 3, but a big error on the rollers drops her to 5th. Lena Dürr slowest so far; Emelie Wikström has taken over that dubious honour! Erin Mielzynski the first DNF; Kristin Lysdahl briefly into 6th until Irene Curtoni takes over that place. First TV break – Shiffrin leads from Holdener and Vlhova; given that the Austrians know the rollers here so well, it might be a little disappointing that Liensberger is their best in 4th with Mair 8th. The course seems to be holding up well and the fresh snow apparently isn’t heavy enough to spoil the surface, but the later starters are finding it hard to get in touch; the last change to the top 10 was when Laurence St-Germain [bib 14] went into 10th. Next TV break – Shiffrin leads from Holdener, Vlhova, Liensberger, Gisin and Irene Curtoni. Quite a good run from Asa Ando [bib28] into 16 and Paula Moltzan [bib 29] has done even better, going into joint 12th – she’s making a habit of this! That’s coverage over for run 1; Charlie Guest has gone into 27th at present; Kaja Norbye [NOR bib 49] has gone into 25th and sadly that’s Charlie Guest out of the top 30 – no second run. That’s a good one – Camille Rast [SUI, bib 57] into 14th!
Run 2: Still snowing, and it looks a bit heavier now! Sara Rask [SWE] safely down and those are her first World Cup points! Five away and Kaja Norbye leads Nastasia Noens and Anita Gulli. Melanie Meillard has gained a lot from 2 to 3, and a bit more to the finish – she leads by 0.70. Ana Bucik into 2nd; Sara Hector has taken over that place. Well, half way already and some of the athletes are struggling on this course – Meillard still leads from Hector with Tviberg in 3rd, ahead of Bucik, Wikström and Norbye. Melanie Meillard has gained 10 places on this run so far. Martina Dubovska [CZE] into 4th; I was impressed by Camille Rast’s first run and she’s pushing hard on run 2 as well – into the lead by 0.46; not bad for bib 57! Lena Dürr into 2nd; Paula Moltzan is having a good day too – she’s 2nd now, but only until Laurence St-Germain takes it away! Katharina Truppe into 4th, and that’s another TV break – Rast leads from St Germain and Moltzan. Chiara Mair was in touch all the way but she’s missed the lead by just 0.02! That’s disappointing for Lysdahl – she’s into 11th; Curtoni is a DNF. Now, Michelle Gisin has 0.84 in hand as she tries to depose her fellow Swiss athlete – she’s gained a little to 1 and 2, still green at 3 and she’s gaining again – she leads by 1.03; the second fastest time on run 2. Katharina Liensberger is almost a second ahead at inter 2 and 1.46 ahead at 3 – that’s the new best time on run 2 as she takes the lead by 1.33; that’s more what we expected from the Austrians! Petra Vlhova next , -0.19 at the start; she’s gained to 1,lost a bit to 2 and into the red at 3 – she’s hugely fit but with such a punishing schedule it’s no surprise that there were a couple errors - into 2nd, +0.43. Wendy Holdener has also gained a bit to inter 1, but the advantage has halved by 2; red at 3 but she’s pulled back a little to go 2nd, +0.24 – that will be her 25th World Cup slalom podium, but no wins! Just Mikaela Shiffrin – still green at 3 but the advantage is bleeding away; a bit of a gain and she takes the win! Her 68th World Cup victory I think and her 100th podium? Great win for Shiffrin, ahead of Liensberger [best time on run 2] and Holdener with Vlhova 4th, then Gisin and Rast [who gained 8 places on run 2]. Melanie Meillard ended up 13th, but with the 3rd best time on run 2, and she gained 13 places!

Apparently the men will be in Flachau next weekend as the races scheduled for Wengen have had to be moved!

Oberhof II – Men’s 10 km Sprint, 13  Jan 21: The second sprint series here; 101 starters today – group 3 seems to be the preferred option? Eurosport getting greedy – an advert break before the early starters get to S1? Conditions don’t look too bad, but it is a bit windier than last week – Rok Trsan the first to go clear at S1 but his ski speed isn’t that good; Antonin Guigonnat also clear and he is much more in touch – he leads after S1 at present. Roman Rees has also gone clear at S1 – out 8.1 behind Guigonnat, who is setting a good pace on his lap too. Pavel Magazeev [MDA] clear at S1 and faster than Rees; Laegreid is in – lucky with the wind maybe – he’s clear and quick – out 16.9 ahead of Guigonnat! Arnd Peiffer also clear at S1 and just 4.8 behind Laegreid; at S2 Guigonnat has missed 2. Seb Samuelsson clear at S1 and tied with Peiffer; Rastorgujevs has missed 1 but still out ahead of Magazeev and Rees, who has just missed his last shot at S2. Martin Ponsiluoma is very quick into S1 but he’s missed 2 there; Benedikt Doll clear and out +6.6. Peiffer is losing time to Laegreid on the lap, while Rastorgujevs is ahead of Guigonnat’s time at 5.6 Km now! At S2 Magazeev [0,1] is leading for a couple minutes until Laegreid becomes the first to go 10/10 and leaves the range over a minute ahead. Arnd Peiffer is also 10/10 but 16.5 behind Laegreid; Erik Lesser clear at S1 and just 2.5 behind Laegreid there and QFM is even more in touch, +1.6! Samuelsson is 10/10 but out behind Rastorgujevs [1,0]. I missed Jakov Fak at S2 – he’s 10/10 but his time is slower than Doll who missed 1 there. Sturla Holm Laegreid over the line well in the lead; back at S1 Luka Hofer is clear and out ahead of Laegreid! However, one JoBø is at S1 and he’s clear and out 3.7 ahead of Hofer! At S2 Erik Lesser is 10/10 and out ahead of Peiffer, but 13.6 behind Laegreid. Samuelsson has taken a wrong turn heading for the line and fallen – we’ll be seeing that clip again, I suspect! He’s out of the top 10. At present it’s Laegreid, Peiffer and Doll as the top 3; Doll the only one with a miss. That’s some ski speed – Martin Ponsiluoma [2,0] over the line in 3rd, only to be pushed down  a place by Pidruchnyi [0,1]. JoBø is flying on the lap as he heads for S2; Dale has missed 1 at S2 but he’s faster than Doll. Erik Lesser over the line in 3rd; JoBø at S2 – he’s 10/10 and out 9.1 ahead of Laegreid. Pity – Hofer has missed 2 at S2. Tarjei Bø clear at S1 but 22.4 back as he paused to adjust his sights after 3 shots. At 7.5 Km JoBø is now 14.0 ahead of Laegreid, but he’s back to 11.9 at 9 Km. Lukas Hofer is over the line in 5th, despite his 2 misses - that’s even better than Ponsiluoma! JoBø over the line in the lead and he looks tired; beating Laegreid seems to require something special! Tarjei has missed 1 at S2; out 17th, +53.6! Matvey Eliseev is 10/10 and out 5th, just behind Peiffer’s time. Tarjei over the line in 12th, at present; looking at S2 it’s a little odd to see Bjøntegaard and Femling both 10/10 but over a minute back. Eliseev [0,0] over the line 10th, but he’s slower than Ponsiluoma and Hofer who had 2 misses each!! That’s it – another impressive win for JoBø, and a good run from Laegreid too in 2nd – he’s having a good season! Well done to Arnd Peiffer getting the last podium place, with Lesser in a very creditable 4th, ahead of Dale and Hofer.

Oberhof II – Women’s 7.5 km Sprint, 14 Jan 21: Again, 101 starters with a sprinkling of world cup ranked athletes all the way through. Maren Hammerschmidt gets the race started; very nice shooting at S1 by her; quick and accurate but Julia Schwaiger is also clear and skiing faster. Chloe Chevalier is also clear and in touch, as is Knotten. Alimbekava is skiing fast but she’s missed 1 at S1; same for Denise Herrmann. Røiseland on track – the commentators are wondering if she’s had a fall as she doesn’t seem to be moving well? Julia Simon also fast but she’s missed 4 at S1. Røiseland has caught up coming into the range but she too has missed 1. Anais Chevalier-Bouchet is clear at S1 and currently fastest there, just ahead of Justine Braisaz-Bouchet; Schwaiger is 10/10 [one of only 2 so far] and quickest there at present. Back at S1 Hanna Öberg has missed 1, but Hauser is clear. Alimbekava clear at S2 [1,0] and in touch too. Denise Herrmann has missed another 2 at S2; out 7th just ahead of Knotten who as just 1 penalty loop. Doro Wierer is clear at S1; Anais C-B has missed 1 at S2, but still out ahead of Schwaiger’s time. Tiril Eckhoff clear at S1 and out 5.7 ahead of Anais C-B. Justine B-B [apparently although she and Anais have both married a Bouchet, those aren’t brothers!] clear at S2 and leads there at present. Hanna Öberg clear this time and out 4th; her sister is clear at S1 and out 5th. At S2 Lisa Theresa Hauser is 10/10 and just 0.9 behind Justine B-B; Preuß has missed 1 at S2. Now, Doro has just gone 10/10 and she’s out 4.8 ahead of Justine’s time! Tandrevold and Eckhoff have both missed 1 atS2; Tiril though is just 3.6 behind Doro and ahead of Justine B-B despite that miss! Interesting – Justine Braisaz-Bouchet [0,0] over the finish line, but only 4.1 ahead of Anais C-B [0,1]; Hanna Öberg [1,0] into 3rd, +18.8. At 7 Km Hauser is fastest so far; Doro has gone faster but at 5.8 Km Eckhoff is ahead and she’s just passed 7 Km 5.7 ahead. At the finish Tiril Eckhoff [0.1] leads by 9.3 from Doro Wierer [0,0]; Hauser [0,0] 3rd, then Justine B-B [0,0], Anais C-B [0,1] and Preuß [0,1]. Back at S1 Marketa Davidova is fast but she’s missed 1. A little earlier we saw someone down, by the side of the track – Norwegian from the kit – maybe Tandrevold, as she shows as leaving S2 but not going through 5.8 Km? Davidova at S2 and out [1,1], +40.3. Yuliia Dzhima [0,2]; pity! Susan Dunklee isn’t having much luck – 3 misses and over 3 minutes down on Eckhoff. Well, that’s it – a very impressive win for Tiril Eckhoff, despite 1 miss! Nice to see Doro back towards normal and 2nd, with Hauser getting the final podium place. The French in 4 and 5 with Preuß the best of the Germans in 6th. Hanna Öberg in 7th, ahead of Røiseland. Tandrevold now shown as DNF – hope she’s OK!

Pity there aren't pursuits this time!

Oberhof II – Men’s 4 x 7.5 km Relay, 15 Jan 21: Obviously a strong Norwegian team, although Laegreid isn’t racing, France look good too, but this is biathlon so pretty much anything could happen. It is snowing a little, but conditions look pretty good and at present there isn’t much wind. Erik Lesser taking the first leg; Christiansen for Norway, Femling [SWE]. Desthieux [FRA] and Moravec [CZE]. The pace isn’t too hectic on this first lap but it seems to be picking up a little as they head to S1 – first 8 out with no spares, led by Labastu [BLR], then Christiansen, Bormolini, Weger, Tyschenko and Dovzan. Desthieux among those using 1 spare and out 11th, Lesser has used 2 and lies 18th, +16.1. No penalty loops this time. We’re up to full race pace now, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen leading Bormolini and Weger – those 3 have opened a small gap. They are in for S2 – Christiansen is taking a while, but needed just 1 spare. Good work by Lesser – came in 13th, went clear this time with fast shooting and he’s out 2nd, just 0.8 behind Bormolini [1 spare]. Weger [1] in 3rd, ahead of Labastu, Desthieux and Christiansen. No penalty loops but a few athletes have used 5 spares so far. Christiansen gaining places on the lap; he’s pulled back some 6 seconds by 7 Km, and is up to 3rd, Desthieux in 4th. Lesser hands over to Doll; Christiansen has slipped back a bit and hands over to Dale in 5th, behind Italy [Hofer], France [QFM]and Switzerland [Finello]. Looks like Belarus are the only ones to not use any spares and they are 6th. Hofer just past Doll on the lap – top 5 separated by just 2.6 seconds. All change at S3 – Lukas Hofer clear and away, ahead of QFM [0], Finello [0], Doll [1], Bocharnikov [BLR, 0] and Stvrtecky [CZE, 0]. That’s rare – Dale on the penalty loop and out 15th, +1:19.0. Simon Eder has also been on the loop, as has Ponsiluoma. Hofer is really going for it – he’s opened up a gap. Now, he’s in for his standing shoot – has that pace affected him? Seems not – he’s clear and away; QFM also clear and out +13.1, ahead of Doll [1], Finello [2], Bocharnikov [1] and Scott Gow [CAN]. Johannes Dale is clear this time and up to 8th, but +1:24.2. Hofer going well on the lap and he’s opened up a little more by 14.5 km; Doll [+16.7] just past QFM but that’s very close; Finello now over a minute back. Exchange 2 and Italy [Giacomel] are away 17.7 ahead of Germany [Peiffer] with France [Fabien Claude] +18.1. Norway [Tarjei Bø] up to 4th, but +1:13.7, then Switzerland [Wiestner] and Ukraine [Dudchenko]. Tommaso Giacomel is really pushing – he’s pulled out over 6 seconds on Peiffer and Claude by 15.8 Km! Leading 3 in for S5; Giacomel has missed his first and one more but the chasing 2 have also missed 1 each. Giacomel leads out [2], from Claude [+3.4, 1] and Peiffer [+4.9, 1]. Tarjei is clear and out 4th, +50.6 ahead of Wiestner [0], and Dudchenko [UKR, 0]. Poor Yaliotnau [BLR] is doing 3 penalty loops. On the lap it’s Claude, Giacomel and Peiffer; at the next timing point Tarjei has pulled back even more, but still 40+ behind. Leading 3 in for S6 – that’s good by Giacomel – his standing percentage isn’t good but he’s the only one to go out with no spares; he leads from Claude [1, +10.4] and Peiffer [+12.4, 1]. Tarjei clear [+55.1] and 4th, then a gap to Wiestner [2 ] and Dudchenko [0]. Ukraine are the best on the range so far – just one spare so far. Leitner [AUT] has done 2 penalty loops. On the final lap to the exchange Peiffer is just past Claude while Giacomel is 12.7 behind at 22 Km; Tarjei has the gap back to 50.5. Now, Philipp Horn is taking over for Germany – maybe an odd choice and he has just 6.4 seconds advantage over Jacquelin, with Windisch 23.9 back. JoBø has taken over in 4th, +55.0, ahead of Switzerland [Burkhalter] and Ukraine [Pryma]. Jacquelin is up with Horn; JoBø has taken 10 seconds out of Windisch; no teams lapped so far. In for S7 - Horn has missed all 5 – 2 down with spares but 3 penalty loops for him! Jacquelin out [1 spare], then Windisch [0, +21.7], and JoBø [0, +35.7]. Horn out 4th, +1:35.7 then Burkhalter [1] and Latypov [RUS, 1]. JoBø is now up with Windisch and he’s eased back to stay there, it seems. Final shoot – one spare for Jacquelin and away. JoBø is clear and he’s out 2nd, +23.1; Windisch has used 2 spares but he look safe in 3rd, +44.7. Latypov is clear and out 4th, Horn out 2 seconds behind him after using another 2 spares. Pryma is clear and past Burkhalter. JoBø hasn’t given up yet - at 29.5 Km the gap is down to 11.1! France [0+6] have taken the win, and very well-deserved; what an effort by the Bø brothers to get Norway [1+4] into 2nd ahead of Italy [0+5]. My nomination for athlete of the day is difficult – great leg from Hofer, superb mental strength from Giacomel, and amazing speed and shooting from JoBø! Maybe a draw! Russia [0+9] in 4th ahead of Germany [3+11] and Ukraine [0+2].

16 Jan 21; Flachau [Hermann Meier], Men’s Slalom, run 1: Poor FIS must be working overtime – what with weather cancellations to reschedule and now various venues being unable to fully Covid proof races and asking for them to be moved! This race should have been at Wengen, but now it’s here [although Wengen is apparently open to recreational skiers??]! This will apparently be the flattest piste that the men will ski on this season – however it’s already caught out Daniel Yule who has skied out! Bib 2 is Ramon Zenhaeusern; I think the course has been set by a Slovenian coach and Zenhaeusern is safely down, but he doesn’t seem too happy with that run? Linus Strasser is red at 1 and 2 but dead level at 3 – into 2nd, +0.06. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag is nicely green at inter 1 and building to 3; he leads by 0.58, that was a nice run! Marco Schwarz on course and kicking up a fair bit of snow – into 2nd, +0.47. Clement Noel slightly red at 1, less red at 2 and green at 3 – he leads by 0.23; next away will be Henrik Kristoffersen – also red at 1 but redder at 2 and over a second back at 3 – he’s into 6th and +1.72, he’s not happy here. His form really has been all over the place this season – he’s not happy with the cameras either! There is a suggestion that Loic Meillard has hip pain – certainly he’s over a second back at the finish and into 6th. Manu Feller into 3rd, +0.25; Alexis Pinturault is also off the pace and red all the way – into 8th, +1.68, only marginally ahead of Kristoffersen! Alex Khoroshilov likes icy pistes and this seems to suit his approach – green at 1 and 2 but then he’s in trouble off one of the rollers and he’s a DNF after a straddle. Dave Ryding red at 1 but in touch, going redder though and he’s taken over 8th, +1.45. At the start Finlay suggested that with no real steeps the times might be very close, but it seems not – this snow is causing problems as is the very technical set; maybe there is also a slight feeling that this “should be easy”? Now Victor Muffat-Jeandet is into 8th, +1.32; Alex Vinatzer has joined the DNFs. First TV break, Noel leads from Seb F-S, Feller, Schwarz, Zenhaeusern and Strasser. Clement Noel the only one to get a sub 55 second time. The visibility is starting to get worse as the snow comes in a little more. Tanguy Nef into 10th; Kristoffer Jakobsen is one of those who is enjoying this venue – into 4th, +0.44 despite nose butting one of the gates! Fabio Gstrein in touch on the upper sections, very close to a straddle and he’s 8th, +1.17. Christian Hirschbühl into 9th; he may well be the last into the top 10 as the ruts begin to build up? Stefano Gross [bib 28] has proved me wrong – into 10th! And again; Sandro Simonet [SUI] into 8th, +1.05 – very nice skiing! That’s 40 away – no change to the top 6; Simonet the last into the top 10 at present. Well done to Johannes Strolz [AUT, bib 42], into 14th; that drops Dave Ryding to 15th – might be handy for run 2? Laurie Taylor and Billy Major both DNFs; that’s run 1 over – no late changes.
Run 2: Set by a Norwegian coach, which might help Kristoffersen recover some places? The snow is quite a bit heavier, which won’t help visibility. Five away and Albert Popov [BUL] leads. Odd to see Michael Matt so far down the list after run 1, and after an error he’s only 3rd; Henrick Kristoffersen has gained time to inter 1, lost a good chunk to 2 and just red at 3 – late in the line and he’s only 3rd, +0.18. The snow is heavier and Manfred Mölgg has skied out; Alexis Pinturault is nicely green all the way – much more like it and he’s into the lead by 0.64! Tanguy Nef a bit off at inter 2 but he pulled back from there to go 2nd, +0.04! Luca Aerni has done something similar but even more effective as he takes the lead by 0.13 after being red at inter 3. That’s the new best time on run 2; we are half-way – Aerni leads from Pinturault and Nef. Dave Ryding will be the first after the TV break, on a smoothed track, which should help him. He’s gained a bit to inter 1 and a lot more to 2; 0.66 ahead at inter 3 but then he’s lost time – still good enough to take the lead by 0.06. Loic Meillard red at inter 2 and into 5th – the satellite picture is awful – a Eurosport problem in Paris, apparently! Stefano Gross red by inter 1 and can only manage 11th; Dave Ryding has gained 4 places so far! Christian Hirschbühl into 6th; Eurosport have lost the connection – their team are clearing snow on the roof, it seems! On the ticker I can see that Fabio Gstrein is also into the red and getting redder – he can only manage 8th. Eight to go – Ryding leads from Aerni and Pinturault. Sandro Simonet has lost almost half a second to inter 1 and by the next timing point he’s over a second back – conditions are deteriorating fast. Picture back as Linus Strasser sets up – the snow is now really heavy; Strasser still just green at 2 and he’s held that to 3 despite a problem on the roller – great recovery and he leads by 0.38! Ramon Zenhaeusern is red, green, red and ends up 2nd, +0.10! Marco Schwarz has built on his advantage all the way – he leads by 0.50; second best time on run 2. Jakobsen has straddled; Manu Feller has gained a lot from 1 to 2, lost a bit to 3 and gained to the finish – a superb run and he leads by 0.70; no surprise that he’s just got the fastest time on run 2. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag on course; his coach set this one but he’s red at 1 and even redder at 2 – he’s into 3rd, +0.81. Just Clement Noel to come, with 0.25 in hand – just 0.08 left at 1, just red at 2, a tiny recovery to 3 but he’s very unlucky with the snow – into 2nd. Manu Feller takes a great win; Clement Noel in 2nd, splitting the Austrians as Schwarz takes 3rd. Seb F-S in 4th, ahead of Strasser and Zenhaeusern; Dave Ryding in 7th, Pinturault 9th and Kristoffersen 18th.

16 Jan; Kranjska Gora [Podkoren 3], Women’s Giant Slalom, run 1: Looks nicer here than at Flachau; certainly the visibility is better; apparently it’s -12C at the finish. This race should have been in Maribor – another one that has moved, this time due to lack of snow! I think this course was set by an Austrian coach? Michelle Gisin first away and she’s down; that’s a long course and very icy in places! Federica Brignone green at 1, but red at 2 and 3 – she’s +0.77 at the finish. Alice Robinson is a bit off the pace, and an error between 2 and 3 hasn’t helped; into 3rd but +2.06. Tessa Worley doing a bit of freestyle on her run – into 2nd, +0.58. Petra Vlhova is bib 5 – in touch at 1 and 2 and just 0.19 behind at 3 – nice run and she’s into 2nd, +0.24. Marta Bassino is flying – 0.32 ahead at 1, 0.51 at 2 and she leads by 0.27! Mikaela Shiffrin next, she’s fractionally red at inter 1, bit redder at 2, +0.30 at 3 and she’s into 4th, +0.54 – just 3 hundredths behind Vlhova. Wendy Holdener has been unlucky – caught a bump and out at gate 4; Steph Brunner also a DNF. First TV break – Bassino leads from Gisin, Vlhova, Shiffrin, Worley and Brignone. The course is starting to get bumpy and rutted – Mowinckel is no slouch and she’s over 3 seconds off the pace! Elena Curtoni into 10th, and that’s a good effort. I might well be wrong, again, but it doesn’t look like any of the later starters will make it into the top 10? Ha; I am wrong again – Ramona Siebenhofer has had a cracking run into 7th from bib 25! And, here comes Nina O’Brien, experienced in the icy east coast resorts, into 7th from bib 27! Good run from Maryna Gasienica-Daniel too – 11th place; Eva-Maria Brem is also no slouch but she’s over 6 seconds adrift! Thirty away – Bassino leads from Gisin, Vlhova, Shiffrin, Worley and Brignone. That’s worthy of note – Adriana Jelinkova [NED] into 12th. Alex Tilley has missed a gate and joined the DNFs. Good effort by Julia Scheib [AUT, bib 39] into 18th and Valerie Grenier [CAN, bib 55] into 21st!
Run 2: I seem to recall that an American coach set this one? Tina Robnik first away and she seems to have picked up a knee injury – she’s obviously in pain; not sure what caused that? It really sounds icy here; Priska Nufer [SUI] has taken an early lead; others are finding it hard to keep grip on some turns! Cassidy Gray [CAN, bib 58] did well to get a second run, but she’s missed a gate; Ragnhild Mowinckel more in touch this time and she’s into the lead. Valerie Grenier was quite red at 2 but she’s back to dead level at 3 and she has taken over the lead by just 0.05! Sofia Goggia better on run 2 – best time so far and she leads by 0.47. Julia Scheib gained from 1 to 2 but a big error, hooking her hand up on a gate, and she’s 8th. That’s a good run from Doriane Escane [FRA, bib 36] into 5th; that’s half-way – Goggia leads from Grenier and Mowinckel. Messy start by Alice Robinson but she’s gained a bit from 1 to 2; briefly red at 3 but a fast final section has got her into the lead. Elena Curtoni has gained to inter 1, lost it again to 2, red at 3 and into joint 3rd. Lara Gut-Behrami has also gained a lot to 1, still has it at 2 and over a second ahead at 3 – she leads by 1.08! That’s a good result for Adriana Jelinkova; into 2nd, +0.84. Only briefly though as Maryna Gasienica-Daniel has had a good run to go 2nd, +0.64; Meta Hrovat, cheered on by the course workers, is into 2nd now though. Ramona Siebenhofer has gained to inter 1 and still has a good advantage at 2; she’s kept enough in hand to take over the lead by 0.31. Nina O’Brien a bit wild on run 2 and into 7th; Federica Brignone almost lost it, and is red at 2 but she’s recovered well and back green at 3 to hold on and take the lead by 0.44! Tessa Worley dead level at 1 but massively ahead at 2 and she leads by 1.30 – that’s a challenge for the remaining racers! Mikaela Shiffrin can’t match that – red at 2 and she’s into 3rd. Petra Vlhova next – bit clumsy between 1 and 2 and she’s into the red by 2 – into 2nd. Michelle Gisin also red at 2, and now she’s into 2nd; Worley’s final section was amazing! Marta Bassino has gained to inter 1 and is still over a second ahead at 2; nicely green at 3 and that’s a super run to win by 0.80! Well done Marta Bassino, with Tessa Worley in a well-deserved 2nd [fastest on run 2] and Michelle Gisin 3rd. Vlhova 4th ahead of Brignone and Shiffrin.

17 Jan; Kranjska Gora [Podkoren 3], Women’s Giant Slalom II, run 1: Looks another nice day there, but very icy; first away this time is Mikaela Shiffrin. That looked very good – relaxed and apparently error free? Course set by a German coach. Marta Bassino next and slightly red all the way, losing a little more from 3 to the finish to end up +0.30. Petra Vlhova is bib 3 and she’s a bit more off the pace; I wonder if the very busy schedule is making even her a bit tired? She’s over the line +1.43 and doesn’t look over impressed by that run. Michelle Gisin is fractionally green at inter 2, slightly red at 3 and into 3rd, +0.44. Federica Brignone is looking a bit ragged today – she goes 5th, +1.93. Alice Robinson hasn’t really got last season’s form back yet – she goes into 5th, +1.53. Tessa Worley is slightly green at inter 1, red at 2 after an athletic recovery and into 4th, +0.96. Lara Gut-Behrami well in touch on the upper sections but she lost time on the final section to go 5th, +1.27. Steph Brunner has skied out today as well – not her weekend. Poor Sara Hector struggling to get grip and she’s 5.51 off the pace at the line – surely no second run? Meta Hrovat looking more in touch than some – she’s into 4th, +0.86. Sofia Goggia has also started well, but losing more time after inter 2 – she’s 6th and that’s 15 away. Shiffrin leads from Bassino, Gisin, Hrovat, Worley and Goggia. There are some big time gaps for some of the later starters – the icy conditions really don’t suit some racers; when the light catches the surface you can see it’s sheet ice in some places! Ramona Siebenhofer into 12th, and she’s the best of the Austrians at present. Once again Maryna Gasienica-Daniel is one of the best of the later starters, enjoying the conditions to go 10th. Nina O’Brien into 14th; no joy for Adriana Jelenkova today – nasty looking fall and she’s slid into the nets. No news but it looks as though she will be taken off the hill in a sled? Well, she’s on her way and the race has resumed; bib 30 is Valerie Grenier and she’s gone into 16th – good effort! No change to the top 10 since Maryna Gasienica-Daniel. Sadly Alex Tilley has joined the DNFs, and she isn’t the last. Julia Scheib [AUT, bib 38] started well and was in touch at inter 2 but lost time lower down – still into 14th though! Worth noting - Roberta Midali [ITA, bib 50], into 19th, Neja Dvornik [SLO, bib 55] into 18th and Cassidy Gray [CAN, bib 57] has had another good first run to go joint 14th with Scheib. That’s run 1 over – 16 DNFs; racers are getting a second run if they are within 4.34 of Shiffrin’s time – amazing!
Run 2: Still very icy, and there are some cross ruts too, to add a little spice! This pattern of gates set by an Italian coach. Good run from Roberta Milesi [ITA] to take the early lead; Andrea Filser [GER] has taken over, by 0.40; Elena Curtoni into 2nd. Lovely start by Andreja Slokar [SLO] building to inter 2 and then holding on to it to lead by 0.59! Mina Fuerst Holtmann red at 1 and 2 but gaining from there to lead by 0.13; Ragnhild Mowinckel has gained a lot to inter 1 and now she has taken over the lead! Midali is safely down in 5th, and she will get some World Cup points. Valerie Grenier is going well – she too has gained time and takes over the lead by 0.61! Katharina Liensberger briefly red at 3 but she’s pulled back to take over the lead by just 0.01! Nina O’Brien has gone into the lead; that’s half-way. Julia Scheib into 4th; Cassidy Gray a little cautious and just 14th. Ramona Siebenhofer has gained to 1, lost a bit to 2 and 3 but a great final section has gained again and she leads by 0.67. Federica Brignone was really flying – over a second ahead but she’s slipped and gone through a gate. Wendy Holdener has had another good second run – she leads by 1.02! Maryna Gasienica-Daniel into 2nd, but +0.92; Alice Robinson has gone 2nd, but she’s fallen in the finish area – quite a bump but she seems OK. Petra Vlhova a bit off the pace and into 3rd; Lara Gut-Behrami has gained a lot from inter 2 to the line – great skiing and she leads by 1.00 – superb. Sofia Goggia into 2nd; Tessa Worley has taken over that spot. That’s a really superb run from Meta Hrovat – a couple snags but even so she leads by 0.41. Michelle Gisin has lost time from 2 to 3 but she’s got enough left to lead by 0.07! Marta Bassino has gained from 1 to 2 and even more to 3 – now she leads by 0.66. Mikaela Shiffrin green at 1 but less that she started with – she’s off it this time – over a second back at 3 and she can only manage 6th! That was a surprise after such a good first run. Well done to Marta Bassino – that’s the double this weekend! Michelle Gisin in 2nd with local girl Meta Hrovat on the podium in 3rd. Lara G-B 4th, Tessa Worley 5th and Shiffrin 6th. Great race. In the GS standings Bassino leads with an impressive 400 points, ahead of Gisin [272] and Brignone [250]; Petra Vlhova still leads the overall with 775, ahead of Gisin [715] and Bassino [623].

17 Jan 21; Flachau [Hermann Meier], Men’s Slalom II, run 1: That’s bad news; Kilde has apparently had a knee injury in training and looks likely to miss the rest of the season – he’s back in Norway for an ACL operation. The snow is lighter today so conditions look better, although it’s still a bit gloomy. Marco Schwarz first away – course set by a Swiss coach and Marco is safely down – that looked good. Henrik Kristoffersen next and green at inter 2, nice at 3 but he’s lost time to the finish to go 2nd, +0.17 – much more like it, although he isn’t happy! Daniel Yule has finished today, but he’s 0.99 off the pace. Clement Noel is flying – 0.89 ahead at 2 and he’s skied out on one of those tricky rollers. Ramon Zenhaeusern has made an error, great recovery but into 3rd, +0.79. Seb Fosse-Solevaag nicely green at 2 and 3 and he takes the lead by 0.34. Linus Strasser has straddled; Alex Khoroshilov into 4th. Loic Meillard has good grip and he’s into 3rd, +0.35. Dave Ryding is in the red but in touch; he’s into 5th, +0.81. Alexis Pinturault going well and a useful 5th place, +0.68. Manu Feller has been unlucky with the draw; a bit red at inter 1 but he’s not losing much more and he’s into 2nd, +0.29. First TV break – Seb F-S leads from Feller, Schwarz, Meillard, Kristoffersen and Pinturault. Despite all the comments about this venue being too flat and easy, it’s catching out a good number of racers! That’s a good run from Fabio Gstrein, gaining time from inter 2 to go 2nd, +0.27. Luca Aerni has done well as bib 27, he’s into 7th. That’s interesting – A J Ginnis [GRE, bib 45] into 12th – what a superb effort! That’s run 1 over – the cut off for getting a second run is +1.62 and Erik read has just made it. Sadly Laurie Taylor has just missed it, ending up 33rd, while Billy Major was a DNF.
Run 2: Course set by a French coach this time; maybe a little faster? Erik Read first away – bit messy but he’s down. Alex Vinatzer a DNF – that’s his 4th in a row. Marc Rochat had a wobble early on, but then he set too and built all the way – 1.35 ahead at the finish! Johannes Strolz has done well from 3 to the finish to lead by 0.16; Victor Muffat-Jeandet green all the way but he’s lost time to the line and goes 2nd. Albert Popov also green all the way but one error has cost him – into 2nd, just 0.02 behind! Giuliano Razzoli is another one who was green to 3 and then lost it – he’s 5th. Daniel Yule can only manage 6th; Manfred Mölgg also lost time from 3 to the line but he’s nicked the lead by 0.03. Ramon Zenhaeusern is looking more his usual self on this run and he takes the lead by 0.62 – best time on run 2 as well. That’s a good final section for Kristoffer Jakobsen to not only finish but take the lead by 0.27 – that’ll make his coach happy! Now, AJ Ginnis [taking advantage of dual nationality to swap from the US team to Greece] is green most of the way – almost lost it near the line but held on and into 3rd. Michael Matt into 3rd; Khoroshilov has fallen and he’s out. Dave Ryding on course – lost a bit to 1, red at 2, pulled a little back to 3 and lost time on the last section to go 5th, +0.69. Another TV break – Jakobsen leads from Zenhaeusern and Matt. First away after the break is Alexis Pinturault – that’s a really good run – into the lead by 0.44; best time on run 2. Luca Aerni can only manage 2nd; Kristoffersen red at 3 and into 3rd. Nice run from Loic Meillard but he’s lost a lot from 2 to 3 and he’s into 2nd. Marco Schwarz has gained to inter 1, still green at 2 and 3 and into the lead by 0.19; Manu Feller next – slight gains to 1 and 2 but that’s a massive error on the roll over; he recovered to finish but only in 15th. Fabio Gstrein just green to 2, slightly red at 3 and into 4th. Just Seb F-S to go – he’s kept his advantage to inter 1, improved it very slightly to 2 and gained to 3 and beyond – he leads by 0.76. Not just the win but the fastest time on both runs too! Seb Fosse-Solevaag gets his World Cup victory, ahead of Marco Schwarz with Alexis Pinturault getting the final podium place. Meillard in 4th, ahead of Gstrein and Aerni; Dave Ryding 12th.

 

Oberhof II – Men’s 15 Km Mass Start, 17 Jan 21: This clashes with run 2 of the GS, which might make things awkward? Watching the ticker with the IBU video on the iPad seems to be the best option as Eurosport don’t seem to have a live feed? The race is on – quite a pace from the start; at 2 Km JoBø is just ahead of Laegreid, Samuelsson, Dale, Ponsiluoma and Jacquelin [+1.6]. Lots of good shooting at S1, top 15 all clear – Lukas Hofer fastest of those who shot clear and he’s out just 1 second ahead of Laegreid, then Dale, Tarjei Bø, Lesser and Jacquelin [+4.3]. JoBø has missed 1 and out 23rd; Peiffer has also missed 1, Ponsiluoma, QFM and Doll 2 each and Rastorgujevs 3! JoBø pushing hard on the lap – in for S2 and Dale is missing. Jacquelin first away, with all 10 down, just ahead of Weger, Lesser, Laegreid, Tarjei and Eder – all 10/10. Hofer has missed 1 and out 14th; JoBø is 1,1 and 18th,+31.4. Dale missed 2 and Latypov 3. Tarjei has taken the lead on the lap – Erik Lesser having a few words with Jacquelin on an uphill – those tracks are quite narrow! JoBø pushing again to try and get back in touch. Th leaders are in for the first standing shoot – Erik Lesser clear and out just ahead of Tarjei, then Weger, Eder, Eliseev and Leitner [+11.2] – all 15/15. JoBø is 1,1,1 and 13th, but only 33 seconds back. Tarjei has turned up the pace a little and he’s 6.7 ahead of Lesser at 9.8 Km, Eliseev also past Erik and JoBø is up to 7th, +26.9. Tarjei Bø has pulled out a useful lead on the lap. Final shoot – Benni Weger has cleared all 20 and he’s out just 0.6 ahead of Simon Eder, then Leitner – all 20/20! Tarjei has missed 1 and out 4th, just 8.6 back. Lesser and Eliseev also missed 1 and out 6/7 respectively. JoBø is 10th, with 4 misses, one at each shoot! Tarjei has caught up and at 14 Km he’s aback in the lead and pulling out a gap again. Leitner, Weger and Eder trying to stay with him, Hofer [0,1,1,0] in 5th but +17.4 and Lesser dropping back – 6th and +27.1;both Eliseev and JoBø are closing him down. What a race – Tarjei Bø has held off all the challenges to win, ahead of Felix Leitner [AUT, 0,0,0,0] with Benni Weger in 3rd, also with a perfect shooting score. Luka Hofer has just pipped Eder for 4th, despite his 2 misses with Eliseev 6th and JoBø 7th ahead of Lesser. Desthieux best of the French in the ned in 9th, just ahead of QFM – both with 3 penalties. Two misses at S3 did for Laegreid who ended up 12th. Lesser best for range time, ahead of QFM and Eder; no surprise that JoBø was quickest around the course.

Oberhof II – Women’s 12.5 Km Mass Start, 17 Jan 21: Looking a bit gloomy here, and cold again. Denise Herrmann has fought her way to the front; Julia Simon right up with her – the pace has eased and at 2 Km Hanna Öberg is leading ahead of Herrmann, sister Elvira and Simon. In for S1 – all quite bunched up – Eckhoff has cleared; Doro Wierer first away, ahead of Julia Simon, Eckhoff, Elvira Öberg, Davidova and Knotten – all clear. Hanna Öberg has missed 1 [not 5 as the caption showed] as have Preuß, Røiseland, Alimbekava and Herrmann, among others. The pace at the front is quite modest, which is allowing Hanna Öberg to catch up – she’s gained about 14 seconds by the timing point! Davidova has taken over the lead, ahead of Simon and Eckhoff – they are bunching up again as they head in for the second prone. Doro is first away, all 10 down. Knotten is shown as 2nd, but there is no shooting info on the ticker; Hanna Öberg clear this time and 3rd, +1.5, ahead of Davidova, Tandrevold, and Tomingas. Julia Simon among those missing 1, like Eckhoff and Hauser; Røiseland has missed 1,1 like Herrmann and Hettich – Anais Chevalier-Bouchet is 2,5 – not sure what happened there? At 7 Km Wierer leads from Davidova, Hanna Öberg, Tandrevold and Knotten, then a gap to Alimbekava. Leading 5 in for the first standing shoot – Doro the only one of them clear and away. Hanna Öberg [1,0,1] in 2nd, +23.1 ahead of Davidova [0,0,1], Hauser [0,1,1], Mironova [1,0,1] and Preuß [1,0,1]. Herrmann is doing a JoBø – [1,1,1]! Tiril Eckhoff is [0,1,3] and 22nd, Røiseland also [1,1,1] and 14th. Doro is the only one clear after S3 and she’s skiing away from the chasing 4 at the moment. Final shoot – Patrick doing his best to jinx Doro with the commentators curse – it worked as she’s missed 2. The chasing team are also missing, so it’s all change. Julia Simon [0,1,2,0] leads out, just 2.7 ahead of Franzi Preuß [1,0,1,0], then Doro [0,0,0,2], + 5.6, Hauser, Brorsson and Tandrevold, +8.8. At 10.8 Km Preuß is fractionally ahead of Simon, then a small gap to Hauser, Tandrevold and Brorsson. Hard to bear – Hauser has fallen which might have cost her a podium. Not sure about that – Røiseland reported as closing, when in fact she’s lost 2 seconds more? Simon is past Preuß with a 12 second gap to Tandrevold who is just ahead of Hanna Öberg. I think Julia Simon has broken away from Franzi P – yes, she wins by 3.9 seconds, Preuß gets second while Hanna Öberg has sprinted past Tandrevold despite her 3 misses! Brorsson 5th, ahead of Wierer, Røiseland and Eckhoff. Poor Anais C-B has had an awful day on the range [2,5,1,2] – I wonder if something happened to her early on? Doro fastest on the range, ahead of Simon and Hanna Öberg; Denise Herrmann fastest around the course but with 4 misses.

Antholz-Anterselva – Women’s 15 Km Individual, 21 Jan 21: This being an Individual there are no penalty loops – just a full minute added to the time for each miss. It doesn’t look a nice day – overcast and cloudy with slushy snow! There’s some damp looking snow falling too, and there will be a bit of effect from the altitude too. Kuklina clear at S1; Franzi Preuß was faster but she’s missed 1; Evgeniya Pavlova clear – a very canted rifle but it worked for her. Røiseland is clear and she leads after S1 at present. The wonderfully named Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold is clear but 20.3 behind Røiseland. Mona Brorsson quite slow into the range by her standards and she’s missed 1 as well;  so have Eckhoff and Herrmann. Janina Hettich clear but out 25.1 behind Røiseland; Banks and Egan also both clear. Larisa Kuklina at S2 – a standing shoot in this discipline – and 10/10; Franzi P has missed her 10th, Pavlova has missed 1. Røiseland has missed her first 2 at S2 and although she got the rest she was quite slow doing it. Tandrevold is 10/10 too and she’s out 7.3 ahead of Kuklina; Vittozzi clear at S1 but Alimbekava has missed 1. Back at S2 Tiril Eckhoff has missed 2 more and Herrmann is [1,1]. Anais Chevalier-Bouchet is out just fractionally ahead of Røiseland’s time after S1; Hauser has done better, 9.1 faster than the Norwegian! At S2 Hettich is 10/10 and faster than Tandrevold; Selina Gasparin 10/10 and currently 4th. Doro has missed 1 at S1 but she’s fastest of the 1 miss group. Hanna Öberg has missed 2 at S1; Kaisheva is 10/10 and now fastest at S2. At S3 Pavlova is [0,1,0] and 52 seconds ahead of Preuß [1,1,0] – Tandrevold is shooting slowly but she’s the only 15/5 so far and out 31.5 ahead of Pavlova; Herrmann is [1,1,0] and much faster than Preuß. At S2 Anais C-B is 10/10 24.7 ahead of Kaisheva; beautiful shooting from Hauser to go 10/10 and she’s 10.7 faster than Anais C-B. Doro Wierer clear at S2; Hettich 15/15 and best at S3, 10.8 ahead of Selina Gasparin who is also clear after that shoot. Oh dear, Preuß has missed 2 at S4; Pavlova [0,1,0,1] is fastest after S4, ahead of Kuklina [0,0,1,0] but Røiseland [0,2,1,1] has missed another. Tandrevold has missed 3 at S2, Eckhoff has missed 4 in all [1,2,0,1] as has Herrmann [1,1,0,2]; good work by Megan Bankes [0,1,1,0] to lie 3rd at present after S4. Hauser has missed 1 at S3; Anais C-B 15/15 and quickest at S3 so far. Sadly Hettich has missed her final shot but she’s still 23.6 ahead of Pavlova. Back at S3 Doro Wierer is clear again and out 3rd; Dunja Zdouc [AUT] has also missed just her 20th shot – interestingly she swears in English! Kaisheva [0,0,2,0] is still in touch after S4 – just 37.4 back. So is Alimbekava [1,0,0,1], +27.7 and she’s a fast skier. Anais C-B at S4 – she’s missed her first but even so she’s out 29.3 ahead of Hettich. More great shooting from Hauser [0,0,1,0] and she leads after S4, 27.9 ahead of Yuliia Dzhima who has just become the first person to clear all 20 – the TV team seem to have ignored her! Doro [1,0,0,1] out ahead of Hettich; poor Selina Gasparin has missed 4 at S4. Hanna Öberg isn’t having a good day [2,0,1,0] but out from S4 in 18th.  Justine Braisaz-Bouchet has missed 4 at S4 after being 15/15 on the way in. Lisa Theresa Hauser is flying – at 14.7 Km she’s 41.2 ahead of Dzhima and a minute faster than Anais C-B. At the finish Hauser leads, ahead of Dzhima, Anais C-B, Hettich, Pavlova and Alimbekava. Doro W over the line in 4th; amazingly no Norwegians in the top 10 at present – currently Eckhoff best in 13th, just behind Denise Herrmann, both with 4 misses. The snow is getting a lot heavier and it’s wet too – Vanessa Hinz was in touch after S2 but she’s missed 1 at S3 and S4; Susan Dunklee is shooting well [0,0,0,1] and 13th after S4 but she’s losing time on the tracks; over the line 18th at present, just behind Eckhoff - but she lost over 40 seconds to Hauser from S4! Hinz has gone better on that lap – over the line 11th at present, so she gained 1 place from S4. Another athlete we haven’t seen much of today was Marion Deigentesch [GER, 1,0,0,0], out from S4 in 11th! Well, a very impressive performance by Lisa Theresa Hauser to take the win, with just 1 miss – her first World Cup win, I think?  Yuliia Dzhima was the only racer to hit all 20 targets today, so a well-deserved 2nd place ahead of Anais Chevalier-Bouchet [0,0,0,1]. Doro Wierer in 4th, ahead of Janina Hettich, who was the best of the Germans today. Pavlova best Russian in 6th, just ahead of Mironova. Deigentesch over the line 11th, as the second best German, just ahead of Hinz and just behind Zdouc.  Herrmann ended up 17th, Eckhoff 18th, Hanna Öberg 29th, Røiseland 31st, Preuß 33rd, and Tandrevold 35th. Denise Herrmann fastest around the course today, ahead of Røiseland, Eckhoff and Hauser.

Antholz-Anterselva – Men’s 20 Km Individual, 22 Jan 21: Eurosport a bit late joining not helped by a long set of adverts; Benedikt Doll at S1 with almost no wind – 2 misses! Thomas Bormolini clear; Streltsov is quicker still. Good shooting by Thierry Langer [BEL] to lead after S1; Scott Gow shooting very fast and now he’s just fastest after S1. More good shooting at S1; Simon Desthieux now fastest ahead of Eder and Rees; at S2 Doll has missed another 1. The fog is drifting up the valley as Latypov misses his first, Tarjei Bø has also missed 1 at S1; no one yet clear after S2. Leif Nordgren is the first to go 10/10; Alex Loginov now quickest after S1 – Seb Samuelsson has joined the ”1 miss” team. JoBø fast into the range but he’s also missed 1. Langer has also gone 10/10 and he’s quicker than Nordgren – good going by the Belgian! Roman Rees now 10/10 and fractionally faster than Langer. Arnd Peiffer clear at S1 but 7.1 behind Loginov; the fog is starting to reach the range! Ponsiluoma [1,0] the best of those who have missed 1 after S2; Eder has just gone 10/10 and he’s just 0.6 faster than Rees. Tarjei clear at S2, while back at S1 Laegreid has cleared and he leads, just 2.8 ahead of Erik Lesser. Loginov clear at S2 and he’s out in the lead despite a problem with his rifle; JoBø clear at S2 and just 1.7 behind the Russian. QFM clear at S1 and out 3rd; no one has yet got all 15 at S3 – Jesper Nelin [1,0,0] is the best there so far. Julian Eberhard [1,0,0] has just gone 4.9 faster; Roman Rees has missed 1 here but out just ahead of Eberhard. Peiffer is 10/10 and 3rd after S2; Martin Ponsiluoma [1,0,0] out 42.6 ahead of Rees at S3! Simon Eder has gone 15/15 but he’s out just 18.1 ahead of Ponsiluoma; Laegreid has missed his 10th shot! At S2 Femling is 10/10 and faster than Loginov; Lesser has missed his last there. Tarjei Bø [1,0,0] close to Eder’s time, but Alex Loginov has also gone 15/15 which gives him 28.9 advantage over Eder. JoBø has missed 1 at S3; at S2 QFM is 10/10 and 20.1 ahead of Femling. Pity – Langer missed 3 at S3 and 2 more at S4. Nelin has missed his first at S4 and he’s melted down again – 4 misses. Eberhard has missed 2 at S4; Peiffer joins the 15/15 group and out 6 seconds behind Loginov. Ponsiluoma [1,0,0,1] quickest after S4 despite those misses – nobody has cleared more than 18 so far. Simon Eder has done it – 19/20, but he’s only 8.4 ahead of Ponsiluoma. Laegreid [0,1,1] and JoBø have both missed 1 at S3; Tarjei and Erik Lesser clear there. Tarjei has just missed 2 at S4; Alex Loginov is 20/20 and away; JoBø has missed 2 at S4 [[1,0,1,2]. Back at S2 Christiansen is now leading, 2.2 ahead of QFM, who has just missed 1 at S3. The mist is getting much worse, annoyingly it’s worse on the range than some parts of the course. Annoying for Arnd Peiffer – 2 misses at S4 and he might struggle to beat JoBø? Ponsiluoma over the line in the lead but Loginov is well ahead at 18.7 Km despite breaking a pole at S4 – hopefully he got a replacement fairly quickly. Laegreid [0,1,1,0] out 2nd after S4; Christiansen has missed 1 at S3. Lesser has missed 3 at S4; I missed Lukas Hofer [1,1,0,0] at S4 – he’s out 3rd at S4. JoBø over the line in 4th, at present, just ahead of his brother Tarjei. At S4 Laegreid was clear that time [0,1,1,0] and away 2nd; looks like he might hang on to that place? David Komatz [AUT] is the second to go 20/20 but he hasn’t got enough ski speed to capitalise on it. Laegreid over the line 2nd, just ahead of Hofer, Ponsiluoma off the podium. Femling was in touch until S3 but he’s ended up [0,0,1,3]; QFM has missed 1 at S4 [0,0,1,1] and he’s trying to get on the podium – he’s over the line just 0.1 ahead of Lukas Hofer! At S4 Bjøntegaard [0,0,2,0] is out with a good chance of a top 10 finish; Komatz over the line and currently 9th. Christiansen has finished in 6th at present; that’s pushed JoBø into 8th! Didier Bionaz [ITA] is 15/15 as he comes in for S4 – just 1 miss, which is good shooting. Looks like just 3 people with a 20/20 score today. Hang on – Anton Dudchenko [UKR] has just gone 20/20 – no coverage so far but he’s out 3rd after S4! He’s going well on the final lap; I don’t think he’ll catch Laegreid but can he keep ahead of Hofer and QFM? He was there at 19.7 Km but he’s dropped to 5th at then line – what a performance; pity he missed the podium – by just 0.3 seconds! That was a great performance by Alex Loginov; a well-deserved win; Laegreid did an impressive job of getting into 2nd despite his 2 misses with Quentin Fillon Maillet nicking the final podium place by just 0.1 seconds! Hofer in 4th, ahead of Dudchenko and Ponsiluoma. Well done to Kosuke Ozaki [JPN] who was the fifth person to clear all 20 targets, he will get some World Cup points today! JoBø finished up in 10th, just ahead of Peiffer – the best of the Germans. Komatz 12th, and Bionaz 13th with Tarjei 15th. Doll in 26th, Dale 27, Lesser 48!

A bit more sad news – Nina Ortleib fell during training for the Crans Montana downhill; a hospital examination revealed a torn ACL and other damage which means she will be out for the rest of the season.

22 Jan 21; Crans Montana [Mont Lachaux], Women’s Downhill: Not the best of starts – heavy snowfall overnight has caused a postponed start! Hopefully they can get the course prepared in time! Now they have lowered the start to the SG start point due to strong winds. Looks like the race will run – Tamara Tippler first away; looks nice here and she’s safely down. Here the final jump has been artificially heightened! Good run from Keira Weidle to take over the lead, green from inter 3 to the line to led by 0.21. Joana Haehlen into 3rd, not helped by a headwind; Ester Ledecka green all the way and she leads by an impressive 0.75. Sofia Goggia green at S1 and she’s kept there, slow through the speed gun but good skiing and she leads by 0.20. Marta Bassino off the pace today; 10 away and Goggia leads from Ledecka and Weidle. There’s a long TV break and now the race has been interrupted due to strong winds on the upper section. Race back on and Petra Vlhova into 3rd; another good run from Breezy Johnson to take over 3rd. Federica Brignone into 6th; Venier is a DNF and the race is interrupted again. Back on and a good run from Mirjam Puchner has got her into 6th; Jasmine Flury has done even better and into 5th from bib 27. Priska Nufer [bib 29] best of the later starters, into 7th.  Good win for Goggia ahead of Ledecka and Johnson; useful points for Vlhova in 4th, ahead of Flury and Weidle.  

22 Jan 21; Kitzbühel [Streif], Men’s Downhill: Well, that’s a course I wouldn’t like to do; a very impressive camera run, and that’s as close as I want to get to it! This race replaces the one cancelled at Wengen; Kjetil Jansrud first away – it looks tricky – warm in places but icy in shadow! Jansrud is down, but he had trouble on the upper section. Romed Baumann is green at inter 2 and 3 and he’s gained more by 6/7; he leads by 1.00! Vincent Kriechmayr was fastest in final training and he’s in touch – bit red at 4 but green again at 5 – all very close and he’s missed it - into 2nd by 0.11; commentary team are wondering if his ski prep was quite right for the warmer conditions? Max Franz is very close to the nets! Despite that he’s green at 5 and 6 but he’s missed a gate – DNF. Beat Feuz is nicely green at 2 and he’s gaining time; he’s 1.34 ahead at 5 – he leads by 1.51 – an absolute master class! Andreas Sander is oscillating between red and green on the upper section, but getting redder lower down – into 2nd, +0.95. Matthias Mayer red at 5 – he’s pulled a little back to the line, but not enough – he goes 2nd, +0.16. Dominik Paris into 3rd; ten away now – Feuz leads from Mayer, Paris, Sander, Bailet and Baumann. Johan Clarey into 4th – good work after a nasty fall yesterday in training! Ryan Cochran-Siegle was fast in training and he’s green on the upper sections – he’s never completed this race and sadly today is no exception – a heavy fall and he’s in the netting. He does seem to be moving and even joking with the support team who have arrived very quickly, but that was some deceleration; there seems to be some concern about his right shoulder so they are going to evacuate him by helo – on the plus side he is standing up and looking around as they prepare to lift him out. He’s away; that’s a long interruption and must be unsettling for Travis Ganong who is due to go next – he’s just been put on hold again as he waited at the gate! That delay will also have let the snow get warmer on parts of the course – hardly surprising that Ganong is a little off the pace – into 10th.  Carlo Janka into 6th; Urs Kryenbühl only just managed to stay in the course and he’s fallen very close to the finish, off the final  jump – that looked nasty too. Helo is back on site; its downdraught is blowing some of the kit around but the helo medics are now around Kryenbühl; looks like knee injuries? Just 17 away in 80 minutes; the final jump is being slightly reduced – seems a bit unfair to those who have already finished? Another difficult time for those waiting to start; some parts of the track are now more in shadow and, ironically, getting colder! Race back on and Bryce Bennett into 14th. Max Muzaton has almost done the same as Kryenbühl but got away with it – he’s not happy! Otmar Striedinger in touch at inter 4 but he’s losing time lower down – it’s getting very bumpy there; he’s down to 12th. The speed into that final jump is rising which is enough to make even these athletes a bit wary. Feuz leads from Mayer, Paris, Clarey, Sander and Janka, who was the last to break into the top10. Coverage shifts to Crans Montana and Antholz. The race has been interrupted yet again, this time by strong winds. It’s back on but no recent change to the top 10. They’ve got 30 away and that’s it – no more starts! Great win for Beat Feuz, ahead of Mayer, Paris, Clarey, Sander and Janka.

23 Jan 21; Crans Montana [Mont Lachaux], Women’s Downhill II: It seems that today’s men’s downhill from Kitzbühel has been cancelled [adverse weather and condition of the slope], so this will be the only World Cup race today. Sounds as though Marta Bassino won’t start today, as she wants to concentrate on the Super G. Today’s race will be the full length course; quite overcast and looks like very flat light? Ilka Stuhec first away; bit awkward off the final jump but safely down – bit off the practice times. Stephanie Venier is racing today, with a bandage covering the aftermath of a tangle in the netting yesterday – she’s 0.33 slower. Federica Brignone away and comfortably green at inter 2, more green at 3 and building – she leads by 1.20! Ragnhild Mowinckel was briefly green but red at 2 – she’s into 2nd, +1.19. Kira Weidle also red by 2 but staying in touch – she’s into 2nd, +0.30 – that’s better! Joana Haehlen has missed a gate and skied out; Ester Ledecka nicely green at 1 and 2 and she’s building – she was nicely ahead at 3 but she’s lost it lower and hit the netting – looked nasty but she’s standing up; hopefully nothing serious! On which topic Ryan C-S apparently has a shoulder injury after his crash yesterday, while poor Urs Kryenbühl has concussion, a broken collar bone and knee damage, so I suspect that’s his season over. Race at Crans Montana is back on, after Ester has skied down! Sofia Goggia on course – 3 wins in a row in the Downhill discipline and she’s nicely green again here – this is a real master class [mistress class?] and she leads by a massive 1.26 – she really is on fire this season! Kasja Vickhoff Lie has fallen but seems OK. That’s the first TV break – Goggia leads from Brignone and Weidle. Tamara Tippler into 4th; Breezy Johnson on course and still in touch at inter 4 - lost a bit to 5, then pulled a little back to go 2nd, +0.89. A couple good escapes! Francesca Marsaglia safely down today and into 6th. Lara Gut-Behrami living dangerously at times – red most of the way, but not far off the pace and that’s a good run – into 2nd, +0.27. Petra Vlhova is looking good on these speed events – into 4th! More useful points for the overall! Corinne Suter more in touch today and into 5th; Elena Curtoni is in touch on the upper section, lost a little from 5 to the finish and into 3rd. It’s a good day for Italy so far – Laura Pirovano into 4th! Twenty away – Goggia [ITA] leads from Lara Gut-Behrami [SUI], Curtoni [ITA], Pirovano [ITA], Johnson [USA], Vlhova [SVK]. News from Kitzbühel is that there will be an extra day of racing on Monday – so DH tomorrow and Super G Monday? That’s going to be a busy schedule as they have a night race on Tuesday in Schladming! Back to the race – Michelle Gisin into 10th; Ricarda Haaser the best Austrian at present, as she goes into 11th. Jasmina Suter [SUI; no relation to Corinne!] is fastest through the speed gun and nicely in touch – she lost a little on the final section but she’s into 6th!  Nadia Delago had her first top 10 yesterday; not quite as good today - 13th at present. And, that was pretty much it; no change to the top 10 since Jasmina Suter. Very impressive win for Sofia Goggia - her 4th downhill in a row; a feat which hasn’t been seen since Vonn in 17/18!  Lara Gut-Behrami in 2nd with Elena Curtoni taking the final podium place. Pirovano 4th, ahead of Johnson and Jasmina Suter with Vlhova in 7th. That gives Petra Vlhova another 36 points in the overall – she has 861 to Gisin’s 741 with Goggia 3rd on 654; no surprise that in the downhill standings Sofia Goggia leads [480] from Breezy Johnson [285] and Corinne Suter [270].

24 Jan 21; Kitzbühel [Streif], Men’s Downhill II: It seems the FIS and local organisers have “rebuilt” the finish jump after considerable adverse feedback from those actually racing the course! It is now rather flatter which should be an improvement? This is downhill 5 of 9, and the one that was scheduled for Kitzbühel – Max Muzaton first away – that’s still quite a flight off the final jump, but he’s safely down.  Travis Ganong is green at inter 2; the surface seems to be harder today and that’s a good run – Ganong leads by 0.59. Romed Baumann very green at 1 and much faster through the first speed gun – a little less green later but still the right side of the clock and he takes over the lead by 0.38. There is a little cloud/mist creeping in to the upper sections – Johan Clarey green by inter 3 and from there he’s gaining steadily to lead by 0.80 – very clever run! Christof Innerhofer into 2nd; Kjetil Jansrud has been unlucky with the visibility as the fog is noticeably thicker – he’s quite a bit off the pace and that doesn’t  seem to be just a visibility problem; he’s just 6th and over 2 seconds back. That top jump is getting almost blind in the fog; Andreas Sander into 4th. The race has been interrupted because of the fog, with Beat Feuz in the start gate! Race back on – Feuz away, green at 2 but red at 3 and 4; he’s starting to pull back time from there and he’s just 0.01 behind at inter 7 – he leads by 0.17 – superb final section, the double could be on the cards? The fog is back for Nils Allegre – into 7th and a TV break; Feuz leads from Clarey and Innerhofer. Good to see Ryan C-S in the finish area! Matthias Mayer on course – red at 2, less so at 3 and just green at 4, red again at 5 and 6 – he’s missed it, into 3rd, +0.38. That will get Feuz to the top of the downhill standings, I think. Max Franz off the pace on the early sections, better at inter 4 but then an error costs him a lot of time [+0.18 to +0.92!] – just 9th. Vincent Kriechmayr losing time on the final sections not helped by taking part of a control gate with him and into 10th – lucky that pole didn’t go under his skis! Good effort by Marco Odermatt to go 8th;  Otmar Striedinger has taken over that place and Matthieu Bailet is into 9th! Another TV break – Feuz, Clarey and Mayer now make up the provisional podium, then Innerhofer, Baumann and Sander, and it’s getting bumpy! My “recovery of the day” nomination to Brice Roger! That’s 30 away, no change to the top 10 since Bailet. A few later starters are getting into the top 20; the best at present is Daniel Danklemaier [AUT, bib 30] in 13th.  That’s impressive – Daniel Hemetsberger [AUT, bib 37] into joint 10th! That’s it – well done to Beat Feuz on the double; Johan Clarey a close second with Matthias Mayer getting the final podium place – Super G tomorrow!

24 Jan 21; Crans Montana [Mont Lachaux], Women’s Super G: It look lovely there – much nicer than Kitzbühel! Course set by an Italian coach, I think. Petra Vlhova will get the race started; she’s missed a gate after a blind jump – no points today! That’s going to cause some rapid discussion between athletes and coaches! Michelle Gisin on course and past the tricky gate – she’s down. It’s a rather “downhill” set for a Super G – should suit Goggia?! Stephanie Venier has fallen while well into the green – quite a heavy hit and the race is interrupted. Luckily she has ended up in a heap of soft snow – hopefully OK and she’s walking away; back on her skis and heading to the finish area. Wendy Holdener has also missed that gate after the blind roller! Four starts, one finish! Federica Brignone is past that point and well green – it’s very similar to the downhill from there and she leads by 1.65! Ilka Stuhec into 3rd; Corinne Suter living very dangerously on that roller – great recovery and into 2nd. Kasja Vickhoff Lie in touch at 3, lost a bit to 4 and into 3rd, +0.53. Lara Gut-Behrami is flying – green at 1 and building – that’s a superb run and she leads by 1.02, certainly back on form! Priska Nufer in touch and into 3rd; Marta Bassino had an “interesting’ time on that upper jump but she has recovered to go 4th. I’m amazed to see Ester Ledecka racing today after her fall yesterday; that’s a gutsy run, lost a bit from inter 3 and almost missed a gate - into 7th.  A good final section has pulled back time for Francesca Marsaglia who has gone 3rd; Sofia Goggia a bit off balance early on and in the red, but in touch – an epic recovery and she goes 2nd; no – she’s missed the final gate so DSQ – that’s hard to bear – her coach set the course! Tamara Tippler has made no mistakes and she really is into 2nd.  That’s 20 away, Lara Gut-Behrami leads from Tippler and Brignone, then Marsaglia, Nufer and Bassino. Ricarda Haaser into 6th; with 30 away the top 10 hasn’t changed since Haaser. However, Christine Scheyer [AUT, bib 33] has just gone into 5th!  Good effort by Noemie Kolly [SUI, bib 44] into 12th. That’s it – a very impressive win for Lara Gut-Behrami, ahead of Tamara Tippler and Federica Brignone. Marsaglia in 4th, ahead of Scheyer [great result for her] and Nufer. Lara G-B leads the Super G standings on 245, ahead of Corinne Suter [169]; Vlhova has been lucky  [although she won’t think so] as she lost just 2 points to Gisin today in the overall.

25 Jan 21; Kitzbühel [Streifalm], Men’s Super G: Cold overnight so it’s all very icy – lovely day though! Even the camera run looked a bit epic! Christian Walder is the first away; there are lots of blue lines – looks a bit confusing! I’m not sure he’s too happy with that, but he’s safely down. Christof Innerhofer going just green at inter 3 and building slightly to lead by 0.11. Now, Marco Odermatt is nicely green at inter 1 and building a bit – good gains between 3 and 4; a bit slow at the final gun but he leads by 0.47! Even so he doesn’t seem happy either! Johan Clarey into 4th; Vincent Kriechmayr green at 2, better at 3 but just red at 4, +0.01; good final section and he leads by 0.12. So far no one seems happy with their run! Gino Caviezel a bit off the pace; Kjetil Jansrud next – very aggressive but he’s skied out – it’s not his weekend! Max Franz also not at his best – 6th of 7 finishers; Matthias Mayer is also in the red, but more in touch – big error on the entrance to the Hausberg but he’s hung on to get 3rd. Loic Meillard is more a slalom/GS racer so this is a baptism of fire – quite a creditable run and he’s 6th, ahead of some speed specialists! He does look happy! Alexis Pinturault first after the TV break; he’s quite red by inter 3 and into 7th; Romed Baumann in touch on the upper sections but losing time lower down to take over 7th place. Andreas Sander into joint 6th with Meillard; it seems to be getting harder to hold the racing line. Massive error by Dominik Paris early on and he’s only 14th. Hannes Reichelt being bounced all over the course and in to 16th! Even Beat Feuz is off the pace today – +2.08 at inter 3 and he’s skied out too! Nils Allegre down and he’s crashed through the netting; stopped by the third layer and once they freed his boots from the net he’s back on his feet – that could have been a lot worse; he seems OK! There was a TV break scheduled and it’s extended as they rebuild the nets. Vincent Kriechmayr leads from Marco Odermatt and Matthias Mayer. Innerhofer in 4th ahead of Walder and Sander/Meillard. Daniel Danklemaier came close to following Allegre – great recovery and he’s safely down. That’s a nice run from Brice Roger [bib 24] into 11th; Josef Ferstl living a bit dangerously and fastest through the final gun to go 10th. Simon Jocher also nearly did an “Allegre” but managed to ride the nets and get away with it – that must have given him a real scare. James Crawford [CAN, bib 28] is having a good run – that’s a great effort and he’s 6th. That’s 30 away; top 3 the same and James Crawford the only change to the top 6. Nearly there – Stefan Babinsky [AUT, bib 32] into 7th; another good run from Daniel Hemetsberger [AUT, bib 39] into 15th and Dominik Schwaiger [GER, bib 40] is 16th. And it goes on – some good runs from the later starters; Jeffrey Read [CAN, bib 43] into 17th and to round things off, Mathieu Bailet [FRA, bib 50] had an absolute flier to get into 8th, +1.34! What a finish. Well done to Vincent Kriechmayr – that’s his first career victory at Kitzbühel!

Antholz-Anterselva – Women’s 12.5 Km Mass Start, 23 Jan 21: Quite hard to load the video feed – must be snow build up on my aerial!? There’s fresh snow at Antholz too; not sure why Franzi Preuß was so late on to the start! Looks like a fairly careful pace early on; there might be some residual fatigue after the Individual? All still very close as they come in for the first prone – wind fairly benign; Eckhoff has missed 1, so have Tandrevold, Brorsson, Davidova and Simon among others;  Alimbekava and Vittozzi 2. Doro Wierer leads out, just ahead of Hanna Öberg, Hauser, Røiseland, Persson and Preuß. Bit misty in the valley but better on the course than yesterday. At 4.7 Km the top 10 are separated by just 3.2 seconds! In for the second prone – Wierer has missed 2 already, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet has done the same! Hanna Öberg 10/10 and out just ahead of Persson, Hauser, Mironova, Preuß and Hinz [+7.1]; all those 10/10. Eckhoff clear at S2 and out 9th, Røiseland [0,1] 12th, Herrmann [0,1] 15th,  Doro [0,2] 24th. Alimbekava is having a bad day – [2,4] so far. The leading 8 have opened a 10 second gap on the lap; Hanna Öberg leads in for the first standing shoot just ahead of Linn Persson. Öberg has missed 1, Persson 2, poor Denise Herrmann 4 misses at S3. It’s Svetlana Mironova who leads out, just ahead of Preuß, Pavlova and Hinz [+4.5] – all 15/15. Røiseland [0,1,0] in 5th [+15.5] ahead of Hanna Öberg, Knotten and Dzhima. Tiril Eckhoff missed 2here and she’s 14th, Doro [0,2,1] in 18th and Tandrevold [1,0,2] 23rd. Mironova is opening up a gap and Røiseland has joined chasing group of 4. I think that was Dzhima who fell [cut up by Öberg?] – up and away. Final shoot – Mironova has missed her last 2, Pavlova 2 misses, Hinz has missed 4! All change here – it’s Hanna Öberg [0,0,1,0] who leads out, 2.9 ahead of Hauser [0,0,1,0], then Davidova [1,0,0,0], Julia Simon [1,1,1,0!!], Preuß [0,0,0,1] and Mironova [0,0,0,2]. At 10.7 Km Julia Simon is just 0.6 ahead of Lisa Theresa Hauser, but Hanna Öberg, Davidova and Preuß are also within 5 seconds. Tiril Eckhoff [1,0,2,1] somehow up to 8th, +38.7! Davidova is dropping off the pack, so is Preuß. Julia Simon holds off a sprint from Hanna Öberg to take the win by just 0.2! Hauser takes the final podium place, with Franzi Preuß 4th. Davidova 5th, ahead of Mironova, Røiseland and Eckhoff. Doro in 17th, just ahead of Vanessa Hinz. Great result for Simon, given she missed 3 targets!

Antholz-Anterselva – Men’s 4 x 7.5 Km Relay, 23 Jan 21: I somehow missed this live – too busy going for a walk in the snow which actually developed into a nice afternoon with some sun! I had to watch the “highlights” which joined a bit into the event – Guigonnat and Laegreid among those who used 2 spares on the first shoot; Erik Lesser leading from Babikov as they head for the first standing shoot. It does look a bit misty; Babikov clear, so is Laegreid despite a fast loop but there is a lot of missing going on; Erik Lesser needed 1 spare and out 2nd, ahead of Laegreid. At 5.7 Km Mukhin [KAZ] is just ahead of Guigonnat, but not for long. At the exchange Laegreid has got Norway ahead again – then Germany, Russia, and France. Johannes Dale away and we cut to a long advert break – magnificent! Back to the action and it’s getting mistier! We’ve missed out S3 it seems – looks like Norway [Dale], Russia [Eliseev] France [QFM], Germany [Rees] and Ukraine [Pidruchnyi] in the lead? In for S4 – misty but bot too windy. Early miss by QFM; now all the leaders are at it – Eliseev first of the leading team to clear with 1 spare, but he’s let Giacomel nip past. Rees out 3rd but QFM and Dale have now missed 3 each. QFM away 4th, ahead of Seppala [FIN] and Pidruchnyi, but Dale is on the penalty loop – out 9th, 49 seconds down. Eliseev past Giacomel on the lap, Dale up to 8th. The Bø brothers aren’t going to like that with a Mass Start tomorrow, but Dale is working very hard to recover so/me time. Next exchange – Russia lead with Loginov on leg 3; Bormolini out just ahead of Arnd Peiffer with Desthieux close in 4th; Norway [Tarjei] in 7th, +38.1. More adverts, at the expense of “highlights”; once again the prone is missed. Loginov leads and at 19.7 Km he has a 25.5 second advantage over Desthieux with Peiffer and Bormolini in close company. Tarjei is 5th, +37.4. In for the next standing shoot – the mist has eased – Alex Loginov is shooting fast but he’s missed his last 2 and now he’s on the penalty loop! Desthieux and Peiffer have missed 1 each so far; Desthieux away, just ahead of Peiffer as Bormolini also uses a spare. Tarjei got the first 4 but then missed 1 as well. Out Desthieux, Peiffer, Bormolini, Loginov with Tarjei Bø 5th, +22.4 and Tyshcenko [UKR, +35.1]. Coverage jumps to exchange 3; France lead by 0.5 from Germany, then Russia [+8.2], Norway [+18.1], Italy [+33.7] and Ukraine [+1:09.1]. On the lap Doll leads from Jacquelin and Latypov and at 23.2 Km JoBø is up to 4th, +8.2! This is a slow lap though as the leaders play tactics, and JoBø is up with them! We actually get to see a prone shoot! JoBø has cleared the lot as has Latypov; Jacquelin needed 1 spare as did Doll – out JoBø, Latypov [+2.4], Jacquelin [+10.6] and Doll [+14.2]. Dominik Windisch is 5th, but +48.4, with Eberhard up to 6th. Doll is losing touch on the lap; at 27.2 Km JoBø is 11.6 clear of Jacquelin with Latypov a second back – Doll is +27.0! In for the final shoot – fog coming back and daylight fading – JoBø has missed 1. Just 1 spare and he’s away but Jacquelin has cleared the lot; Latypov has missed 3, Doll 2 – both have avoided the penalty loop. JoBø leads, then Jacquelin [+3.7], Doll [+40.3], and Latypov [+41.7] – not good for Doll as he was slow last lap? Now Jacquelin had an easy first lap, while JoBø was pushing to make up time – at 28.2 they are pretty much together. Doll just ahead of Latypov at present; Johannes is trying to lose Jacquelin on the hill but it hasn’t happened – Doll holding off Latypov on the same climb. Emilien Jacquelin is past and heading for the line; France take a second successive win from Norway, Russia past Germany for the last podium place. I think that’s the second time Dale has left the Bøs a massive task! Italy in 5th, ahead of Austria with Finland 7th ahead of Ukraine.

Antholz-Anterselva – Women’s 4 x 6 Km Relay, 24 Jan 21: A nice looking day, with light winds at present. Not a searing pace early on – there have been a couple fallers, but they should catch up a bit at this speed. Vanessa Hinz the early leader, ahead of Bescond, Pavlova, Skottheim, Vittozzi and Knotten. Two more falls; we haven’t seen who they are – tracks maybe a bit icier after some rain and a cold snap – CZE/FIN? In for S1 – Knotten has missed and she’s on the penalty lop! Lisa Vittozzi clear and out first, ahead of Skottheim, Bescond, Tomingas [EST], Pavlova and Cadurisch [SUI]. Only the leading 3 clear, Dunklee best of those using 2 spares in 8th. A group of 4 , Tomingas, Bescond, Pavlova and Vittozzi, have opened a small gap. In for S2 – leading 4 all missing but Vittozzi is quickest – a penalty loop for Anais Bescond this time, Knotten clear this time! Vittozzi out 11.0 ahead of Hinz, then Skottheim [+13.4] and Tomingas [+16.7]. On the lap Vittozzi is pulling away, Pavlova closing a little though, and she’s into 2nd ahead of Hinz and Tomingas. At exchange 1 Federica Sanfilippo takes over with a 16.5 gap to Janina Hettich, then Akimova, Talihaerm [EST], Reid [USA] and Elvira Öberg, who is pulling back a little time. Good shooting by Sanfilippo and she’s away; Hettich [+18.7] and Akimova [+20.9] also clear and out. Elvira 4th ahead of Reid with Anais C-B up to 6th – good recovery by France. Tandrevold seems to have an issue with the rifle – hand feeding rounds early and out 17th, +1:53.4. On the lap Hettich and Akimova have closed a little; Sanfilippo in for the standing shoot – 1 miss. Hettich [1 spare] leads out, but just 2.3 ahead of Anais C-B [0], Akimova [1], Sanfilippo [2], Alimbekava [3], and Lunder [1; +32.7]. Tandrevold [1] out 15th ahead of Elvira Öberg who had to do 3 penalty loops. Akimova has taken over the lead on the lap, but Hettich has taken it back – Anais C-B has dropped back a little. At the next exchange Denise Herrmann has taken over just 0.5 ahead of Mironova, then France [Justine B-B], Italy [Carrara], Belarus [Kruchinkina] and Canada [Bankes]. Tiril Eckhoff is in 12th, +1:17.7 and Linn Persson 17th, +1:58.2. Herrmann in for her prone – 1 spare and away; Mironova [1] out +6.9, ahead of Kruchinkina [0], Carrara [1], Justine B-B [2] and Bankes [1, +39.3]. Eckhoff has used 2 spares and out 11th; Persson clear and 15th. Herrmann looking very relaxed on the lap, heading for S6 – 2 spares which lets Mironova [1] past. Out Mironova, Herrmann, Carrara [0], Justine B-B [2], Kruchinkina [3], Valentina Semerenko [2]. Tiril Eckhoff in 10th, but she’s used another 2 spares; USA doing 3 penalty loops. Final exchange – Franzi Preuß has 3.8 seconds lead as she leads out ahead of Uliana Kaisheva. Julia Simon is 28.1 back in 3rd, ahead of Belarus, Italy and, wait for it, Norway [+1:15.9]. Preuß isn’t pushing on the lap, Kaisheva up with her and past by 19.7 Km, Simon +23.3 just ahead of Sola. Last prone coming up – leading 2 are both clear and away with Franzi marginally ahead. Sola [1] in 3rd ahead of Simon [1] and Doro Wierer [2]; Røiseland [0] has kept Norway in 6th, and gained 10 seconds. Final shoot – the leading 2 are struggling – Kaisheva [2 spares but fast] leads out 8.6 ahead of Preuß [1, but a slow shoot], Simon [1], Wierer [2], Sola [2] and Røiseland [2, +45.3]. Kaisheva looking secure on the lap with Preuß holding off Julia Simon. A well-deserved win for Russia [0+9], ahead of Germany [0+6] and France [1+9]. Italy [0+8] in 4th ahead of Belarus [0+14] and Norway [1+12]. Hanna Öberg over the line 7th, which was good given [3+5]!

Antholz-Anterselva – Men’s 15 Km Mass Start, 24 Jan 21: I did try to fit in a walk between the relay and this event but as everything was so icy/slippery it was a short one! The top 4 in the standings are all Norwegian, what a surprise! Conditions look good again; the biggest problem will probably be the altitude, as this venue is around 1600 metres and that can make a difference even if you aren’t skiing! This event might well particularly test those who had a hard relay yesterday. At 2.7 Km the top 10 are separated by just 2.4 seconds! In for S1 – JoBø and Laegreid clear but Tarjei, Ponsiluoma, QFM, Jacquelin and Dale among those missing one. Luka Hofer leads out, ahead of Fak, Fabien Claude, Desthieux JoBø and Laegreid. Worst shooting from Garanichev and Leitner with 3 each. All very bunched at 5.7 Km – just 3 seconds between the top 10; Erik Lesser is 25th, +10.6 after which the gaps open. In for the second prone – it’s déjà vu time as Lukas Hofer leads Jakov Fak, but then Laegreid, Eder, JoBø – all 10/10. QFM in 6th despite 1 miss, just ahead of Dale and Tarjei. Weger has missed 3 here, Samuelsson 2. JoBø has really ramped up the pace on this lap; at 8.7 Km he’s 9.3 ahead of Dale and 9.8 clear of QFM; Hofer in 6th, +11.1. JoBø in for S3 – he’s defied the commentator’s curse to clear all 5 again – QFM also clear and out +4.6. Lots of misses behind them, including 1 for Hofer, 2 for Laegreid and 3 for Dale! Out JoBø [0,0,0], QFM [1,0,0], Christiansen [1,0,1], Hofer [0,0,1], Peiffer [0,1,0], Doll [1,0,1; +30.5]. JoBø is pushing again – he’s opened the gap to QFM to 10.6 seconds already. At 11.7 Km it’s 12.4; Hofer in 3rd, +45.8 with Peiffer, Christiansen, Tarjei, Doll, Fak and Eder very close. Last shoot – JoBø has missed 1 but so has QFM – looks like the main race will be for the final podium place? Peiffer with a chance but he missed the last one; Fak clear here and he’s out 3rd, +34.6. Peiffer +50.8 with Christiansen, Eder, Doll and Bjøntegaard close behind. Ponsiluoma has missed 1 at each shoot, Laegreid [0,0,2,1], Hofer has missed 2 more at S4 and Tarjei is [1,0,1,2]; Dale [1,0,3,0]. JoBø is pulling away from QFM, who has a good cushion to Fak; Doll now up to 4th but he won’t catch Fak – game over! That was an amazing run by JoBø after the relay yesterday, QFM comfortably 2nd, Jakov Fak cruising to 3rd,ahead of Christiansen, Peiffer and Bjøntegaard. Ponsiluoma in 10th, Tarjei Bø in 12th, Samuelsson 13th, Laegreid 14th and Hofer 15th.

26 Jan 21; Kronplatz [Erta], Women’s Giant Slalom Run 1: For some reason I thought this was an evening race, like the men’s in Schladming, so I missed a good part of run 1, which was set by a French coach.  As I joined Michelle Gisin is leading from Mikaela Shiffrin [+0.56], Federica Brignone, Lara Gut-Behrami, Tess Worley and Meta Hrovat [+0.87]. Petra Vlhova currently 9th, +1.49.  Wendy Holdener the only DNF but she seems to have escaped with only a bloody nose. Franziska Gritsch made a good start but she lost a lot between 2 and 3 to go 20th.  Tviberg has lost a ski and crashed through a gate, nearly taking out a couple coaches – luckily she seems OK. That was almost a real upset – Valerie Grenier [CAN] was green at inter 1 and 2, just 0.01 red at 3 and she’s fallen; she’s fine but obviously very disappointed! The visibility has improved and Estelle Alphand is also going well at 1 and 2, still in touch at 3 but lost a lot to the finish to go 13th, +2.20. Julia Scheib has met a similar fate to Grenier – she seems OK as well, but that final section is obviously tricky. Good news – Alex Tilley a little wild at times, but she is not only safely down but into 15th at present; that’s looking good for a second run. Coverage has finished but there are still some good runs coming from the later starters; Paula Moltzan [again] from bib 47 to 14th, only to lose that place to Camille Rast [bib 50]. That’s run 1 over – Alex Tilley in 17th!
Run 2: Overcast, but with the sun trying to break through; this course set by a Swiss coach. A lot of period dress and old ski equipment on display as we wait for the start. Ragnhild Mowinckel first away – the Norwegians haven’t had that good a day; apart from her it looks like just Holtmann in 18th, plus 3 DNFs from run 1.  Once again it seems very easy to lose time between inter 3 and the finish. Ramona Siebenhofer goes fifth and she’s the first to better Mowinckel’s combined time – a good run and she leads by 0.64. That’s another good run from Maryna Gasienica-Daniel – building to 3 and then she’s gained even more time to lead by 0.81! Ana Bucik still in touch at inter 3 and she’s good on the final section too – into 2nd. Nina O’Brien has gained from 1 to 2, slightly red at 3 after briefly locking her boots together but she’s lost more lower down. Katherina Liensberger into 4th; Mina Fuerst Holtmann green all the way to 3 but she too has lost time, and she goes 2nd, +0.35. Alex Tilley has lost a lot from 2 to 3 and more to the line to go 14th – pity after a good first run. That’s half way - Maryna Gasienica-Daniel leads from Holtmann and Bucik. Paula Moltzan has fallen and bounced back up – seems OK; Camille Rast has also not had such a successful 2nd run – into 9th. Stephanie Brunner has also lost from 2 to 3, and more to the line – she’s into 4th. So far Maryna Gasienica-Daniel has gained 12 places, Holtmann 6 and Bucik 8! That’s more like it from Sofia Goggia – even she lost half her advantage between 3 and the line but she had enough in hand – she leads by 0.56. Alice Robinson in touch at 2, +0.38 at 3 and into 2nd, +0.15! Now, Petra Vlhova – almost all of her advantage has gone by inter 2, red at 3 and into 4th, +0.68 – she’s a great skier but I wonder if she’s getting worn down a bit by her programme? Sara Hector into 3rd, so Maryna Gasienica-Daniel is off the podium. Marta Bassino has gained to 1, lost a bit to 2, steady to 3 and gained a little to take the lead by 0.64! At present it’s Bassino, Goggia and Robinson; Meta Hrovat red by inter 1, green at 2, red at 3 and into 2nd, +0.50. Tessa Worley has gained a lot from 1 to 2, lost a little to 3 and she’s almost doubled her advantage by the line  to lead by 0.73! That’s the 2nd fastest time on run 2. Lara Gut-Behrami has gained to 1, lost a bit to 2, just 0.01 green at 3 and into 2nd, +0.27. Federica Brignone red by inter 1 and she’s losing time all the way – into 6th, +1.44. Mikaela Shiffrin on course, with 0.22 in hand at the start – she’s into the red by inter 2 and it’s going the wrong way – into 4th.  Just Michelle Gisin to come, with 0.78 advantage – she’s losing a little all the way but is still 0.59 green at 3; a massive error as it flattens out and she’s 6th. So, a great win for Tessa Worley – her first this season, ahead of Lara Gut-Behrami with Marta Bassino 3rd. Then Shiffrin, Hrovat and Gisin; Maryna Gasienica-Daniel ended up 11th!  In the GS standings Bassino leads on 460 with Worley up 2 places to 2nd [336] and Gisin now 3rd [312]. Petra Vlhova still leads the overall on 883, with Gisin on 783 and Lara G-B on 747.

26 Jan 21; Schladming [Planai], Men’s Slalom, run 1: This course set by a Norwegian coach – apparently not too tricky, but it is steep and it’s snowing fairly hard. Manu Feller is the first away, it looked fine but we’ll see! Ramon Zenhaeusern next to go and slightly red at 1 and 2, then more red; over the line +0.70. Daniel Yule red at 2, better at 3 but he’s straddled and lost a ski. Bib 4 is Sebastian Foss-Solevaag and he’s fractionally green at 1, same amount red at 2, lost a bit more from 3 to cross the line 2nd, +0.39. Marco Schwarz is 0.40 ahead at inter 1 but he’s somehow lost a second to 2; good recovery but into 4th, +0.89. Clement Noel has taken over 4th, +0.79; Henrik Kristoffersen next and 0.25 red at 1, redder at 2, he’s gained a bit from 2 to 3 but then a massive error and he’s 6th, +2.60 – his disappointing season continues. Fabio Gstrein good to inter 3 but he too has had an epic lower down – 7th, +4.57! This set might be a bit harder than the commentators thought? Victor Muffat-Jeandet has been losing time all the way; no obvious errors but he’s +2.54 off at the finish. Loic Meillard has also lost a serious amount of time for 3 to finish – he’s 6th, +2.07, and that’s a nasty bloody nose too. Dave Ryding is bib 11 but he’s almost a second off at 2 and going redder – he’s 7th, +2.37. Linus Strasser is struggling – maybe the snow isn’t what the technicians expected? Michael Matt is much more in touch and that’s good work from 3 to finish – he’s 3rd, +0.67; so, it can be done! Alexis Pinturault on course – bit red but also in touch to 3; maybe a bit tired after yesterday and he’s 7th,+1.73. That’s 15 away, Feller leads from Sebastian Foss-Solevaag and Michael Matt, then Zenhaeusern, Noel and Schwarz. Tanguy Nef into 9th; Alex Khoroshilov has gone better into 7th, +1.62. Jean-Baptiste Grange is going well – he’s into 7th, +1.50; Stefan Hadalin also going well to 3 but he’s lost over a second to the line – 11th, +1.96. Manfred Mölgg is really going well – just 0.21 off at 3 then the last bit bites again and he’s 7th, +0.99. That’s nice from Albert Popov – quite red at 2 but no worse at 3 and he’s managed 9th, +1.51; 30 away now and no change to the top 10 since Popov! The snow is getting heavier; bibs 35, 36 and 37 have all DNF’d. Bib 38 is Julien Lizeroux, who is on course for the last time before he retires – into 28th, so maybe no second run. He’s going to be missed. Marc Rochat into 13th; possibly best of the high bib numbers, Ben Ritchie [USA, bib 47] into 17th? However, bibs 42, 44, 45, 46, 49, 50 & 51 have all joined the DNFs! Billy Major has made it safely down, but won’t get a second run; sadly Laurie Taylor has just joined team DNF. Late qualifiers for run 2 include Jett Seymour [USA, bib 58], who just made it, Noel Von Grünigen [SUI, bib 62] who went 28th, and Alex Leever [USA, bib 66] who was 26th, just one place behind Henrik Kristoffersen! Dave Ryding ended up 20th.
Run 2: This course set by an Italian coach and it looks tricky – given what the supposedly easy set on run 1 did to the racers, this might be interesting! Jett Seymour first away and that didn’t go as he wished – enough said! Erik Read is 16.96 faster; Noel Von Grünigen is 0.62 better despite being briefly red at inter 3. Alex Leever has crossed the line on his back, but it’s legal! Henrik Kristoffersen has gained a lot from 2 to 3 and he leads by 1.04 – bit more like his standard. Johannes Strolz goes 2nd, but +1.02; that’s good from Armand Marchant [BEL] into 2nd. Filip Zubcic quite red at 1 but pulling it back until two very serious mistakes ruined his day. Now, Dave Ryding – red at 1, dead level at 2 and the wind has really picked up – he’s into 2nd, +0.67. Stefano Gross red at 1, green at 2, red at 3 and into 2nd; Ben Ritchie out early on his second run. Timon Haugan is also red at 1, green at 2 and red at 3 – he’s now into 2nd. That’s half way – Kristoffersen leads [8 places gained], ahead of Haugan and Gross. Loic Meillard has gained from 1 to 2 and is still in touch at 3 – the computer says DNF but he’s over the line? Ah, now it shows him as leading by 0.51? That’s a very dynamic run for Adrian Pertl [AUT] – deservedly into 2nd. Alexis Pinturault next; lost a bit to 2 but gained again to 3 and he’s really excelled on the final section to lead by 0.85! No surprise that he’s got the best time on run 2. Alex Khoroshilov into 2nd, but +0.75; Albert Popov lost a bit to 1, gained to 2, got a tiny bit better to 3 and he’s into 2nd, +0.72. I do wonder if anyone can ski the final section as well as Pinturault? J-B Grange into 7th; Manfred Mölgg losing time to 2, and only just green at 3 – he’s into 4th. Marco Schwarz has gained to inter 1 and this is looking good – he has dropped a little time from 3 to the finish but he leads by 0.82! Clement Noel red at 1 but green at 2, a slight error and quite red – good final section and into 2nd. Ramon Zenhaeusern red at 1, redder at 2 and into 4th; Michael Matt has joined the DNFs. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag has lost most of his 0.50 advantage by inter 1, red at 2 and +0.88 at 3 – he’s into 4th! The slow motion repay shows that his goggle lens fell out fairly early on. Just Manu Feller to come – he’s skied out really early on – nightmare! So, Marco Schwarz takes the win, ahead of Clement Noel with Alexis Pinturault getting the final podium place and another 60 points! Marco Schwarz stays at the top of the slalom standings [489], Seb F-S goes up to 2 [358] and Manu Feller drops to 3 [324]. Alexis Pinturault leads the overall with 860, ahead of Odermatt [607] and Schwarz [566].

29 Jan – Breaking news [FIS]: Due to the current weather situation in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the conditions of the slope, the jury together with the LOC and all the stakeholders have decided to cancel today's training and consequently tomorrow’s Women’s downhill race. It was therefore decided to replace tomorrow's downhill with a Super-G.

30 Jan 21; Chamonix, Men’s Slalom Run 1: It looks a bit murky, and it’s snowing fairly hard; rain at the finish – this first run set by an Austrian coach and it’s quite turny and offset. The combination of a tricky snow surface [rain and salt] and the weather should make this hard to predict - Ramon Zenhaeusern first away and it didn’t look one of his best! Alexis Pinturault can’t match it though as he goes 2nd, +0.86. Manu Feller isn’t finding it easy either, despite his coach setting it – he goes 2nd, +0.71. Just 3 away and already they are repairing the course. Henrik Kristoffersen has straddled the second gate; Marco Schwarz is more in touch – 0.32 red at 3 but he’s had a good final section to lead by just 0.02. Clement Noel is green at 1 and better at 2, still just green at 3 – he’s just 0.03 behind at the finish, which puts him 3rd. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag  is also well in touch but he’s lost a bit from 3 to finish – into 4th, +0.42. Alex Khoroshilov into 7th – not really ideal conditions for him; Michael Matt is 5th. A disappointing run from Linus Strasser, into 9th. Loic Meillard into 7th; Alex Vinatzer is safely down but 11th – 5 DNFs in a row must be on his mind? The course and conditions don’t suit Dave Ryding either – into 12th, +1.87. That’s 15 away – Marco Schwarz leads from Zenhaeusern and Noel, then Seb F-S, Matt and Feller. Interesting that the Swiss have only confirmed Zenhaeusern for their World Championship team – Yule currently 13th here and Nef 15th! Conditions aren’t good, although the visibility might be better – the course is rutting already. Kristoffer Jakobsen the best for a while, into joint 9th with Khoroshilov, +1.08; after the 2nd TV break no one seems able to break into the top 20 – best at present is Stefan Hadalin [bib 23] in 20th.  Currently Gross, Popov and Mölgg are tied in 22nd; Dave Ryding in 18th.  Ha, Simon Maurberger has joined the 22 club – 4 skiers tied there! The visibility has deteriorated again; Erik Read in all sorts of trouble and he’s slowest so far. Thirty away and no recent changes to the top 20. It’s getting foggier on the upper sections but Marc Rochat has shown it can be done – into 16th from bib 38! Not bad from Matej Vidovic [CRO, bib 42] either – he’s into 23rd.  Billy Major has finished but hasn’t qualified for a 2nd run [34th at present]; same for Laurie Taylor [45th]. That’s run 1 over – no change to the top 6, and the 22 club is now the 24 club.
Run 2: This is a relatively flat course and with this soft snow it needs care! The second set, the work of a Croatian coach,  is a lot straighter than run 1. The early leader is Luca Aerni, who was over 6 seconds faster than on run 1! At present J-B Grange is holding on to second; the 24 club aren’t making an impression yet. The last 2 of them are doing better - Stefano Gross has managed 2nd place; Maurberger into 3rd. The piste seems to be deteriorating rather more quickly than it did on run 1! Christian Hirschbühl is going well – there’s one mistake but he’s into 2nd, +0.73; Stefan Hadalin having a bumpy ride but he’s hung on to go 3rd. Adrian Pertl into 4th; now it’s Dave Ryding – his advantage is gone by inter 1 but he’s keeping in touch and he’s into 3rd, +0.79. Marc Rochat is the last before the half-way break, he’s 0.47 off at inter 2 but he’s being thrown around and goes 12th. At present Luca Aerni leads, from Hirschbühl and Ryding and the course isn’t doing the later starters any favours! Daniel Yule has lost over half his advantage by 1 and he’s red at 2 – into 6th; Linus Strasser is holding his green light a bit longer but he’s red at 3 and losing a lot from there to go 7th. Filip Zubcic has fared little better as he goes 6th on a course that is starting to resemble a mogul field! Just to add to the problems the visibility isn’t good either; Victor Muffat-Jeandet into 5th.  Alex Khoroshilov shouldn’t do well in these conditions, but he’s managed to only lose time slowly [if that makes sense] and he’s taking risks – worth it as he’s into 2nd! Alexis Pinturault has made an error or two but he’s recovered well to go 3rd; Loic Meillard next and with 1.28 in hand – still nicely green at 3 but the final section has dropped him to 2nd. Manu Feller has straddled, again – the coach isn’t happy! Michael Matt has lost a lot to inter 3 and he’s living dangerously although he’s still green – he goes into 2nd! Sebastian Foss-Solevaag  has lost over a second of his advantage by inter 2 and the tricky final turns have cost him more time – just 6th.  Clement Noel has a massive 2.12 advantage at the start hut and he’s still over a second green at inter 3 – finally Luca Aerni has been beaten although he still has the best time for run 2 by a good margin. Ramon Zenhaeusern has gained a tiny bit to inter 1 but he’s quite red at 2 after a stumble – good from there to pull back time and go 2nd, +0.16. Just Marco Schwarz to come; he’s gained a tiny bit to inter 1, but he too has had a problem before inter 2 – again he’s pulled back time but it’s not quite enough – he goes 3rd! Well, that was exciting – Clement Noel wins a very tricky race, ahead of Ramon Zenhaeusern and Marco Schwarz; I was sorry that Luca Aerni couldn’t quite hold on to a podium place, but he gained 25 places to finish 4th, ahead of Matt and Meillard. In the slalom standings Marco Schwarz retains the lead on 549, ahead of Seb F-S on 387with Clement Noel up to 3rd [373]. In the overall Pinturault now has 892 points, with Marco Schwarz up to 2nd [626] ahead of Marco Odermatt [607].


30 Jan 21; Garmisch-Partenkirchen [Kandahar], Women’s Super G: This should have been a downhill [see above] but is now a Super G. No Michelle Gisin today, but Petra Vlhova is racing. It’s apparently a little warm here too but the visibility is much better and the course seems in good condition. This is one of the few venues that I have actually skied at – quite nostalgic looking at it! Steph Venier the first away and safely down; Kasja Vickhoff Lie is a lot faster – almost a second ahead at inter 2 and she leads by 2.29! Tamara Tippler into 2nd, +0.54; Corinne Suter has gained a lot from inter 3 to go into 2nd, +0.53! Federica Brignone into 4th; Lara Gut-Behrami is nicely in touch and just green at 2, greener still at 3 and she leads by 0.68 – great run!  First TV break – Lara G-B leads from Lie and Suter, then Nufer and Tippler tied in 4th with Brignone in 6th. Marta Bassino has missed a gate – first DNF here today. Eurosport seem to be having snags – we’ve lost Matt Chilton! Petra Vlhova on course – red all the way but it’s a good effort and gets her into 6th at present – good recovery too! That’s a good run from Ester Ledecka – a few errors but she’s into 3rd, +1.19 though. Sofia Goggia is a little slow through the top speed trap and a bit off line on the roller, but she’s pulling it back together and she’s into 3rd, +1.00. That tricky flight off the roller just after the red arch is catching a few people out; Ricarda Haaser a little slow at the top gun but in touch at inter 2 but she’s losing time and into 14th. No changes to the top 10 since Tiffany Gauthier [bib 18] went into joint 8th with Vlhova. Christine Scheyer [bib 25] is going to change that – a nice run and nicely in touch at inter 3 to go into 4th, +1.16 – she’s the best of the Austrians and understandably very happy with that! Now, Marie-Michelle Gagnon [CAN, bib 29] is looking good – briefly green at 1, fractionally red at 2 and she’s into 3rd, +0.93 – even she didn’t expect that, no wonder she’s so happy! That might well have been the last change to the top 10? The last skier in the Eurosport coverage is Breezy Johnson and she was just 0.01 off the pace at inter 1; lost it lower down though and into 33rd! That’s Lara Gut-Behrami’s third Super G win in a row; great result for Kasja Vickhoff Lie – her first podium I think, and lovely to see Gagnon in 3rd. Goggia in 4th, then Scheyer and Ledecka. Lara Gut-Behrami leads the Super G standings [345], Corinne Suter still 2nd [205] with Ester Ledecka up to 3rd [196]. In the overall Petra Vlhova has picked up another 26 points today and leads on 909; Lara G-B up to 2nd [847] with Michelle Gisin in 3rd [783].

31 Jan 21; Chamonix, Men’s Slalom II Run 1: Now, the course for run one is set by Dave Ryding’s coach, Tristan Glasse-Davies – apparently very tight and tricky? Ramon Zenhaeusern is the first away again – a few errors and it sounds quite icy today but he’s down. Marco Schwarz is faster – green all the way and into the lead by 0.54. Yesterday’s winner, Clement Noel is next – red at 1 and 2, less red at 3 and then a massive error; I doubt he’ll make run 2? Manu Feller is also red all the way and into 3rd; Alexis Pinturault is only just red at 1 and 2 and the final section is very impressive – he leads by 0.21. Henrik Kristoffersen is probably fired up after his early straddle yesterday and it seems the course suits him – green all the way and although he lost a little on the final section he leads by 0.23. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag was just green at 1 but he’s almost half a second off at 2 – into 4th, +0.95. Loic Meillard has suffered the curse of the commentator as he straddles; Daniel Yule under pressure for World Championship selection – he’s down but only 7th, +1.56. Linus Strasser into 4th; Michael Matt maybe a bit tired - just 8th, +1.49. Now, Dave Ryding and he’s lost a bit from 1 to 2 and it’s redder from there – into 8th, +1.44. His training partner, Alex Khoroshilov has shown amazing recovery skills and he’s taken over 8th place. Victor Muffat-Jeandet green at 1 but quite red at 2 and he too is losing time from there – now he’s 8th, +1.16. The course is starting to rut; Fabio Gstrein is working well though and he goes 4th, +0.58. First TV break; Kristoffersen leads from Pinturault and Schwarz. That’s better for Alex Vinatzer – into 9th; Tanguy Nef also perhaps feeling the pressure for selection and he’s fallen - DNF. Luca Aerni is having another good day and he’s pulled back a little time from inter 3 to go 4th, +0.53. J-B Grange into joint 14th with Dave Ryding; that’s a good final section from Kristoffer Jakobsen – risky but into 7th. Good from Stefan Hadalin too; bib 24 and into 13th – Dave Ryding is now joint 16th, so he’ll be going late in the first wave of run 2, rather than early after the piste gets repaired at half way. Albert Popov [BUL] is well in touch – from bib 26 to 6th place, +0.68; no wonder he’s happy! Stefano Gross also needing a good result for selection – that’s a nice run into 9th, +0.86. That’s 30 away; no change to the top 3, but now Aerni in 4th ahead of Gstrein and Popov. Giuliano Razzoli into 15th; a good run from Armand Marchant [BEL] too to go 16th. Visibility seems to be a bit of an issue in places, which won’t help – Nordbotten has clearly straddled but he’s skiing on – that won’t go down well! Marc Rochat into 14th, which has pushed Dave Ryding out of the top 20. The fog is moving around on the hill and the number of DNFs is increasing. Sadly Billy Major has joined the DNFs and so has Laurie Taylor – pity Eurosport couldn’t have stayed with the race for just a little longer! They’re back now as Garmisch has been delayed; no late changes to the top 10 – Luke Winters [bib 48] was the highest bib number to get into the top 30 and get a second run.
Run 2: The weather looks good – best of the weekend, although that means temperatures are rising! This course set by a Swiss coach – slightly faster than run 1 probably – more open! Sandro Simonet first away and he’s more than 6 seconds faster than on run 1. Five away, Simonet still leading from Mölgg and Luke Winters. Adrian Pertl is well in touch - lost a bit on the final section but he’s into 2nd; Daniel Yule can only manage 4th, +1.05! Michael Matt into the red at 3 and he goes 4th; now, here comes Dave Ryding – he too is just red at 3 but then it’s a straddle – very unusual [his last was January 2018 apparently]. J-B Grange into 4th; the course is already starting to rut and bump. Filip Zubcic over the line on his back into 10th; Alex Khoroshilov out at the same gate as Dave Ryding! That’s half-way – Simonet still leads from Pertl and Giuliano Razzoli has just skied into 3rd! Victor Muffat-Jeandet just red at 3 and he’s going nicely; slight stumble but a good recovery and he’s into joint 2nd. Alex Vinatzer into 7th; Manu Feller possibly isn’t risking as much as he sometimes does, but more aggressive lower down – just 6th. he doesn’t look very happy with that. Now, Ramon Zenhaeusern is still well green at inter 3 and despite losing time after that he goes into the lead by 0.38. That’s the 2nd best time on run 2 as well; Simonet still the best. Seb F-S off the pace and 10th; next TV break - Ramon Zenhaeusern leads from Simonet with Pertl and Victor M-J tied in 3rd. Kristoffer Jakobsen has a cleaner track after the break but he’s only 7th – possibly skiing for a result and points? This has been a tough month for the slalom skiers – a few are looking tired today! No news yet from GAP about the Super G. Fabio Gstrein is getting thrown all over the place – into 22nd, +1.98. Luca Aerni into the red at 2 and further off the pace at 3 – he can only manage 14th. Marco Schwarz has just over half a second in hand – most has gone by inter 1 and he’s 0.53 the wrong way at 2 – he’s struggling but manages 5th, +1.00. Alexis Pinturault next and his advantage has halved by inter 1, just red at 2 after a brilliant recovery but he’s fighting hard – that’s just 7th! Only Henrik Kristoffersen to come and he has almost a full second of advantage – he still has most of it at 1, and 0.67 at 2 – still green at 3 and he takes the lead but by just 0.28 – that was a very impressive run given the conditions! So,. Kristoffersen wins, ahead of Ramon Zenhaeusern with Sandro Simonet hanging on to the final podium place – 27 positions gained and the best time on run 2. Pertl [21 places gained] and Victor M-J tied in 4th ahead of Marco Schwarz. Marco Schwarz still leads the slalom standings [589 points] ahead of Ramon Zenhaeusern [443], who has gained 2 places with Seb F-S [405] in 3rd. In the overall Pinturault leads [924] ahead of Marco Schwarz [666 -unfortunate] and Marco Odermatt [607]; Kristoffersen up 3 places to 5th [544].

31 Jan 21; Garmisch-Partenkirchen [Kandahar], Women’s Super G II: Not good news – the start has been postponed by 30 minutes. Now it’s 1330 CET due to fog. On the plus side I did get to see the end of the EC biathlon single mixed relay – a win for Germany ahead of France and Russia; Norway down in 6th with some poor shooting. Race has now been postponed to Monday. So,

1 Feb 21; Garmisch-Partenkirchen [Kandahar], Women’s Super G II: The major news this morning is that Sofia Goggia will miss the World Championships after an accident on Sunday “The Olympic downhill champion suffered "a compound fracture of the lateral tibial plateau" of her right knee after crashing in Garmisch, Germany, on Sunday. The 28-year-old Italian ski star sprained her knee while returning to her hotel following the postponement of today's Super G race due to foggy conditions. She reportedly tumbled in the fresh snow and was stretchered off the course, normally open to tourists.” Very sad news.
Back to today’s race - course set by a Swiss coach, and conditions are much better today – good visibility all the way! The piste is a little softer than it sometimes is after the recent warm weather; Kasja Vickhoff Lie the first away and safely down. There is a slight delay while the course is repaired; Christine Scheyer [bib 2] is not starting today so next away is Ester Ledecka and she’s well green at inter 1 and 2, fractionally red at 3 and into 2nd, +0.25. Francesca Marsaglia was green at 2, red at 3 and into 3rd, +0.36 – looks like Lie had a really good final section? Corinne Suter also green at 1 and 2, but she too is slightly red at 3 and now she goes 2nd, +0.23. Tessa Worley into 4th and next is Lara Gut-Behrami – she’s 0.36 green at 1 and fastest so far though the speed gun; almost a second green at 2 and she takes over the lead by a massive 0.88 – great run. Petra Vlhova is well in touch – dead level at inter 2 and juts red at 3 – she’s into 2nd, +0.28 – that’s a very impressive result! First TV break – Lara G-B leads from Vlhova and Lie. Tamara Tippler has drifted off line once, but the rest of the run is good and she’s 3rd, +0.74. Marie-Michelle Gagnon won’t be on the podium today – lost a bit between 2 and 3 and into 10th; Marta Bassino another of the Italians who, understandably, seem a little subdued today – into 10th. Michelle Gisin is racing today but a little off the pace – into 11th; quite a few racers are drifting into the softer snow mid-course which is costing them time. Another TV break; Lara G-B leads from Vlhova with Tippler now 3rd, ahead of Lie, Suter and Ledecka. Jasmina Suter [bib 21] currently best of the post 2nd TV break starters in 16th; Jasmine Flury [bib 28] well in touch at 1 and 2 but she’s fallen – quite a slide but she’s up and skiing away. Laura Pirovano [bib 29] is also in touch – into 13th. Mirjam Puchner [bib 30] dead level at 1 and fast through the speed trap – red at 2 though and getting redder all the time; she goes 20th, but that was a good start! Nice to see Breezy Johnson [bib 40] going into joint 20th! And that was it – great 4th win in a row for Lara Gut-Behrami, and a very impressive 2nd for Petra Vlhova with Tamara Tippler best of the Austrians in 3rd. All the best to Sofia Goggia for a swift recovery.

5 Feb 21; Garmisch-Partenkirchen [Kandahar], Men’s Downhill: This should have been the Super G, but the forecast persuaded the organisers to swap things around and run the downhill today. The race start has been lowered slightly, to improve social distancing, and it’s a little warm – although many racers are suggesting, post inspection, that it’s a harder surface than expected? Matthias Mayer is first away – faster than the training run. Bryce Bennett is 1.83 off the pace, and now it’s Beat Feuz – very slightly red at 1 and 2, slightly green at 3 and 4 and he’s faster through the lower speed gun, but he’s lost a little – he leads but by only 0.03! Max Muzaton down and almost out on the final section, but he’s back on his feet and safely over the line; I thought he had missed a gate, and he is now shown as DSQ. Dominik Paris is in touch; slightly green at 1 and 2, just red at 3 and 4, green again at 5 and he’s gained from there to take the lead by 0.37! Travis Ganong is playing catch up after an early error – into 4th. Christof Innerhofer into 4th, Vincent Kriechmayr in trouble just before the finish and into 7th. Max Franz has gone into 4th; he’s not happy! Ten away – Paris leads from Feuz and Mayer, then Franz and Innerhofer – after the break Janka has just gone 6th. Kjetil Jansrud doesn’t seem to have hit form yet – he can only manage 10th; none of the later starters are threatening the top 6 at present – best at the moment is bib 20, Marco Odermatt, into 8th [not bad for a first time on the Kandahar!]. First after a break seems to be a good idea – Daniel Hemetsberger [AUT] into 9th. That’s a nasty crash for Josef Ferstl, he caught an edge just before the jump and he’s through the nets into the air bag – he’s up and on his feet, amazing but great news. There’s now a delay while they replace all the netting! The race is back on but the snow is softening in places, so it’s quite inconsistent. Thirty away – no change to the top 6 since Janka. Best of the later starters probably Felix Monsen [SWE, bib 37] into 20th, although Simon Jocher [GER, bib 51] deserves a mention for getting into 25th! Great result for Dominik Paris, his first victory since returning from an ACL injury, with Beat Feuz and Matthias Mayer taking the other podium places.

6 Feb 21; Garmisch-Partenkirchen [Kandahar], Men’s Super G: The last race before the FIS World Championships in Cortina! It’s warm again with some soft snow so there may well be problems for the skiers due to an inconsistent snow surface? Marco Odermatt the first away on a very directly set course [by an Italian coach] – safely down and that looked good; he doesn’t look happy with it though. Beat Feuz next – slightly green at 1 although I doubt that he was 34 kph slower through the gun – a glitch in the data stream?! Still green at 2, a quarter of a second red at 3 and into 2nd, +0.28. Matthias Mayer well green at inter 2; lost a little to 3 but still nicely green and he goes into the lead by 0.32 – a very neat run. Hannes Reichelt into 4th; Vincent Kriechmayr green at 2, just 0.02 green at 3 but fast through the final gun and he leads by 0.17. Some sad news – Brice Roger who crashed yesterday and was thought to be OK apparently has an ACL injury, so he’s out while that gets treated; a similar problem for Josef Ferstl who apparently has a broken ankle, so he too is out. Nils Allegre into 4th; Kjetil Jansrud isn’t having a good weekend by his standards – into 6th. Gino Caviezel into 6th; no bib 9 [Sejersted] so Romed Baumann is next – he goes into joint 6th with Caviezel. TV break – Kriechmayr leads from Mayer and Odermatt. That’s a nice run from Loic Meillard, nicely in touch and he’s into 5th. James Crawford [CAN] in touch at inter 2 but he’s had a couple errors and ends up 12th. Max Franz into 5th, surely good enough to get him to Cortina? Christof Innerhofer is also well in touch – into 5th; bib 19 is Dominik Paris, he’s late in the line on a couple occasions and he won’t do the double – a good final section gets him to 8th. Twenty away - Kriechmayr still leads from Mayer and Odermatt, then Allegre, Innerhofer and Franz [AUT/AUT/SUI/FRA/ITA/AUT]. Felix Monsen [SWE] is going well on the upper section and although he lost a bit lower down that’s a good result for him – into joint 15th. Stefan Babinsky [AUT, bib 29] into 19th and yet another good run by Simon Jocher [GER, bib 40] into 18th position! No late changes to the top 10 – well done Vincent Kriechmayr; Matthias Mayer in 2nd and another good result for Marco Odermatt in 3rd; he’s 2nd in the overall with 699 points to Alexis Pinturault’s 924. In the Super G standings Kriechmayr leads on 341, ahead of Mayer [240] and Mauro Caviezel [225] – Odermatt in 4th on 218

8 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo, World Championships – Women’s Alpine Combined: Not the start they wanted – due to heavy snowfall and avalanche danger this race is shown as “cancelled for today”.  [Rescheduled for next Monday, apparently?] The women’s’ Super G [scheduled for 9 Feb] has been delayed, and the men’s Super G [also 9 Feb] has been shifted to Thursday!

9 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo, World Championships – Women’s Super G: Well, that looks like a better day, as regards the weather! The course has been set by an Italian coach and apparently it’s a very twisty, technical course, almost GS like in places? Sadly I was looking at the weather in the finish area – it’s foggy further up the mountain so the start is delayed! Ironically the lower sections look lovely! It seems the start will be moved to a lower start point, taking out the very steep section, which is still in fog  – even more like a GS? That will suit a few of the racers but I suspect Lara Gut-Behrami won’t be one of them! Well – the start has been lowered but it’s still in the fog – the organisers are already talking about having 2 Super G races on Thursday, or maybe move this to tomorrow, but that would clash with the men’s alpine combined? Whichever option they go for this race is cancelled “for today”.

And it continues - an FIS reports says "Word came later in the day [9 Feb], that the medal hunt would be delayed yet another day as the men's Alpine Combined, scheduled for Wednesday was also postponed. It will now be staged on Monday together with the women's Alpine Combined.

For those who have lost track of the overall picture, the entire first-week schedule can be found below:

Wednesday 10 Feb: no races scheduled
Thursday 11 Feb: Women's Super G at 10.45 CET // Men's Super G at 13.00 CET
Friday 12 Feb: Women's Downhill Training 2 // Men's Downhill Training 1
Saturday 13 Feb: Women's Downhill // Men's Downhill Training 2
Sunday 14 Feb: Men's Downhill 11:00 CET
Monday 15 Feb: Women's Alpine Combined // Men's Alpine Combined, times TBA

11 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Olympia], World Championships – Women’s Super G: Hard to find this amid all the tennis on Eurosport! The weather looks lovely, blue sky and sun,  and it’s colder too so the snow conditions are better – minus 12 on the snow this morning! Marta Bassino is the first away – that’s a steep slope to start on; the course was set by an Italian coach so it should suit her? Bassino is safely down and it looked pretty good! Tiffany Gauthier was well green at inter 1 but it’s slipping away after a couple line errors – she’s 1.01 off the pace at the finish. Tamara Tippler is going well – 0.70 green at 1 and although it’s drifting away she’s still just green at 3 – there was a slight error but it’s a good recovery and she leads by 0.32. Mikaela Shiffrin is bib 4 – green at 1, 0.76 green at 2, 1.00 ahead at 3 and then it all went wild – even so she leads by 0.40; could have been even better and she knows it! Corinne Suter looked to have lost it, 0.86 red at 3, but the lower section was superb and she leads by 0.13! Ariane Raedler [AUT] into 5th; next is Lara Gut-Behrami – green at 1, more so at 2, fastest through the lower speed trap and she leads by 0.34. Ragnhild Mowinckel into 6th; Federica Brignone is being very aggressive but it doesn’t seem to be working – into 5th, +1.09. A slight delay while a gate is repaired; first TV break – Lara G-B leads from Suter and Shiffrin. Ester Ledecka is in touch despite an error early on; great effort but she’s 4th! Marie-Michelle Gagnon fastest through the lower speed trap and into 5th; Kasja Vickhoff Lie is in touch at 2 but she’s made a couple line errors later – she goes 5th. Michelle Gisin has had problems with the increasingly rutted gate; great recovery but into 8th. That’s an impressive start – Petra Vlhova 0.34 red at 1 but she’s lost a little lower down – into 9th.  Twenty away, no change to the top 10 since Vlhova went 9th. The course is getting ever more rutted, so it seems unlikely that the podium will change; of the later starters only Breezy Johnson [bib 24] has made it into the top 20. Sadly Alex Tilley has crashed, but she’s standing up and seems OK. That is it – well done to Lara Gut-Behrami for winning the, rather delayed, first gold medal of the championships; an excellent run on the final section got Corinne Suter the silver and well done to Mikaela Shiffrin for getting bronze after so little Super G practice! Ester Ledecka in 4th, ahead of Lie and Gagnon.

11 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Vertigine], World Championships – Men’s Super G: No easier to get the coverage but I managed in the end – this course, on the new Vertigine piste, looks like a real test, especially as the wind is getting up! Christian Walder the first away and he’s skied out; so has Loic Meillard! There is a huge jump and you need to land in time to get the next turn started – this is supposed to be Super G! Mauro Caviezel is back from injury – he too misses the gate after the jump – maybe the Italian coach has set it too hard, given the change in the wind? James Crawford [CAN] has just made it through the control gate and he leads, as the only one down so far! Now, Vincent Kriechmayr on course and he’s got the line after the jump – very green and getting better – he leads by 1.35. Emanuele Buzzi into 2nd, +1.30; Marco Odermatt has taken a very high line through the jump, but now he’s lost time on the traverse – he’s into 2nd, +0.96! This is certainly a very tricky, demanding course! Dominik Paris next – the course was set by his coach – neatly into the jump, quite a short one for him, and  nicely through the turns after the jump and he’s closer – 2nd, +0.55. Matthias Mayer has taken a different approach and it hasn’t worked for him – he’s gained time from 3 to the line to go 3rd, +0.60. Alexis Pinturault safely through the jump and well in touch – he’s into 2nd, just 0.38 off the lead. Kjetil Jansrud still isn’t getting it right – into a disappointing 6th. The landing from the Vertigine jump is getting bumpy already – Andreas Sander into 5th. Max Franz has skied out on the traverse; Johan Clarey also out but Travis Ganong is into 5th.  Even Beat Feuz can only manage 7th; Romed Baumann is going well – 0.23 red at 3 and he’s flying – into 2nd, just 0.07 off the lead! That’s a really good result given the way the track is getting bumpier! Twenty away, Kriechmayr leads from Baumann and Pinturault; Paris off the podium in 4th, ahead of Mayer and Ganong. A delay as one of the volunteer course workers has been injured; the race is back on and Matthieu Bailet is nicely in touch; a line error but he’s still into 6th.  That’s a nice line through the jump for Brodie Seger [CAN] – he’s into 4th, that’s a massive PB for him! Dominik Schwaiger had a big flight and seemed to be just under control but then got caught on the tails of his skis and his airbag has inflated as a result, so he’s had to call it a day. Thirty away – Vincent Kriechmayr leads from Baumann [+0.07] and Pinturault [+0.38]; 9 DNFs so far! Good effort by Jared Goldberg [bib 31] to go into 15th; Henrik Roea [NOR, bib 38] has gone 17th and Jan Zabystran [CZE, bib 42] is 20th – that may well be the last change to the top 20? That was the way it ended – well done to Vincent K for winning the first gold of the men’s events; that should please the Austrian press! Not quite sure what they will make of Romed Baumann [once AUT, now GER] getting a well-deserved silver, and I’m delighted to see Alexis Pinturault get the bronze. Tough on Brodie Seger, missing the podium by just 4 hundredths, ahead of Paris and Mayer.

13 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Olympia], World Championships – Women’s Downhill: Conditions look good and the light is fine but there is apparently an uphill wind on the upper section. Francesca Marsaglia is first away and safely down. Jasmina Suter is nicely green [0.41] at inter 1 but slowly losing her advantage – just 0.01 green at 4 and she goes 2nd, +0.19. Laura Pirovano is 0.65 ahead at inter 1; she lost a little between 3 and 4 but she’s fast through the final gun to take the lead by 0.37. That’s quite a World Championship debut! Nadia Delago has gained time from 4 to the line, fastest through the gun and into 2nd. Now Breezy Johnson was tipped for a podium but she’s had an early error, almost down and 0.59 red at 1 – a spectacular recovery, going green at 4 and she leads by 0.27 – impressive comeback! Kasja Vickhoff Lie is green at 1 but red at 4  where Johnson was flying – she’s into 5th.  Corinne Suter is also green at 1, and a massive 0.92 ahead at 2; still 0.61 green at 4 and she’s gained from there to lead by 0.90! That was a superb run. Michelle Gisin is in touch all the way – just 0.17 red at 4 and she goes into 2nd, +0.50. Ester Ledecka is dead level at 1, fractionally red at 2, just 0.01 green at 3 – you can hear her shouting at herself, she really is pushing hard – into 2nd! Christine Scheyer a little off the pace; into 10th! First TV break – Suter leads from Ledecka and Gisin. That’s a good run from Kira Weidle – just red all the way,  but in touch and she’s gone into 2nd – just 0.20 off the lead. Ragnhild Mowinckel has gained time from 2 to 3 but it’s drifted further red to the line – she’s 6th. Bib 13 is Lara Gut-Behrami, 0.36 green at 1 and 2, less green at 3; a little slow through the final gun and she’s 3rd, +0.37. Ramona Siebenhofer is green at 1, 2 and 3 but red at 4 and she’s lost a little on the final section to go joint 5th.  Marie-Michelle Gagnon made a very impressive recovery after catching an edge early on – that was close! Elena Curtoni into 8th and best Italian today. That’s 20 away – Suter leads from Weidle and Lara G-B; Ledecka in 4th, then Siebenhofer and Gisin in joint 5th.  I think that top 6 won’t change – Elena Curtoni [bib 19] is the highest bib in the top 10, in 8th.  That’s it – a good day for the Swiss; Corinne Suter wins the gold and Lara Gut-Behrami gets the bronze. Delighted to see Kira Weidle take the silver, well done to all of them!

14 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Vertigine], World Championships – Men’s Downhill: Again, conditions look good but the track seems very icy in patches – the TV run [by Gdina?] looked fast and that’s without the race suit and fully prepared skis; and he missed a gate too! Vincent Kriechmayr first away and he almost missed that gate too – just made it! Andreas Sander was well in touch – fast through the speed traps but fractionally red all the way and he’s 2nd by just 1 one hundredth! Dominik Paris fractionally green at 1, much greener at 2 but very low on the tricky traverse and now he’s over a second off the pace – he’s pulled a lot back but not enough – 3rd, +0.65. Bryce Bennett off the pace and 4th, +1.10; Matthias Mayer just red at 2 but he’s missed the gate on the traverse, and he’s out. Thomas Dressen is back from injury – that’s a baptism of fire and he’s understandably rusty – 5th, +1.68. Bib 7 is Beat Feuz; just green at 1 and fast through the top speed gun – that looked a good line on the traverse but he’s +0.73 there – good recovery, gaining an impressive amount of time, and he’s into 3rd, +0.18. That’s one of the most amazing things I’ve seen on downhill skis – Max Muzaton was down but he’s somehow up, doing a full 360 after going backwards for a while at about 70 mph and he’s still standing – sadly he’s holding a knee so he might not have completely escaped! Johan Clarey also had trouble making the gate, he’s 6th, +1.50. Max Franz was tipped to do well here but he’s only 6th, +1.25; 10 away and Kriechmayr leads from Sander and Feuz. Carlo Janka into 5th; Nils Allegre has taken over that place. Romed Baumann is well in touch at 1 and 2, but he too is a bit low and clatters the gate on the traverse – just 9th and he’s caught an edge and into the finish air bags. He’s walking away, but a bit bloody. That was an interesting line by Travis Ganong – it looked good but didn’t seem to gain him time- he’s 8th, +1.24. Christof Innerhofer looked good through the traverse but he’s made a couple small errors elsewhere – into 5th. Kjetil Jansrud neat through the traverse but that’s a heavy landing after the marmot jump; he’s into 7th, +1.02. Marco Odermatt is also good through 1 and 2; he’s lost a bit, good recovery from a slight wobble and he’s joint 4th, +0.65, with Dominik Paris. Twenty away – Kriechmayr leads from Sander, Feuz, Odermatt/Paris and Innerhofer. Henrik Roea [NOR] into joint 10th with Bennett; I’m starting to think that Vincent Kriechmayr has pulled off the double? Florian Schieder is down and although he’s not in the nets that looks nasty. He is up and sliding to the side, but that looks like a knee injury. Thirty away – no change to the top 10 since Roea. And, that’s it – very well done to Vincent Kriechmayr on his win – a golden double! A brilliant effort by Andi Sander to get silver by the smallest margin possible – just 0.01 off gold and another great result for Beat Feuz taking bronze.

10 Feb 21 - Mixed Relay: I was out getting my car serviced and through its MOT so I missed this one! Given that the Norwegian team was JoBø, Laegreid, Eckhoff and Olsbu there's no prize for guessing who won! The IBU report summarises the event as "Marte Olsbu Roeiseland anchored Norway to the Gold medal in this afternoon’s mixed relay at the IBU World Championships at Pokljuka, giving the Norwegian squad their third consecutive mixed relay title. Roeiseland, and her teammates, Tiril Eckhoff, Johannes Thingnes Boe, and Sturla Holm Laegreid used eleven spare rounds in their 1:20:19.3 winning effort. Austria won the Silver medal, using just two spares, 27 seconds back. Sweden’s Hanna Oeberg took the Bronze medal for her team in a sprint finish over Ukraine’s Olena Pidhrushna. Sweden and Ukraine both used eight spares, finishing 30.6 and 31.1 seconds back, respectively. The full report is here

Pokljuka – World Championships; Men’s 10 Km Sprint, 12 Feb 21: Seems Patrick and Mike are having problems hearing each other; no commentary at present either! Now we’ve lost picture too – very annoying. Ah, here we go – Dominik Windisch [bib 10] has just started; Lukas Hofer fastest at 1.4 Km at present. Martin Ponsiluoma now quickest at 1.4 Km; conditions don’t look too bad although it is snowing. The early starters, including Hofer, are at S1 – he’s cleared all 5; that’s a very quick way of getting the rifle on your back! Matvey Eliseev also clear, but so is Ponsiluoma and he’s fastest out of the range so far. Scott Gow has missed 3 here; Sturla Holm Laegreid clear and out 5.6 behind Ponsiluoma. Apparently it’s minus 13 here! Alex Loginov has missed 1; Tarjei Bø clear and out +2.4. Most of the big names are going in group 1 with some in 2; Seb Samuelsson now quickest at 1.4 Km, but only until JoBø reaches there. QFM has missed 1 at S1; Lukas Hofer is at S2 – the last one has gone wide. Eliseev has gone 10/10; so has Martin Ponsiluoma and he’s 27.4 ahead of the Russian. Tarjei Bø is also 10/10 and he’s 3.3 faster than Martin P out of the range. Laegreid has also gone 10/10 and he’s just 9.2 behind Ponsiluoma; back at S1 Samuelsson is clear but JoBø has missed 2. Loginov having rifle problems at S2 and he’s missed 1 here too; Tarjei Bø has also missed 1 at S2. QFM clear at S2 and in touch with Tarjei; Arnd Peiffer has missed 2 at S2. Both Laegreid and Tarjei Bø are losing a little to Ponsiluoma on the early parts of the final lap and he’s pulled out almost another 10 seconds over Laegreid between 8.1 and 9.1 Km. Seb Samuelsson has missed his 10th, but he’s still out ahead of Tarjei. At S2 JoBø is clear but he’s still out +25.6, in 6th. That’s good from Emilien Jacquelin [1,0] – fast shooting at S2 and he’s out just 7.1 behind Ponsiluoma. I hadn’t spotted Jake Brown [0,0; USA] until now but he’s well in touch – currently 6th at 9.1 Km and he’s over the line ahead of Hofer.  At 8.1 Km Jacquelin has closed to 5.5 behind Ponsiluoma. JoBø isn’t making much ground against Ponsiluoma but crucially he’s gaining time against Samuelsson and QFM – he’s over the line in 2nd, behind Martin P but ahead of QFM – truly superhuman! Jacquelin is 8.8 behind at 9.1 Km, he’s over the line in 2nd. Back at S2 Eduard Latypov has missed 1 [0,1] but he is out 4th, +11.8! Back at 5.7 Km Johannes Dale is going well, but he still has S2 to come; he’s missed his 9th shot and out +25.6, very similar to QFM and JoBø. I’m still astonished by JoBø’s speed!  On the lap Latypov is losing time but to further complicate the issue Simon Desthieux is 10/10 and out from S2 +10.7. At present it’s Ponsiluoma leading, ahead of Jacquelin, JoBø, QFM, Laegreid, Samuelsson and Tarjei. On the final lap Dale is gaining – and so is Desthieux! Dale is over the line in 3rd, pushing JoBø off the podium by just 0.1! Simon Desthieux has had an amazing last lap – not only has he pipped Dale but he’s beaten Jacquelin’s’ time as well!  So, at present the podium is Ponsiluoma, Desthieux and Jacquelin. Not looking good for Germany today – Arnd Peiffer [0,2] currently 31st, ahead of Benedikt Doll [2,2] in 33rd, Erik Lesser [0,2] in 49th [and those positions may well get worse] and Kühn yet to finish but he missed 4 at S2. Well, a good race and all credit to Martin Ponsiluoma [0,0] on a very impressive win; 4th fastest on the range and 7th on the track. A great run by Simon Desthieux [0,0] to take silver with Emilien Jacquelin [1,0] in bronze medal position. Dale in 4th ahead of JoBø and QFM.

Pokljuka – World Championships; Women’s 7.5 Km Sprint, 13 Feb 21: A very interesting tour of the course – one particularly tricky looking left turn on a fast downhill! We also seem to have lost Patrick and Mike again! Ninety nine starters today. Conditions look really good. Marketa Davidova first away, it sounds quite icy on that climb -  minus 11! We have Mike back, apparently there are still some gremlins connecting to Patrick. It’s quite windy on the range; Davidova has missed her first and last. Mari Eder is clear but taking her time between shots; Denise Herrmann has cleared all 5 and those looked good. Tandrevold also clear and out 20.2 behind Herrmann; Røiseland has also cleared and she’s much closer – out +3.6. Good shooting by Franzi Preuß – unlucky with the wind but still got all 5, out +7.1. Tiril Eckhoff has got all 5 too - +5.3 – all very close after S1 at present. Denise Herrmann has missed 1 at S2; back at S1 Anais Chevalier-Bouchet is clear and out just ahead of Herrmann! At S2 both Tandrevold and Røiseland have missed 2; Røiseland still out just 22.4 behind Herrmann. Hanna Öberg clear at S1, out +14.1; at S2 Lena Haecki [1,0] is out 2nd. Tiril Eckhoff in for S2 and she’s the only 10/10 so far; she’s out 17.1 ahead of Herrmann. Anais C-B also missed 1 at S2 – out ahead of Herrmann too! Now, Hanna Sola [BLR] has also got 10/10 and she’s out ahead of Eckhoff! Franzi Preuß missed 1 at S2, and it was a slow shoot but she’s had a great last lap to go 3rd at present, behind Herrmann and Røiseland. All change – Tiril Eckhoff over the line 22.3 ahead of Herrmann. Hanna Sola is losing time to Eckhoff and Anais C-B on the lap. Lisa Vittozzi has cleared all 10 but it was a slow shoot; at the finish it’s now Eckhoff, Anais C-B [+12.0] and Sola [+14.4] on the podium! Doro Wierer [1,1] won’t be on the podium after those 2 misses – apparently she hasn’t been well; I suspect Hanna Öberg [0,1] won’t make it either? At S2 Selina Gasparin has missed her last 2; Lisa Vittozzi over the line 5th, ahead of Røiseland. Well, what a day for Tiril Eckhoff – all 10 targets down and 3rd fastest time on the track have got her the gold medal. A gutsy performance by Anais Chevalier-Bouchet – the fastest time on track helped make up  for the 1 miss and get her silver, and a very impressive shoot by Hanna Sola to take bronze. I feel sorry for Denise Herrmann being in 4th despite her best shooting for a while – very close to the podium but no cigar! Vittozzi in 5th, ahead of Røiseland, Haecki and Preuß. The top 60 start in tomorrow’s pursuits!

Pokljuka – World Championships; Men’s 12.5 Km Pursuit, 14 Feb 21: I saw more of the track tour today – what a beast! JoBø starting 5th, 23 seconds back; he’s looking quite relaxed at the start! Martin Ponsiluoma away and what a chasing team behind him. On the lap Desthieux and Jacquelin have lost a little; no surprise that JoBø has closed a little, with QFM and Laegreid right on his heels. I wonder if Martin P is going a bit too hard this early? The leading group are in for the first prone – Ponsiluoma has missed his first and 1 more. The chasers are shooting well – Jacquelin leads out, then Laegreid, Desthieux, JoBø, Dale and Samuelsson; Martin P down to 8th, +37.9. Eder, Rastorgujevs and Pryma among those gaining places here; Peiffer clear and up from 36 to 20. On the lap Jacquelin is just ahead of JoBø, then a 10 second or so gap to the chasing group; now JoBø is past. In for S2 – Jacquelin a little faster and clear, JoBø has missed 1. Jacquelin leads out, 14.6 ahead of Laegreid, then Samuelsson and Desthieux – all 10/10. JoBø in 5th, +23.7, Dale has missed 2 here, Tarjei is 1,1, Ponsiluoma 2,2 and Peiffer also missed 2 here and is back to 27th! At 6.6 Km Jacquelin is 22.3 ahead of the chasing group of four. Emilien J in for S3 – that was very fast – all 5 down and he’s away! Laegreid and JoBø have missed 1 each; Desthieux [0,0,0] out 2nd, +27.2 then Samuelsson [0,0,0], JoBø [0,1,1; +44.5], Laegreid and Latypov. Germany’s woes continue – Peiffer [0,2,1] in 24th with Doll [1,1,3] in 37th, from 39th at the start. JoBø gaining time but Laegreid seems to be losing time and he looks tired. Jacquelin in for his final shoot – what amazing shooting – extremely quick [sub 18 seconds!] and very accurate and he’s away! Samuelsson has all 20 and he’s out 2nd, +29.9; JoBø clear this time and he’s out 3rd, +32.9. Desthieux missed 1 and he’s 4th, just ahead of Laegreid and QFM. Gold looks settled but there should be a good fight for the other 2 podium places; the chasing team behind Seb and JoBø seem to have eased off? What a race by Emilien Jacquelin – great speed and very fast shooting to get a well-deserved gold medal as he cruises across the line, having successfully retained his title. Seb Samuelsson has out-sprinted JoBø to take silver with the Norwegian in bronze! QFM in 4th, ahead of Desthieux and Laegreid. Good race by Artem Pryma [0,1,2,0] from 20th to 8; other gainers include Fabien Claude [0,1,1,0; 41 to 12!], Loginov [26-16], Tsymbal [UKR; 30-18], Peiffer [36-20], Komatz [38-24], Harjula [FIN; 47-27], Nordgren [46-33] and Buta [ROU, 60-39]. Going the wrong way the list includes Dale [4-11], Ponsiluoma [1-13; 6 misses], Tarjei Bø [9-14], Krcmar [11-22], Brown [12-25], Christian Gow [17-30], Varabei [24-51] and Bionaz [21-58; 13 misses]. No surprise that Jacquelin was fastest on the range, ahead of Laegreid and Tsymbal; JoBø fastest around the course ahead of Doll and QFM.

Pokljuka – World Championships; Women’s 10 Km Pursuit, 14 Feb 21: Not such a break for the women so there might be a few tired women today. Nice of Tiril to turn up, bit late to the line! Today Tiril has 12 seconds lead from Anais Chevalier-Bouchet and 14 over Hanna Sola – the wind is probably a bit friendlier than yesterday but even so there was some awful shooting in the men’s race. A steady start but I think Eckhoff has turned up the pace a little now? She’s in for S1, and she’s missed her first shot, Sola has missed 2 but Anais C-B is clear; Herrmann has missed 1, Vittozzi has missed 4 as the breeze picks up. After S1 Anais C-B leads by 17.2 from Eckhoff [1 miss] then Røiseland [0], Hanna Öberg [0], Franzi Preuß [0] and Herrmann [1; +44.6]. Hanna Öberg and Denise Herrmann have lost a little to 3.1 Km; Tiril Eckhoff has gained a little. Anais C-B in for S2, she’s missed her 5th; Eckhoff slower but all 5 are down. Røiseland and Preuß are clear, so is Herrmann. Out Eckhoff, Anais C-B, Røiseland, Preuß, Herrmann and Hauser. Doro Wierer is 10/10 and up from 20 to 9, Tandrevold is also 10/10 and up from 21 to 10; Elvira Öberg [0,1] up from 22 to 14! Right – Tiril in for her first standing shoot – missed the 4th; Røiseland has missed her first, Preuß has missed 2, Anais C-B and Herrmann clear. Out Anais C-B, just 0.6 ahead of Eckhoff, then Herrmann, +21.7, Røiseland, Wierer and Hauser [+42.5]. Tandrevold now up to 7th, Hanna Öberg [0,1,2] is now 15th, just ahead of Elvira. Eckhoff is pulling away, now 4.1 ahead at 7.1 Km. Last shoot – Tiril Eckhoff [1,0,1,0] is clear this time and away, Anais C-B [0,1,0,1] has missed 1 and out +32.3, just ahead of Hauser [1,0,0,0] , then Wierer [0,0,0,0], Preuß 0,0,2,0], Hinz [0,0,0,0] and Herrmann [1,0,0,2]. At 8.8 Km Hauser is past Anais C-B, by 9.1 Km she’s broken clear while Anais C-B is pulling away from Doro again. Tiril cruises [as far as that is possible] to another gold; Lisa Theresa Hauser takes silver, from 9th at the start, and Anais C-B has held on for the bronze. Then Wierer [from 20], Preuß, Hinz [from 12], Pidhrushna and Herrmann; Røiseland in 9th ahead of Tandrevold [21 to 11], and Zdouc who has got 11th from 38 at the start. Other gainers include Elvira Öberg [22-14], Hojnisz-Starega [30-16], Bendika [26-18], Lunder [42-20], Alimbekava [40-21], Eder [56-31], Davidova [44-32] and Pavlova [51-40]. The “wrong way” list includes Sola [3 to 26], Dunklee [18-27], Fialkova [13-41], Vittozzi [5-48], and Lardschneider [24-51]. Hanna Öberg quickest on the range but missed 3, ahead of Haecki [3] and Eckhoff [2]. Julia Simon was fastest around the course ahead of Davidova and Innerhofer.

Some bad, but probably predictable news from the FIS

"Due to new Covid-19 government restrictions announced today by the Norwegian government, the Norwegian Ski Association will be unable to host any further competitions through the end of current World Cup season, due to the stricter travel and event-related restrictions.

As a result, the following FIS World Cup events are cancelled

FIS Cross Country World Cup Finals; 12-14 March 2021; Oslo
FIS Raw Air Ski Jumping Tournament; 12-21 March; Lillehammer, Trondheim, Vikersund
FIS Nordic Combined World Cup; 11-14 March; Oslo
Audi FIS Alpine Men's World Cup; 4-7 March; Kvitfjell

FIS will announce if there are any replacement venues and dates as they are confirmed."

15 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Olympia della Tofana], World Championships – Women’s Alpine Combined: Grippy snow again for the speed half of this event – the Super G, set by a Swiss coach [?]; it’s very cold too! Ragnhild Mowinckel first away and safely down; Nadia Delago has skied out – this looks like another tricky course with some places where the right line is even more important than usual. Marta Bassino has gone very direct off the jump and that’s cost her time – she’s managed to get back into the green by inter 3, but it’s gone red again lower down and she’s 2nd, +0.43. Laura Gauche [FRA] into 3rd, +0.71; Ester Ledecka is green at 1, no info at 2 but 0.59 green at 3 and she leads by 0.31 at the finish. Priska Nufer also having trouble with the line, 5th, +1.20; Federica Brignone a little slow through the top gun and red at 1 – shown as +39.91 at 2 for some reason because she’s a lot more in touch – very neat from 3 to the finish and Brignone leads by 0.16! Ariana Raedler [AUT] slightly green at 1 but 0.86 red at 3 – into 7th.  The data feed from inter 2 seems to have given up! Wendy Holdener is slightly red at 1, and she shows as +0.58 at 2; that seems to be right as she’s into 5th, +0.97. She’s a good slalom skier but that’s a lot to make up. Valerie Grenier attacking well but slightly red at 2; she’s taken over 5th place, +0.91. Breezy Johnson is having line problems too and she’s skied out; Ramona Siebenhofer nicely green at 1, red by 2 and into 7th, +1.07 – a number of speed specialists are having troubles with this snow. At present the top 3 are Brignone, Ledecka and Mowinckel; then Bassino, Grenier and Holdener – no one else within a second of Brignone. Michelle Gisin is the Olympic champion in this discipline - on course and green at 1 and 2; still green at 3 although it’s less of an advantage now – slower through the final gun and into 3rd, +0.26. Jasmina Suter lost control of a pole at the start despite which she’s into 5th, +0.67! Elena Curtoni green at 1 and 2, a little greener at 3 – she’s into 2nd by just 1 one hundredth! The coaches are a lot happier now; Italy 1 and 2 at present. Good run from Marusa Ferk [SLO] into joint 6th, +0.67; Marie-Michele Gagnon just green at 2 but it’s going red from there and she’s 8th, +0.68. That’s 20 away – Brignone leads from Curtoni and Ledecka, then Gisin, Mowinckel and Ferk/Suter. Kasja Vickhoff Lie green at 1 and 2, just red at 3 and she’s into 5th, +0.32 – good run. Petra Vlhova is bib 26 – she’s red at 2 and she’s pulled some time back to 3 – she’s into 6th and just +0.40 – that’s good, especially given her slalom speed! No Pleshkova, so next away is Mikaela Shiffrin and she’s green at 1, fractionally red at 2, even less red at 3 and she goes 3rd,  just 0.06 off the lead! This is going to be an exciting second run! At present Brignone leads from Curtoni [+0.01] and Shiffrin [+0.06], then Ledecka [+0.16], Gisin [+0.26], Lie [+0.32], Vlhova [+0.40] and Mowinckel [+0.47]. Isabella Wright was nicely green at 1; it’s red thereafter but she’s into 18th, +1.33 – highest bib number in the top 20. That’s it – Super G completed.
Run 2 – slalom: In this discipline the fastest go first! This is the lower part of the track used earlier but it’s been watered – quite icy and slick in places. There is a slight delay to the start, not quite sure why? Seems it might be a timing issue? Right, the race is on – Federica Brignone on course and she’s out on gate 3! This is going to be a very tricky course, set by a Canadian, given the ice. Elena Curtoni is down and that’s the target to aim for. Mikaela Shiffrin is 0.47 ahead at 1, 0.97 ahead at 2, 1.56 at 3 and she leads by 2.35!! That was amazing. Ester Ledecka also had trouble on gate 3 and she’s having difficulty getting the skis to grip – into 3rd, but +4.12! Michelle Gisin much neater through the top section and she’s in touch at 2 as well – she goes 2nd, +0.89. Kasja Vickhoff Lie struggling on the top gates; she recovered from that but she’s skied out lower down. Petra Vlhova next and she’s pulled back a little to 1, but then she’s losing again – into 2nd, +0.86; just 3 hundredths ahead of Gisin. Ragnhild Mowinckel into 6th; Mich Gagnon has skied out. Marta Bassino 5th, but +3.54; Valerie Grenier has straddled gate 2. Wendy Holdener is another one to go out at gate 3; Ramona Siebenhofer has taken over 5th, +2.81. Priska Nufer past gate 3 but she’s skied out lower down; some of the speed specialists are getting down but with massive time gaps at the finish. Raedler and Alphand have both joined the ever lengthening list of DNFs. The starters now have over 2 seconds to make up on Shiffrin, on a slalom course – not an easy prospect! I’m sure the medals are decided but there are still ranking points to try for, and it might also affect the start number for this discipline in the next winter Olympics? Well that’s it, Katharina Huber into 13th, gaining 17 places. Thirty starters, 14 DNFs! Great result for Mikaela Shiffrin, taking a gold medal after a very difficult year; congratulations to Petra Vlhova [silver] and Michelle Gisin [bronze] – Elena Curtoni the best Italian in 4th – arguably the worst place to finish!

15 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Olympia della Tofana], World Championships – Men’s Alpine Combined: Interesting that the men seem to be using the same slope as the women for the Super G run, not the Vertigine? Loic Meillard first away; Jared Goldberg can’t match him! Riccardo Tonetti into 2nd, +0.26; Mattias Roenngren {SWE] has fallen but he’s up and seems OK! Now, here comes Alexis Pinturault – the firm favourite for this event – green at 1, 0.29 ahead at 2, still building and fastest through the lower speed gun to lead by 0.35 – what a run! Gino Caviezel into 3rd, +0.48; Matthias Mayer is a bit off the pace – he really needs to be ahead of Pinturault on this run, but he’s slower, into 2nd +0.24.  Marco Pfiffner [LIE] has skied out; Victor Muffat-Jeandet is making a few too many mistakes – into 6th, +1.92. Bryce Bennett into 6th, and that’s the first TV break – Pinturault leads from Mayer and Meillard. Kjetil Jansrud isn’t having a good season – he really needs to go well on this leg but he’s only 6th, +0.92.  Luca Aerni is more in touch and into 4th, +0.45; Vincent Kriechmayr green at 1 but he too is red at 2 and 3 – he’s into 2nd, +0.22 and that’s not good for run 2. Marco Schwarz is going well on his long skis – into 4th, +0.32 – some 6 hundredths better than speed specialist Jansrud! We seem to have lost commentary – ah, it’s back, but now we seem to have gone to an advert break in mid event. Luckily that wasn’t a crucial run by Nils Allegre, who got a bit wrapped up in a gate. Twenty away, Pinturault leads from  Kriechmayr, Mayer, Schwarz, Meillard and Aerni [+0.45]. After the break, Simon Jocher into 8th, +0.58; that’s a good try from Trevor Philp [CAN, bib 30] – green at 1 and into 10th, +0.92.  Nick is wrapping up, Pinturault wins run 1 etc, but… Here’s a real upset looming – James Crawford [CAN, bib 32] is shown as 0.22 green at 1 but crucially he’s only 0.04 red at 2 – 0.35 red at 3; that’s an amazing final section to take the lead by 0.08!! So, at present it’s Crawford, Pinturault and Kriechmayr leading the standings – who would have predicted that, I wonder?
Run 2 – slalom: That looks a tough set by the Swiss coach – hard to get a rhythm; that’s going to be a beast for the speed specialists! James Crawford gets things started and his slalom skills look rather impressive! Alexis Pinturault next and he’s green at 1, greener at 2 – he’s made a couple errors but even so he leads by 1.29!  Vincent Kriechmayr has skied out, so has Mayer; Marco Schwarz is gaining time, he’s green at 3 and he takes over the lead by just 4 hundredths. Loic Meillard green at 1 but then it’s a big error, where Pinturault also had snags, and he’s lost almost a second – into 3rd, +1.12. Luca Aerni has gone out at the same gate that gave Pinturault and Aerni trouble; Gino Caviezel also out but higher up! 50% DNFs at the moment; Simon Jocher is down but off the pace. I see Jansrud isn’t going to start – probably wise. Trevor Philp and Broderick Thompson into 7th and 8th respectively – no medals but useful for start position in the next Olympics. First TV break – Schwarz leads from Pinturault and Meillard; Crawford in 4th ahead of Jocher and Tonetti. That’s good from Jan Zabystran, briefly into 7th; Justin Murisier has taken over 7th! That’s a better run for Victor Muffat-Jeandet -  into 6th, although he’s +3.19; that’s a gain of 18 places! Thirty away so the result will stand, and that’s the race over with no late surprises  – well done to Marco Schwarz, a good Super G set that up for him and his slalom leg confirmed the gold. Alexis Pinturault was the man to beat and he takes silver, ahead of Luc Meillard; well done too to James Crawford in 4th – no medal but a great result for him.

16 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo, World Championships – Men’s and Women’s Parallel Slalom: Missed the early part of this live as I had logs to stack and that couldn’t wait! The big news is Petra Vlhova being a DNF in qualifying! Odd that in the men’s 1/8th final run 1 ALL the winners were on the red course? In the women’s’ 1/8th event Alex Tilley had the bad luck to draw Katharina Liensberger, one of the favourites, but it was nice to see her get here! The snow is a bit slushy as temperatures have risen today; Wendy Holdener, Paula Moltzan, Maryna Gasienica-Daniel, Liensberger, Tina Robnik, Tessa Worley, Federica Brignone and Marta Bassino all through to the quarter finals – the commentators reckon the red course is faster too!  Back to run 2 of the men’s 1/8 final – how will the red course winners fare on the blue this time? Loic Meillard comfortably through, with the fastest time on both courses! Linus Strasser has to finish the course although Timon Haugen isn’t starting after a shoulder injury. River Radamus has reversed run 1 to go through; Filip Zubcic on the red course has also reversed run 1. Alex Schmid on blue has 0.50 advantage as Stefan Hadalin was a DNF on run 1 – Schmid has won but that was very close! De Aliprandini, red, has taken it by 0.01 Faivre, red, also through; Fabio Gstrein, blue, has won, as his opponent, Roenngren, was a DNF! So the only winners on blue were Meillard, Strasser with no opposition, Schmid who was 0.50 ahead after run 1, and Gstrein as his opponent was a DNF – otherwise all red wins.
Quarter finals: Run 1 for the women – all won by the red course, all by +0.50, the maximum allowed! So Holdener,  Gasienica-Daniel, Robnik and Brignone have that half second advantage for run 2. A similar story for the men although the margins were a little less in 2 cases – Meillard, Radamus, Schmid and Faivre all on the red course and all won. Now, we swap courses for run 2. Paula Moltzan has reversed run 1 to put Wendy Holdener out; same story as Liensberger on red puts Maryna Gasienica-Daniel out. This is getting a bit silly – Tessa Worley on red has put out Robnik; Bassino, red,  has put out Brignone! The blue course is definitely more rutted in the warm conditions. Only Loic Meillard can master the blue course it seems – he’s put Strasser out.  Back to normal, Zubcic on red has put Radamus out, but Alex Schmid has managed to win on blue by just 0.06 after De Aliprandini made a big error! Great effort by Mathieu Faivre on blue – 0.50 ahead at the start and he beat Gstrein by just 0.02!
Semi Finals: Run 1, and the women go first – Paula Moltzan on red has made a big mistake which lets Liensberger through! Worley, red, has beaten Bassino. Over to the men – Loic Meillard, red, 0.50 ahead of Zubcic.  Looked as though he was a lot more than 0.50 ahead and that rule is becoming more controversial as today develops! Schmid, red, has beaten Faivre, but only by 0.16. Run 2 – rumours suggest that red is getting slower and blue faster? Maybe not – Liensberger wins by 1.47 on red! Now that’s interesting Bassino and Worley are shown with identical times but Bassino is shown as going to the final? Perhaps it’s because Bassino was quicker on that second run, making up her later start? Over to the men – Filip Zubcic, red, has won by 0.02 and that seems very unfair as Meillard was a lot more than 0.50 ahead on run 1 – more controversy? What a farce that 0.50 max rule is! Faivre, red, wins by 1.39 after an error by Schmid. Seems the way to success is to be on the blue course first!
Small Final: Run 1 – Worley versus Moltzan; Moltzan on red wins by 0.50, and I think she too was further ahead than that! Loic Meillard, red, beats Schmid by, you guessed it,  0.50 – is he going to be robbed by that stupid rule yet again? Run 2 – the sun is behind the mountain so the temperature should drop – both Worley and Moltzan have made errors but Worley, red, has won by 1.18 to take bronze. Meanwhile, Schmid has fallen so Meillard takes the bronze – some consolation, perhaps.
Big Final: Run 1 – Liensberger, red, wins by 0.50 and obviously she was considerably further ahead of Bassino than that. Zubcic was a bit messy on the red course and Faivre has beaten him by 0.23! The final, Bassino versus Liensberger,  ends in a dead heat and Bassino, for the second time, takes the win on count back as she made up her disadvantage – that’s Italy’s first medal, I think. So, Bassino gold, Liensberger silver and Worley bronze. Back to the men – Faivre, red, takes the win!  Matthieu Faivre takes gold, Filip Zubcic silver and Loic Meillard bronze. There needs to be some serious debate about some of the rules, especially the 0.50 maximum and maybe the way it also affects the “countback’ decisions? EDIT: The official FIS report says that they have treated the Liensberger v Bassino final as a draw, and awarded gold to both, which is nice but not consistent with the way they decided the semi!

17 Feb - Team Parallel: After the farce of yesterday's individual parallel I couldn't be bothered with this one! Norway won, ahead of Sweden and Germany. The FIS report is here

18 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Olympia della Tofana], World Championships – Women’s Giant Slalom, Run 1: Quite a tricky set, by an Austrian coach, the snow is very hard and icy at the top after a very cold night, with a steep section followed by a flatter, more rolling section where the snow will be slightly warmer. Michelle Gisin first away – this looks to be a long, tough challenge! Marta Bassino is slightly green at inter 1 but she’s lost a good bit of time to 2 and then a big error costs her even more time – she’s over the line +1.20. Petra Vlhova next and red at 1, and getting redder all the way – into 2nd, but +0.83. Federica Brignone has missed a gate – she really isn’t having a good championships so far, and that might have been her last chance of a medal. Lara Gut-Behrami slightly red at 1 but green at 2, better at 3 and she leads by 0.26. Tessa Worley fractionally red at 1, +0.01 red at 2 but that’s an error at the gate Brignone missed – into 3rd, +0.84. Mikaela Shiffrin was +0.01 at inter 1, quite red at 2, better at 3 and she’s made up time on the final section to lead by 0.08. Sara Hector off the pace, +2.24; Mina Fuerst Holtmann is another who has lost a lot from 1 to 2 and it’s getting worse – over the line +2.86. Katharina Liensberger is much neater – green at 1 and 2 and better still at 3 but on the lower section, where Shiffrin was so strong, she’s lost a bit of time to go 3rd, +0.26. Meta Hrovat briefly green at 2 – possibly a little tired on the final section, into 6th, +1.12. Ramona Siebenhofer is flying at the top  – 0.35 green at 1, bit less at 2 and a little red at 3 – she too is losing time on the final section – only 8th, +1.31. Alice Robinson is having a similar top section – green at 1 and 2 and she’s kept it green to 3 – very close to going down, and she’s 5th, +0.51! Bib 14 is Wendy Holdener and she’s gained from 1 to 2; back red at 3 and she too is having trouble on the warmer snow – 9th, +1.25. Stephanie Brunner also off the pace, +1.95, and that’s the first TV break – Shiffrin leads from Lara G-B and Liensberger, then Gisin, Robinson and Worley. Not what Elena Curtoni wanted – this set really doesn’t suit her – over 4 seconds off the pace; Ragnhild Mowinckel is better and goes 6th, +0.75.  Maryna Gasienica-Daniel has been on good form – she’s taken over 6th, +0.57. Nina O’Brien slightly red at 1 but 0.42 green at 2, 0.49 green at 3 and she’s into 2nd,  just 2 hundredths behind Shiffrin! Well, there’s a surprise – what a run! By contrast Bucik, Gritsch and Grenier have all fallen – three DNFs in a row but luckily no obvious injuries. Kristin Lysdahl one of the better late starters – into 12th, +1.23 – not bad with a bad knee! Paula Moltzan in touch at 2 but she’s caught an edge and out. Alex Tilley is going well on the top section, some impressive angles and recoveries - she’s lost a bit to 3 and in to 18th, +2.08. Another TV break – Shiffrin leads from O’Brien and Gut-Behrami. The DNFs are rising as some of the later starters get caught out by the long course and conditions; 99 starters, which might be a record? No recent changes to the top 20; Nuria Pau [ESP, bib 42] the best of the later starters so far, in to 24th. That’s run 1 over; Alex Tilley in 19th!
Run 2: A less tricky course perhaps, set by Petra Vlhova’s coach, although it does tighten up just before the finish? The piste has been salted after run 1 – quite icy again on the upper section. Laura Pirovano first away but Cassidy Gray [CAN] has gone 0.91 faster! Leona Popovic [CRO] into 2nd; Neja Dvornik [SLO] has taken over the lead. Andrea Filser [GER] goes 1st, +0.47; next to lead is Magdalena Luczak [POL], by 0.01! Nuria Pau into the nets – race interrupted – she’s up and apparently unhurt. I was surprised to see Mina Fuerst Holtmann so far back after run 1, but she’s not doing any better on run 2 – just 4th, +0.91. Coralie Frasse Sombet also had a disappointing first run but she’s much more in touch here – she leads by 1.57 seconds. That’s more what she would have expected. Sara Hector has skied out; Alex Tilley has gained to inter 1, lost a bit to 2 – looking a bit tired perhaps and she’s into 2nd but +1.21. Slightly surprised, again, to see Corinne Suter can only manage 3rd, +1.29. Steph Brunner has skied out; Tina Robnik has taken over 2nd. Marta Bassino is another top ranked skier who didn’t do well on run 1 – she’s made a few errors on this run too – she leads but only by 0.57. Ramona Siebenhofer is much more at home – she has turned 0.23 advantage to 1.02 at the finish! Wendy Holdener into 2nd; Petra Vlhova is red at 1, and it’s getting a bit redder as she goes on – maybe she’s racing too much? Vlhova into 3rd, +0.64; Tessa Worley just red at 1 but she’s steadied it a bit lower down to go 2nd, +0.38. TV break – Siebenhofer leads from Worley and Holdener; 8 to come. Mowinckel into 4th; Maryna Gasienica-Daniel has lost a bit to inter 1 but she’s pulled a bit back by 2 – big error off the blind rise – good recovery and into 2nd, +0.27. Alice Robinson has 0.80 in hand as she starts, lost a bit to 1, all back by 2, still 0.78 green at 3 and she leads by 0.53 – good effort! Michelle Gisin dead level at 1, big error, handbrake on and although she’s pulled a bit back she’s only 7th.  Katharina Liensberger just red at 2, back green at 3, she did make an error, hip down,  but despite that she takes the lead buy 0.64! Lara Gut-Behrami has gained to 1, lost a little to 2, steady to 3 and she leads by 0.09 – she’s guaranteed a third medal here. Nina O’Brien next – red at 1 but she’s got back green at 2 and a bit greener at 3; a huge error off the last roller and she’s 9th – it’s a hard sport. Mikaela Shiffrin has gained a tiny bit to 1, but she’s red at 2, less red at 3 and she’s into 2nd, by just 2 hundredths! That’s another gold for Lara Gut-Behrami, a silver for Mikaela Shiffrin [her 10th WC medal] and a well-deserved bronze for Katharina Liensberger, who had the fastest time on run 2. Robinson in 4th, ahead of Siebenhofer and Gasienica-Daniel.

19 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Labrinti], World Championships – Men’s Giant Slalom, Run 1: Course set by a French coach on this new piste  – quite tight and a lot of offsets, rather like run 1 of yesterday’s race! It’s long too, so this is going to be a test of both skill and fitness. A slightly unfortunate draw for Marco Odermatt perhaps as he’s bib 1 – clean course but no chance to look at others – and he’s a DNF! Filip Zubcic next and he’s having problems – I don’t think he’s very happy with that French coach! Henrik Kristoffersen is bib 3 – he’s green at inter 3 but he’s lost time lower down to go red again, 2nd,  +0.20. Now Alexis Pinturault and his coach obviously set this course for him – he’s massively ahead – 2.33 green at 3 and he leads by over 2 seconds – perhaps he’s been practicing a similar course?  Zan Kranjec into 2nd, but +1.82; Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen is way off the pace – he’s 5th, +4.06! Loic Meillard is more in touch, 2nd, +1.25; Victor Muffat-Jeandet doesn’t seem to have the ear of the French coach as he is off the pace too – 6th, +3.42! Matthieu Faivre is more in touch, into 2nd, +0.58 – a bit more like it! Alex Schmid has made a few errors but he’s fairly consistent and not losing much as he goes further – he’s taken over 2nd, +0.56. Justin Murisier a DNF; Luca de Aliprandini was red at 2 by 0.72 but he’s gained time to 3 and he’s into 2nd, +0.40. Gino Caviezel also a DNF – three Swiss racers out so far! Erik Read out in a similar spot to the Swiss! Marco Schwarz into 6th, +1.56; Manu Feller a DNF – at least the Swiss now have some Canadian and Austrian company! Twenty away – Pinturault leads, from de Aliprandini and Schmid, Faivre in 4th ahead of Meillard and Schwarz. Stefan Brennsteiner into joint 7th with Kranjec; Trevor Philp [CAN] a DNF. River Radamus into 9th, but +2.06; Andrienko a DNF and the heel binding seems to have torn off his ski. Not a bad effort from Samu Torsti [FIN, bib 35] into 16th; sadly Charlie Raposo has joined the DNFs – a much more international group by now! James Crawford has just joined the DNF group – I think that’s all the Canadians out? Sadly the 62 year old Prince Hubertus Von Hohenlohe [Mex] was a DNF. No change to the top 10 since Radamus; on to run 2.
Run 2: Still a tricky set, by a Norwegian coach,  but not as much offset, so we might see higher speeds; it’s also getting warmer. First away is Andrej Drukarov [LTU]; it doesn’t look as though the snow has softened at all on the upper section – safely down! I’m surprised to see Stefan Hadalin so far down the list – he’s 4.33 faster after run 2! Tiziano Gravier [ARG, bib 62] into 2nd, +3.06. More in touch is Albert Ortega [ESP] – 2nd, +2.01; Seigo Kato [JPN] losing time steadily all the way down; from 0.85 ahead at the start to 2nd, +0.02 at the finish – good combined time. Andreas Zampa [SVK] in touch at 3 but then a big error and he’s 3rd, +1.46. Leif K N-H is another racer I was surprised to see so far down after run 1 – 1.00 ahead at the start; lots of snow being thrown up and he’s barely green at 3 – dead level at the line – good finish! He’s not happy with the way today has turned out! Giovanni Franzoni [ITA] has gained from 2 to 3 [1.28 ahead] – he’s lost a bit lower down but he leads by 0.37. Victor Muffat-Jeandet is also not having a great day by his standards – red at inter 2, redder at 3 but he’s enjoying the lower, softer section – he’s pulled back enough to lead by 0.10. Adam Zampa, the older brother, has gained from 1 to 2 and he’s skiing the rest well too – he leads by 1.36! Giovanni Borsotti is out but OK; Solheim has joined him, and so has Roenngren – 3 DNFs in a row. Samu Torsti into 4th; Henrik Kristoffersen next, 0.84 ahead at the start – he’s gained to 1, lost some to 2, 0.28 green at 3, but he’s missed the lead by 0.05! Riccardo Tonetti is red at 3 – into 3rd, +0.96; a similar story for Roland Leitinger who has gone into 3rd, +0.39. Now, Thibaut Favrot gained to inter 1 but then that’s a heavy fall – he’s very tangled in the netting; he’s out but no updates as Eurovision went to adverts. Filip Zubcic is waiting for the nets to be repaired; now on course and he has gained a little to inter 1 despite an error – good recovery – he’s keeping about a second ahead – he leads by 0.89, the 3rd fastest time on run 2 - impressive. Stefan Luitz into 2nd, +0.40; River Radamus into the red at 1 and he can only manage 6th, +1.75. Another TV break, Zubcic leads from Luitz and Adam Zampa; defending champion Kristoffersen off the podium. Zan Kranjec red at 1, green again at 2, red at 3 and into 2nd, +0.24 – some impressive recoveries! Brennsteiner has skied out; Marco Schwarz has gained to inter 1and he’s over a second ahead at 2, still nicely green at 3 – he leads by 0.72 and that’s the 2nd best time on run 2. Loic Meillard next – he’s red at 1 after a few errors on the top turns; he’s steadied from 2 to 3 but can only manage 3rd, +0.90. Mathieu Faivre has 0.98 at the start and almost the same at 1, he’s lost a little to 2, gained again by 3 and that’s a great final section to lead by 0.87. Alex Schmid away – fractionally red at 1, he’s late – he’s straddled and he’s out. Just 2 to go so Faivre is guaranteed a medal – Luca de Aliprandini is also red at 1, redder at 2, steady to 3 and he’s into 2nd, 0.63 off the pace – Italy will have a medal here. Alexis Pinturault on course – I don’t believe it – he’s down on the early section and his race is over! Well, we expected a French gold, and so it is – but it’s not the man we thought would take it!  Total disbelief in the finish area – Mathieu Faivre gets gold, de Aliprandini takes silver and Marco Schwarz gets a very unexpected but well-deserved bronze! I think Faivre can’t believe that his friend hasn’t finished! Best time on run 2 went to Stefan Hadalin, who finished joint 16th, gaining 13 places; Adam Zampa was 8th, gaining 12 places.

20 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Druscié], World Championships – Women’s Slalom, Run 1: Good grief [as Charlie Brown used to say] there are 107 starters from 44 national associations – I can’t even recognise some of those flags! This run set by a Swiss coach and it’s tricky – conditions look good although it’s possibly a little warm. This piste is apparently the one used for the 1956 winter Olympics. Katharina Liensberger first away – looks good but not entirely error free. Petra Vlhova is next and she’s 0.31 red at inter 1, redder at 2, better at 3 but she’s only 2nd, +0.30. Laurence St-Germain off the pace and into 3rd, +2.09; Mikaela Shiffrin is bib 4 – that’s a real shock, 0.74 red at 1 and over a second off at 3 – into 3rd, +1.30; something very odd there! Now, Michelle Gisin away and the course was set by a Swiss coach – she’s straddled! Wendy Holdener just into 3rd, +1.24; in the finish area Vlhova is shaking her head and she looks very upset with her run – I suspect she isn’t alone. There are already some big time differences and it’s getting warmer! Lena Dürr into 5th, +1.96; Katharina Huber out, stopped by a banner and seems OK. That’s 15 away, first TV break – Liensberger leads by 0.30 from Petra Vlhova – the only skier within a second of the fastest time! Holdener in 3rd, +1.24 then Shiffrin, Dürr and Wikström/Mair tied in 6th. Federica Brignone is a DNF! I get the uncomfortable feeling that this run is already settled? Paula Moltzan going for it but she’s skied out; that’s better – Ana Bucik in touch – she’s gone into 5th, albeit 1.39 off the lead. Nastasia Noens into 7th; possibly the snow surface is getting more responsive? We seem to have lost the commentary now; it’s back! That’s a good run from Asa Ando [JPN] into 7th, +1.97. Camille Rast [bib 25] into 6th, +1.67 – that’s another good run. Meta Hrovat has fallen – long slide but hopefully no physical harm; another TV break – no change to the top 4, Bucik into 5th and Rast 6th. Charlie Guest has straddled; Alex Tilley has skied out. Looking at the list, bib numbers 34, 35, 37, 38 and 39 are all DNFs. The crucial thing for the later starters is to get into the top 30, the cut off at present is +3.70; Ekaterina Tkachenko [RSF, bib 51] has done well to go 24th at present, and she’s still there as run 1 finishes – the highest bib number in the top 30.
Run 2: Still looking nice, if a bit warm – the track has been salted again – this run to decide the final medals of the women’s world championship. This is a tighter, more technical set by a Norwegian coach. A J Hurt the first away and she’s straddled. Dzenifera Germane [LAT] next, just 17 years old, and she’s down! Ali Nullmeyer [CAN] has gone joint 1st; Andrea Filser [GER] has gained to 1 and she’s very neat and relaxed – she leads by 1.29! Leona Popovich [CRO] in touch at 2 but red at 3 – into 2nd,+0.27. Martina Peterlini [ITA] building to inter 2, lost a little to 3 and a bit more to the line but she’s done enough to lead by 0.07. Ekaterina Tkachenko hasn’t been able to match her first run – into 4th, +0.99; odd to see Thea Louise Stjernesund so far down – she can only manage 4th, which is disappointing by her standards. Nina O’Brien has straddled; Elsa Fermbaeck [SWE] red at 2 but she’s recovered by 3 and she leads by 0.40 – good run! Erin Mielzynski has skied out early on; Mina Fuerst Holtmann has done the same – and it was her coach who set this! Irene Curtoni gaining on the top sections but into the red at 3 – into 2nd, +0.25. Andreja Slokar [SLO] is going well – she’s doubled her lead by inter 2 – she leads by 1.25! Melanie Meillard out early after a straddle; Sara Hector away first after the TV break but she’s off the pace – into 2nd but +0.93. Franzi Gritsch has pulled time back on the final turns to go 2nd, +0.88; Kristin Lysdahl into the red at 3 and she goes 2nd, +0.27, but was that a straddle? No, all good! That’s a good run from Chiara Mair – into 2nd, +0.08; Nastasia Noens has gone 4th and that’s the next TV break – Slokar leads from Mair and Lysdahl. Good final section from Asa Ando to go 4th, +0.75; that’s a slalom PB I think, for her and Japan, and she’s very happy! Disappointing run for Lena Dürr into 8th; Ana Bucik is 0.94 ahead at the start – nearly halved by inter 1 and red at 2 – into 5th. Next is Mikaela Shiffrin and she has a lot to do – she’s lost a quarter of her advantage by 1, it’s slipping away but she’s pulling back time after inter 3 to lead by 0.69. That’s the 2nd best time on run 2. Wendy Holdener just red at 2, 0.02 red at 3 and into 2nd, +0.36. Petra Vlhova has exactly a second advantage as she starts – she’s gained to 1, still 1.10 green at 2 and almost no change to 3 – this is more like Vlhova and she leads by 0.98 – 3rd best time on run 2. Just Katharina Liensberger to go – 0.30 in hand at the start hut; she’s gained to 1 and more to 2, 0.66 green at 3 – what a superb run – she takes gold by exactly 1.00 and that’s the best time on run 2 as well! What a race – Katharina Liensberger takes gold, Petra Vlhova silver and Mikaela Shiffrin in bronze. Well done to all, and to Andreja Slokar who ended up 5th, having gained 12 places.

21 Feb 21; Cortina d’Ampezzo [Druscié], World Championships – Men’s Slalom, Run 1: The final race of the championships! Well that’s not good news – Dave Ryding has serious back pain! Conditions look pretty good – maybe the snow will be tricky again though? Alexis Pinturault the first away on a course set by a Swiss coach – looks tight and unrelenting; he’s down – looked OK. Seb Foss-Solevaag on course and green at 1 and 2, less green at 3 but the final section is good and he has gained – he leads by 0.25. Ramon Zenhaeusern is bib 3 – that’s not one of his best; +1.49, and on a course set by a Swiss tech coach! Henrik Kristoffersen next and he’s green at 1, a little red at 2 and 3 but certainly in touch – he’s lost a bit to the line and 2nd, +0.22. Clement Noel is green at 2 and much greener at 3 – he has lost time though to the line and he’s into 2nd, +0.18. About half a second gone on that final section on the warmer, salted snow. Manu Feller off the pace to inter 2 and it’s getting worse - +1.62. Marco Schwarz is much more in touch, but he’s lost a bit between 1 and 2; just red at 3 and again he’s losing time to the finish – 5th, +0.41. Apparently in the warmer conditions the organisers have agreed to reverse the top 15 for run 2 rather than the top 30!? Adrian Pertl [AUT] is making his World Championship debut, and what a run – he leads by 0.16! Daniel Yule red at 2, redder at 3 and that warm snow has affected him too – 7th, +0.64. Michael Matt has followed the green at 1, red later blueprint - +0.95. Alex Khoroshilov has straddled; Loic Meillard also green at 1 but he too is a DNF! So much for the Swiss coach’s course setting – Yule 7th, Ramon Zenhaeusern 9th and Meillard out! Victor Muffat-Jeandet has also straddled – 3 DNF’s in a row today; Dave Ryding next – red at 1 but he’s better by 2 and looking good but he’s fallen – gutsy try! Linus Strasser is down but +1.71 – TV break with Pertl leading from Seb F-S and Noel. Filip Zubcic 2 seconds off the pace; Alex Vinatzer is much neater – he’s into 2nd, +0.14 – much more what he promised earlier in the year. Luca Aerni a DNF – the last of the Swiss and he’s out. That’s a really good lower section for Kristoffer Jakobsen – 0.57 red at 3 and into 4th, +0.18. J-B Grange also a DNF; Stefan Hadalin into 10th. That’s the next TV break – Pertl leads from Vinatzer, Foss-Solevaag, Jakobsen, Noel and Kristoffersen [+0.38] – all very close. Stefano Gross nicely green at 2 but he’s straddled; Timon Haugen also a DNF. The course is getting rough and rutted at the top; not too bad at all by Armand Marchant [BEL] to go 11th, +0.89. Matej Vidovic into 13th, which has dropped Ramon Zenhaeusern out of the top 15. Istok Rodes [CRO] into 13th; this “top 15 not 30” is going to be very controversial! Luke Winters [USA] into 14th at present; Billy Major a DNF. Laurie Taylor is green at 2, 0.24 red at 3 but he’s out – that’s going to be even more disappointing for him when he looks back and sees how well he was doing! Jett Seymour [USA] is into 10th from bib 43; lots of DNFs though – for example bibs 35, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42 all out. Given that Seymour went 10th from bib 43 it suggests the course is holding up – that makes the ”top 15” decision more controversial! Anyway, that’s run 1 completed – no changes to the top 15 since Jett Seymour went 10th.
Run 2: Right, Luke Winters will be first away on a new course set by an Austrian tech coach – the snow has been salted too. Winters has straddled; Istok Rodes a bit tentative at the top but he settled and he’s down. Michael Matt can’t match that time; neither can Armand Marchant. Stefan Hadalin is another who has lost it on the final, warmer section – he’s 2nd, +0.14. Jett Seymour going well at the top but he’s straddled too. Daniel Yule nicely green at 1 but losing slowly all the way down – a slightly scrappy finish but he leads by just 0.14. Marco Schwarz will be the first after the TV break – just 0.07 in hand; he’s gained to 1 and 2, 0.57 ahead at 3 – he’s out; another straddle! Alexis Pinturault red at 1, redder at 2 and into 3rd, +0.28. Now, Henrik Kristoffersen is more experienced and used to pressure than some of those still to come – a little lost to 1, but he’s got it back by 2 and gained to 3 – he’s more used to the type of snow on the final section too and he leads by 0.76. Best time so far on run 2. Clement Noel next – green at 1 and 2 but the snow change has got him too – he has finished but way off after that error. Kristoffer Jakobsen has gained a little to 1 but he too is a DNF! Seb F-S on course and steady to 1, gained a little to 2 and more to 3 – he’s taken the lead by an impressive 0.46! He’s into the padded finish area but he doesn’t care! That’s the new best time on run 2. Alex Vinatzer has just 0.02 in hand at the start, into the red at 2 and redder at 3 – he’s into 3rd, but +1.20. Just Adrian Pertl to go of the fastest 15 – just red at 3 after a slight gain earlier – he’s going well on the final section though and he’s into 2nd, +0.21. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag takes the gold medal, delighted to see Adrian Pertl didn’t buckle to take silver – what a debut! Henrik Kristoffersen in bronze, with Vinatzer a very creditable 4th ahead of Yule, and Rodes, who gained 8 places. Four DNFs from that 15. Now, what can those who finished run 1 in 16th to 30th do?? Technically the race isn’t over. Interesting that Finlay reckons the ”top 15” decision was correct, given the current state of the course. Ramon Zenhaeusern has got into 11th; Feller, Zubcic and Read all DNFs. That’s the 16-30 group all away, Ramon Zenhaeusern the best of them in 11th.

Well done to Cortina - a good championships [with the possible exception of the Parallel events!].

Pokljuka – World Championships; Women’s 15 Km Individual, 16 Feb 21: Sunshine and getting warmer but still fairly good conditions – the “big names” are therefore going early! This is a tough one – a good distance, plenty of climbing and 1 minute added to the time for every miss. This race might also decide the small crystal globe for the Individual. Poor Lisa Vittozzi has the dubious pleasure of being first away, and first in to shoot – she’s missed 2 [one probably unlucky]. Dunja Zdouc [AUT] is the first to get all 5 at S1; Sola and Chevalier-Bouchet have missed 1 each. Linn Persson clear at S1 and 16.1 faster than Zdouc; Doro Wierer has cleared 4, then a little wait and the fifth is also down – out 8.5 ahead of Persson. Franzi Preuß has cleared all 5 too, so have Lucie Charvátová and Dzinara Alimbekava – current order Charvátová, Wierer, Alimbekava and Preuß. Vittozzi at S2, the first standing shoot – she’s missed 1 more; Zdouc has missed 1 this time. Anais C-B is 1,0 and fastest at S2 currently; Persson has missed 2 here, Hauser clear at S1. Doro at S2 and 10/10; Preuß has missed 1 at S2, Charvátová 2. Alimbekava is also 10/10 and 2.1 faster than Wierer. Vanessa Hinz is clear at S1 but a little off the pace, Denise Herrmann has missed 1. Røiseland clear at S1 but rather lucky with at least 1 of them – all low. At S2 Hanna Öberg is 10/10 and an impressive 20.9 ahead of Alimbekava; Ida Lien also clear here but 25.7 behind. Lisa Theresa Hauser has joined the 10/10 group and she’s currently 2nd, 16.2 behind Öberg. At S3 Doro Wierer leads but she missed 1 here; Tiril Eckhoff has missed 1 at S1. Monika Hojnisz-Starega [1,0,0] out 2nd at S3 but Franzi Preuß [0,1,0] has just taken over that place and she’s 0.2 behind Doro. Alimbekava has also missed 1 at S3 and out 3rd, +6.6. Røiseland shooting very slowly at S2 but she’s got all 5; Hanna Öberg has missed 1 at S3 but she’s out a long way ahead of Wierer [30.8 seconds!]; Ida Lien though is 15/15 and leads out but only 23.5 ahead of Öberg. Ah, Hauser is also 15/15 and she is away 41.4 ahead of Öberg! Doro at S4 and she’s missed 1 more – shooting slowly doesn’t suit her! Franzi Preuß has also missed 1 at S4 and so has Alimbekava. Back at S2 Marketa Davidova is 10/10 and she’s gaining on Öberg on that lap. Røiseland has missed 1 at S3; Hanna Öberg has cleared all 5 at S4 and she has a massive lead there, especially as Ida Lien has missed 2 there. Hanna Öberg is really flying – she is 1:46.3 ahead of Doro who has just 1 more miss – that’s incredible, especially given her recent form! Pity – Hauser has missed 2 at S4, but out 2nd. Tiril Eckhoff is out of it – 1,1,2 at present. Two to watch at S4 are Davidova, and Clare Egan, both on 15/15. Denise Herrmann is 1,1,0,0 and could get past Preuß and Wierer? Meanwhile Egan has missed 3 at S4, Røiseland 2 more. Now Marketa Davidova is 20/20 and out 28.2 ahead of Öberg! Tandrevold [0,1,0] out in touch after S3,just ahead of Røiseland there. Herrmann going backwards on the last lap, she’s dropped behind Lien and Haecki  – her ski speed seems to have dropped off a little recently. I hadn’t seen that, and neither have the commentary team – Julia Schwaiger [0,1,0,0] out after S4 in 4th, about 8 seconds back on Hauser. Davidova over the finish line, 27.9 ahead of Hanna Öberg with Hauser in 3rd at present. At S4 Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold [0,1,0,0] is out 3rd, over 40 seconds ahead of Hauser. At S3 Elisa Gasparin is 15/15 and out ahead of Tandrevold, although the Norwegian had 1 miss, so Elisa’s ski speed isn’t quite there. On the last lap Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold is holding on to 3rd, she won’t catch Öberg but she has a comfortable advantage over Hauser. At the finish it’s currently Davidova, Öberg and Tandrevold, then Hauser, Preuß and Wierer. Back at S4 Larisa Kuklina is 1,0,0,0 and out 4th but well behind Tandrevold’s time. Elisa Gasparin has missed 1 at S4; at S3 Irene Cadurisch [SUI] is 15/15 but might not have the ski speed? That’s good – Selina Gasparin [1,0,0,1] left the range after S4 in 11th, but she’s over the line in 5th – that was a fast lap! Schwaiger has also finished – over the  line in 8th; Kuklina in 11th. Back at S4 Svetlana Mironova [0,0,1,1] is out in 8th; Cadurisch has missed just 1 at S4, out 5th. At 13.4 Km Mironova is up to 5th, Cadurisch losing time to her. Mironova over the line in 5th;  Cadurisch in 8th. That’s it – more interest later on than I expected! Well done to Marketa Davidova [CZE] who wins the gold – one of only 2 to clear all 20 [the other was Vishnevskaya, but she was 3 off the pace]. An impressive run from Hanna Öberg in silver, just 27.9 back despite a miss and delighted to see Tandrevold in bronze – best Norwegian by a good way. Hauser in 4th, Mironova 5th, Franzi Preuß best German in 7th, just behind Selina Gasparin. Doro Wierer in 9th, which I think might be enough to get her the small crystal globe? EDIT - Doro Wierer and Lisa Theresa Hauser have tied for the globe, so they will share it!

Pokljuka – World Championships; Men’s 20 Km Individual, 17 Feb 21: Another nice day, if a little warm; the snow might well be a bit slushy - hard work,  especially by the time they get to leg 5! I wonder if the tracks might get faster later in the afternoon?  Christian Gow is the first away [of 101 starters] followed by Jeremy Finello, who is going quite a bit faster on the lap. Gow at S1 and clear; both Finello and Nelin have missed 1; so has Jacquelin. Good grief – Tarjei Bø has missed 3 at S1. Meanwhile Florent Claude [BEL] is clear and fastest so far; Ponsiluoma has missed 1! JoBø has just started – that’s a haircut and a half! Jake Brown [USA] clear and in touch; Alex Loginov has also missed 1. QFM has also missed 1; Artem Tyschenko [UKR] has also gone clear, as has Miha Dovzan [SLO] – that’s popular! Simon Eder at S1 – clear and fastest so far. Not for long though as Johannes Dale is clear and even faster. Emilien Jacquelin is clear at S2 – very fast shooting; Seb Samuelsson has missed 2 at S1! JoBø has cleared all 5 at S1 but he was very lucky with one split round – out in the lead! Florent Claude is the only one to go 10/10 so far; Jake Brown has matched that and he’s 3.9 faster. QFM is 1,0 after S2 but he’s fastest out of the range so far! Fabien Claude has missed 1 at S1; Dovzan has missed 1 at 2 and while Tyschenko is 10/10 his ski speed isn’t too good. Simon Eder has also missed 1 at S2, so has Dale. That’s Desthieux’s race over – 1,2; Christian Gow is 0,1,2. Jacquelin is 1,0,1 and out just ahead of Finello; JoBø has missed 1 at S2 – out 4.8 ahead of QFM. Jakov Fak has missed 1 at S2; Florent Claude is now 15/15 – maybe the French should have kept him? Jake Brown has missed 1 at S3; so has QFM [1,0,1], although he’s still out ahead of Florent. Tyschenko is 15/15 but he’s 1:40.0 behind QFM there. That’s Dale [0,1,0] clear at S3 and out 31.2 ahead of QFM! Sturla Holm Laegreid at S1, clear and out just ahead of JoBø’s time. Speaking of whom – he’s clear at S3 and 26.3 ahead of Dale, both with 1 miss.  Tarjei through S4 and out 3,2,0,1; Jakov Fak is 0,1,0 and out from S3 in 3rd, +47.6. Florent Claude has missed 1 at S4; QFM [1,0,1,0] is clear there and out 37.2 faster than anyone else so far, but there are some very quick people coming! Back at S2 Tomas Hasilla [SVK] is 10/10 and out 3rd; Dale and Eder both clear at S4 – Dale leads QFM by 24.9, Eder 3rd +56.5.  Arnd Peiffer 10/10 after S2 and 23.4 ahead of JoBø; Laegreid has just gone 10/10 too and he’s 30.5 faster than Peiffer! JoBø in for S4 – he missed the first, then cleared the next 4 really quickly – out about 7 seconds behind QFM, and +31.8 against Dale, who is absolutely flying to the line, taking time out of QFM!  Fak has missed 2 at S4; JoBø is catching QFM on the lap. At S3 Hasilla is 15/15 but behind both JoBø and Dale; Arnd Peiffer also 15/15 and out 21.7 ahead of JoBø, who is now ahead of QFM at 19.1 Km. All change – Laegreid also 15/15 and 36.6 ahead of Peiffer! JoBø over the line in  3rd, having dropped back behind QFM! Arnd Peiffer is losing time to JoBø on his lap.  At S3 Artem Pryma is 15/15 and in touch; Hasilla has missed 3 at S4, pity. Arnd Peiffer has cleared all 20 – out 32.8 ahead of Dale; now, where is Laegreid? In for S4 is the answer and he’s cleared the lot, very quickly – out 39.5 ahead of Peiffer which should give Laegreid the small crystal globe for the Individual discipline. At present Dale leads ahead of Quentin Fillon Maillet and JoBø; Laegreid is losing time to Peiffer – 10 seconds gone by 17.9 Km, but he’s still 29.5 ahead! Arnd Peiffer [0,0,0,0] over the line in the lead; Sturla Holm Laegreid has taken the gold but he’s only 16.9 ahead of Peiffer, who took 22.6 seconds out of him on that final lap! Good race – Laegreid has taken gold with superb shooting and the fastest range time, Peiffer silver, also with the perfect score,  and Dale [0,1,0,0] in bronze and third fastest around the course behind JoBø and QFM. Said Karimulla Khalili [RBU] is only the 4th person to go 20/20 [the other being Peppe Femling] but his ski speed is a bit lacking  - out 5th after S4 but with some fast people behind him at that stage! Ah, Milan Zemlicka [CZE] has joined the 20/20 club but he’s out from S4 in 21st! Well done to the medal winners – QFM best of the French in 4th, ahead of JoBø with Khalili taking 6th for Russia. Eder in 7th ahead of Doll, Pryma and Rees.  Zemlicka ended up 26th.

Pokljuka – World Championships; Single Mixed Relay, 18 Feb 21:  Well, the team selection for this one must have been interesting! Guigonnat/Simon, Samuelsson/Hanna Öberg, JoBø [!]/Eckhoff and Lesser/Preuß; I see Hofer and Doro go for Italy, Eder/Hauser for Austria. Apparently Tiril Eckhoff was given a choice of racing or resting for the later  races and opted to take part today. Men going first today; JoBø going quite hard and he’s stretching the field – he has a small gap to the rest. JoBø in for S1 – lots of misses and spares being used! Lukas Hofer clear and out, 3.6 ahead of JoBø [1 spare], then Eder [0], Latypov [1], Christian Gow [0] and Lesser [1; +10.0]. Samuelsson has used 2 spares, so has Guigonnat; don’t see any penalty loops. JoBø back ahead on the lap; already heading for S2 – JoBø has missed 2; Erik Lesser on the penalty loop. Simon Eder leads out, ahead of Hofer, JoBø, Fake, Samuelsson and Gow. First exchange in that order; Germany in 16th. On the lap Doro has taken the lead, Hanna Öberg closing down as is Eckhoff. In for S3 – Wierer clear and away, then Eckhoff [1 spare, +5.9], Öberg [0], Hauser [1] and Simon [0]. Mari Eder on the penalty loop. There’s a slight gap between Doro/Tiril and the rest and it’s opening; in for the standing shoot – Doro clear and away; at the exchange it’s Italy, Austria, France, Norway, Sweden and Ukraine. On the next lap JoBø has got up to 2nd quite quickly; in for S5 JoBø has missed 3. Hofer is out [1] ahead of Guigonnat [0], Samuelsson [0], Eder [1], Pryma [0] and JoBø [3, +20.6]. S6 – Guigonnat leads out [0], ahead of Hofer [1] and Samuelsson [1]; JoBø has missed 1 more, Fak on the penalty loop. Final exchange – FRA/ITA/SWE/UKR/NOR/AUT. Tiril is trying to close the gap, she’s up to 4th, ahead of Blashko. Julia Simon is opening up a gap; in for the final prone – Simon has missed her last, Doro clear and out, ahead of Simon [1], Eckhoff [0], Blashko [0], Öberg [2] and Hauser [0]. There’s then a gap of almost a full minute back to the chasing pack, led by Germany. Hauser past Öberg on the lap; Simon ahead of Wierer and it’s in for the last shoot. Doro has 4 down, then she paused and she’s missing – onto the penalty loop! Tiril Eckhoff leads out, ahead of Julia Simon, who is just 0.3 back. Hanna Öberg in 3rd, +12.7 juts 3 seconds ahead of Blashko, Doro in 5th, +33.4. I missed that – Hauser also on the penalty loop! Julia Simon is having a real fight with Eckhoff on the climb, Öberg well clear of Blashko now. Julia Simon has broken clear, France [0+5] take the gold, ahead of Norway [0+9] with Sweden [0+8} getting bronze. Ukraine [0+2] did well and ended 4th, ahead of Italy [1+6] and Austria [1+7]. Germany [1+10] in 7th!

Pokljuka – World Championships; Women’s 4 x 6 Km Relay, 20 Feb 21:  Having trouble finding this on Eurosport – it’s supposed to be on but doesn’t work; it’s a busy schedule!  Ah, there it is! Conditions look good; some very fast cornering though. Early on Vanessa Hinz leads from Anais Bescond, then Skottheim, Tandrevold, Kryuko and Vittozzi. This might be interesting – Norway have put Ida Lien on leg 3, with Røiseland on leg 4. They are in for S1 – Vittozzi leads out, ahead of Hinz, Pavlova, Tandrevold, Todorova [BUL] and Zyblut [POL] – all using no spares. Latvia doing one penalty loop and Korea 3. Leaders in for S2 – very fast and accurate shooting by Vittozzi; she’s out 17.2 ahead of Pavlova, then Hinz and Bescond -  all no spares. Merkushyna in 5th [1 spare] ahead of Tandrevold [1] who is tied with Dunklee [1]. Ivona Fialkova has done 2 loops here. Heading for the first exchange Vittozzi is opening the gap, aiming to hand over to Carrara. Tandrevold is up to 2nd on the lap, Hinz dropping back a little. Italy lead out on leg 2, ahead of Norway, +16.0, Germany, Ukraine, Bulgaria and France, +26.6. Early on lap 2 Tiril Eckhoff has cut the gap to 7.7 seconds; Dzhima and Chevalier-Bouchet are past Hettich but they aren’t closing on the two leaders. In for S3 – Eckhoff has missed her first and 1 more but Carrara has missed 3. Eckhoff [2 spares] leads out ahead of Anais C-B [0], Dzhima [1], Alimbekava [BLR, 0], Carrara [3] and Hojnisz [0]. Hettich is in 7th, +25.8 after 2 spares. Selina Gasparin has done a loop. Tiril is pulling away on the lap, Hettich losing time. Tiril in for her standing shoot – 1 spare and away; Anais C-B has also used 1 and out 2nd, Alimbekava clear and 3rd ahead of Dzhima [2], Hojnisz [1] and Carrara [1], +37.5. I do wish I could ski up hills like Eckhoff! She’s got a good lead as they head for the next exchange – Norway lead, but Alimbekava has got Belarus up to 2nd, +25.1, then Ukraine, Poland, France and Germany, +1:00.6. Sweden in 7th, close behind Germany, with the Öberg sisters to come. At 12.8 Km Hanna Sola has cut Lien’s lead to 16.7, ahead of Blashko, Zuk, Chevalier and Herrmann. Elvira Öberg is right up with Herrmann; Lien in for S5 – 1 spare and away. Sola out +8.3 with 1 spare, then Blashko [1], Zuk [1], Chevalier [1] and Öberg [2]. Denise Herrmann has used all 3 spares – out 8th, +1:16.8. Zuk past Blashko on the lap, Sola tracking down Lien. In for the standing shoot – both have missed the first and 1 more; Blashko clear and she leads out. Sola [2] out 2nd, then Lien [2], Zuk [1], Chevalier [1], Elvira Öberg [0] and Herrmann [0] - +54.4. Lien back in front on the lap, just ahead of Blashko, Sola and Zuk.  A gap to Chevalier and another gap to Herrmann and Öberg. Final exchange, Norway lead by 9.0 from Belarus, then Poland, Ukraine, Germany [well done Denise], France and Sweden, +52.5. Early on the final leg Røiseland is pulling away from Kruchinkina and Maka; Julia Simon is past Preuß  but they aren’t closing on Pidhrushna, while Hanna Öberg is closing on them. Røiseland in for her prone – the breeze is picking up and she’s missed 3! Pidhrushna [0 spares] leads out, ahead of Røiseland [3], Maka [1], Kruchinkina [2], Preuß [0] and Öberg [1], +26.4. Julia Simon needed 2 spares. Røiseland back into the lead on the lap, Hanna Öberg seems to have slowed? Røiseland is in for the final shoot – 4 down, 1 miss – she’s out first. Franzi Preuß clear and out 2nd, +11.5 just ahead of Pidhrushna [2], Kruchinkina [1], Hanna Öberg [0, +33.0] and Maka [2]. At 22.8 Km Røiseland has 8.9 over Pidhrushna who is just past Preuß, then Kruchinkina, +21.1 who is pulling away from Öberg. I think this is settled; oh no it isn’t! Norway [0+11] hang on for the win, but Franzi Preuß has won the sprint to take the silver for Germany [0+5] with Ukraine [0+7] in a very well deserved bronze medal position. Belarus 4th, ahead of Sweden and Poland. Austria 7th, France 8th, Italy 9th, RBU 11th.

Pokljuka – World Championships; Men’s 4 x 7.5 Km Relay, 20 Feb 21: Snow starting to melt, it seems!  Twenty seven teams, I think – some interesting choices; for example the Norwegians have Christiansen on the anchor leg, the Germans have Doll! All very crowded in the early stages; Laegreid ahead of Guigonnat, Lesser and Khalili but the field is all within 9.1 seconds of the lead. Laegreid pushing hard as they head for S1, Guigonnat with him – Laegreid and Lesser among those with a miss. Guigonnat [0 spares] leads out ahead of Labastu [BLR, 0], Laegreid [1] Bionatz [0], Lesser [1], and Komatz [0], +8.2. Femling needed  all 3 spares; Estonia, Poland and Finland on the loop. In for S2 – Laegreid with 1 miss, France and Italy in trouble; Austria on the penalty loop. Laegreid leads out, 9.5 ahead of Labastu [1], Tsymbal [UKR, 0], Buta [ROU, 1], Hartweg [SUI, 0], and Langer [BEL, 0]. Guigonnat used 3 spares and he’s +19.1, Bionaz also 3 spares and +25.1 with Lesser [2] + 31.3. The first exchange – Norway leads; Tarjei Bø has 22.7 seconds over Belarus, France [good recovery by Guigonnat], Italy, Switzerland and Belgium. How has Erik Lesser lost almost a minute on that lap; surely he must have fallen? Germany in 20th; the commentators reckon it was just exhaustion? Leaders in for S3 – Tarjei clear and away; QFM used 1 spare and out 2nd, +24.3 ahead of Weger [1], Hofer [2], Fak [0], and Pidruchnyi [0]. Rees clear but still 19th and Germany have lost a bit more time. The gap to Tarjei from the chasing group is staying pretty steady; Hofer up to second. Tarjei in for S4 – he has 2 misses but so has Hofer and QFM is on the penalty loop! Tarjei out 17.0 ahead of Weger [1], Pidruchnyi [0], Hofer [3], Fak [1] and Eliseev [1]. QFM in 7th, +39.8; Rees up to 15th, but +1:30.3. Brown [USA] is doing 2 loops. JoBø getting ready to take leg 3; he’s out just 12.4 ahead though as Hofer has closed some 12 seconds on that lap! Ukraine 3rd, ahead of Slovenia, RBU [Russia] and Switzerland. JoBø has got the gap up to 21.9 at 16.6 Km, ahead of Giacomel [ITA] and Pryma [UKR], Loginov +39.1, ahead of Finello and Trsan [SLO]. JoBø in for S5 – he’s missed  1 – bit unlucky! Giacomel is clear and out +7.8, ahead of Pryma [1], Finello [0] and Loginov [0]. Desthieux clear and 7th, Arnd Peiffer clear and 12th.  JoBø in for his standing shoot – no wind at all on the range, and he’s clear and out; Giacomel is missing and he’s on the loop. JoBø out 31.1 ahead of Pryma [0], Loginov [1, +52.6]  with Giacomel 4th, +54.8. Desthieux [1] in 6th, Peiffer clear but losing time. Martin Ponsiluoma isn’t closing on JoBø but he is gaining places, up to 7th. JoBø is flying! Final exchange – Christiansen out with 48.7 over Ukraine [Dudchenko] with Latypov inheriting a 59.5 gap. Italy 4th, +1:15.9, then France and Sweden. At the next timing point the gap to Dudchenko and Latypov is over 50 seconds, with Windisch 1:16.3 back. The tracks are looking a bit slushy in places; Christiansen in for S7 – all down and away. Latypov also clear and out 2nd, +54.6;  Dudchenko missing, so it’s Jacquelin [0] who is joint 3rd, side by side with Seb Samuelsson [0]. Windisch just 2 seconds back, with a further 2 seconds to Dudchenko. On the lap Christiansen holding place, ahead of Latypov – the chasing 4 are in order Windisch, Jacquelin, Samuelsson and Dudchenko at 26.6 Km. Final shoot – 4 and 5 wide, 2 spares and out. Latypov needed 1 spare and out just 3.2 ahead of Samuelsson [0]. Dudchenko [1] seems too far back, but he’s ahead of Jacquelin who needed 3 spares. On the lap Samuelsson is well past Latypov with Jacquelin chasing. Samuelsson continues to close and he’s over 15 seconds clear of Latypov now – I don’t think Jacquelin can close by the finish. Norway [0+8] take another gold medal, that’s their 9th medal so far, 6 of them gold. Sweden [0+7] take silver with the RBU [0+5] taking their first medal – a bronze. France [1+11] in 4th, ahead of Ukraine [0+4], Italy [2+14] with Germany [0+4] in 7th, good shooting but whatever happened to Erik Lesser has cost them dearly.

Pokljuka – World Championships; Women’s 12.5 Km Mass Start, 21 Feb 21: First news – Denise Herrmann has been pulled out, apparently she’s not well. Final day of the Championships; the race is on and it’s a fairly sedate pace! They lost Mike again but he’s back now, or is he? Yes; looks like Davidova has stumbled, but it’s early days. The pace has picked up – Tiril Eckhoff at the front, ahead of Wierer, Anais C-B, Hanna Öberg, Tandrevold and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet. In for S1 – Tiril has missed her first, Öberg has missed 1, Anais C-B 2 and Hanna Sola 3. Elisa Gasparin leads out, ahead of Røiseland, Selina Gasparin, Hauser, Persson and Vittozzi – all clear, but there are others in close chase! Eckhoff out 17th, +18.4, just ahead of Hanna Öberg and Doro Wierer – all with 1 miss. Julia Simon has missed 3 and Alimbekava 4. On the lap Selina G leads briefly but Røiseland is through now – it must be warm – short sleeves indeed, was that Simon? Yes – I wonder if she had a jacket on when she zeroed? In for S2 – Lisa Theresa Hauser clear and she leads out ahead of Bendika [LAT], Kazakevitch [RSF] – all 10/10; then Eckhoff, Hinz, and Tandrevold, +6.7. Røiseland has missed 1 here, so have Persson, Mironova, Davidova and Lien, among others. Alimbekava has missed 1 more and Sola another 3; Julia Simon clear this time. At 6.6 Km Eckhoff is back in front, ahead of Tandrevold and Hauser, Doro in 6th, +8.4. In for the first standing shoot – Hauser has all 15 down and she’s away, ahead of Baiba Bendika [0,0,0]; Eckhoff has missed 1 and she’s 3rd, +19.4 just ahead of Vittozzi [0,1,0], Røiseland [0,1,0] and Tandrevold [0,0,1]. Doro [1,0,1] is 7th, Hanna Öberg [1,0,1] in 10th, Franzi Preuß [1,0,1] in 12th. Kazakevitch missed 2 at S3 which has dropped her to 14th. At 9.1 Km Hauser is just 1.3 ahead of Bendika, Tiril has pulled back 3 seconds but Røiseland has lost time and she’s dropped from 5th to 7th. The leading 2 are in for the final shoot – pressure time! Hauser has cleared all 20 and away; Bendika has missed 2, Eckhoff has missed 1, so has Doro! Vittozzi out 2nd, +18.3, ahead of Røiseland [+28.1] and Tandrevold [+31.9]. Eckhoff is 5th, +37.7, just ahead of Doro [+48.2]. Now, I thought Røiseland looked a bit tired but she and Tandrevold are closing on Vittozzi; they are past but I think Tandrevold might be the faster of the tow Norwegians? At 11.6 it’s Hauser, Tandrevold [+27.6], Røiseland [+27.9], Eckhoff [+36.1] – Vittozzi has dropped to 5th, just ahead of Preuß! Lisa Theresa Hauser takes an excellent gold with perfect shooting – her first world title! Tandrevold takes silver – behind her Tiril Eckhoff has passed Røiseland for the bronze – tough for Marte Olsbu Røiseland – just 1 miss to Eckhoff’s 3 but she faded a little. Vittozzi 5th, Preuß 6th, just ahead of Hanna Öberg [2 misses each]. Tandrevold is still trying to get her breath back – she really did leave everything on the tracks! Not sure what happened to Hanna Sola today – 11 misses! Hanna Öberg fastest on the range, ahead of Vittozzi and Haecki; no real surprise that Tiril Eckhoff was fastest around the course, ahead of Tandrevold. Good race!

Pokljuka – World Championships; Men’s 15 Km Mass Start, 21 Feb 21: Final race of these Championships! I wonder how much the relay has taken out of their legs – and there are 7 athletes who have done every race! Apparently it wasn’t Tandrevold who was on the ground for a while at the end of the women’s race -it was Røiseland, and in floods of tears after missing out on bronze – hard to bear. Back to this race, QFM and Hofer leading early on, with JoBø in third; he’s back in front now. In for S1 – JoBø has missed 2, Doll 3! Laegreid leads out ahead of Hofer, Fak, Jacquelin, Dale and Pryma - all clear. The leading 14 all shot clear; 12 with 1 miss. At 5.1 Km Hofer leads from Laegreid, Dale and Jacquelin; JoBø has cut the gap from +44.1 at the range to +25.6! In for S2 – Jacquelin has missed 2, now more – looks like all 5? Jakov Fak 10/10 and away – Laegreid just 0.2 behind him, then Samuelsson, Eder, Peiffer and Christian Gow, +15.4 – all 10/10. JoBø clear this time and out 11th, +29.0. Ponsiluoma [1,3], Femling [1,2], Guigonnat [1,3], Nelin [2,2] and Jacquelin [0,5]. At 8.1 Km Laegreid leads by just 0.7 from Fak with Samuelsson +1.5 – top 5 separated by just 3.2. Leaders in for S3 – Laegreid is clear and out, Samuelsson has missed 2, Peiffer his 15th. Fak clear and out +2.6, Eder clear and +3.7. No one else 15/15 that I can see. Hofer leading the 14/14 group ahead of Peiffer and Tarjei Bø. JoBø has missed 2 more; Jesper Nelin having a bad day 2,2,2! At 11.1 Km Laegreid has opened a 5 second gap over Fak and Eder; Peiffer up with Hofer, Tarjei losing a little, JoBø has gained 10 seconds! The final shoot – Laegreid has missed 1, so have Fak and Eder! Peiffer has missed 2, Hofer 1 and Tarjei 1. Laegreid leads out, 9.7 ahead of Fak, Eder +11.4; QFM [1,1,0,0] is 4th, +21.0. JoBø [2,0,2,1] out 11th, just ahead of Peiffer [0,0,1,2]. At 13.4 Km Laegreid is 24.4 seconds clear, with QFM up to 2nd, just ahead of Fak who has Dale just behind him, Eder in 5th well clear of Tarjei. Laegreid has this won unless he falls – Dale, who wasn’t in the relay, past QFM just after the timing point. Sturla Holm Laegreid takes another gold medal, in his first world championships. Johannes Dale has kept ahead of Quentin Fillon Maillet to take silver with the Frenchman getting the bronze. Simon Eder in 4th, then Fak and Tarjei; amazingly JoBø is 8th, +45.4 despite 5 penalty loops! Loginov best Russian in 9th, Peiffer best German in 12th. Norway lead the medals table – 6 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze! France 2nd 2/2/2 ahead of Sweden 1/3/2. Germany 6th with just 2 silvers – not good by their standards. That’s it – the World Cup starts again on 4 March. I do feel sorry for Emilien Jacquelin, still cruising around the final lap – he cleared the other 15 but that 5 missed in one go has ruined his day.

26 Feb 21; Val di Fassa [La Volata], Women’s Downhill: Well, that wasn’t much of a break for them after the championships! Back to the World Cup already. This is apparently the first World Cup race here – the original plan had China as the venue this week! It looks a beautiful, sunny day there -Breezy Johnson the first away. That looked good – faster than any of the training runs. Ramona Siebenhofer is slightly green at inter 1 and she’s building on that through 2, 3 and 4 to lead by 0.34. Kira Weidle red at 1 and going redder; fastest through the final speed gun though and into 2nd, +0.31. Francesca Marsaglia  a bit off the pace and into 4th, +1.72! Corinne Suter is fractionally green at 1, fractionally red at 2 and she’s losing touch  –  she’s pulled back a little from 4 to the line, into 2nd, +0.24. Jasmine Flury into 5th; Lara Gut-Behrami is next on course – green at 1, greener at 2, just red at 3 and it’s starting to slip away – great final section to pull back from 0.14 red at 4 to lead by 0.02! Mirjam Puchner into 6th; Elena Curtoni has taken  over that place! Stephanie Venier well off the pace and into 9th; that’s the first TV break – Lara G-B leads from Siebenhofer and Suter. Marta Bassino the slowest so far; Tamara Tippler into 7th. Kasja Vickhoff Lie was very fast in training but she’s not so much in touch today – she’s steadied from 3 onwards and goes 6th, +0.82. Laura Pirovano into 7th; Federica Brignone isn’t having much luck lately – into 13th! I thought Michelle Gisin might have been more in touch – into 8th, +1.12. Petra Vlhova on course and aiming for as many points for the overall as possible – she’s in touch early on and she’s into joint 8th with Gisin! That will put Lara G-B into the lead in the overall standings, with Gisin 3rd! Marie-Michele Gagnon briefly green early on but she’s a bit off line after inter 1 – she’s into 7th, costing Vlhova a few more points! Thirty away – Lara G-B leading, ahead of Siebenhofer, Suter, Weidle, Johnson and Lie; Gagnon [bib 20] the highest bib number in the top 10. That’s the way it finished – Joana Haehlen [bib 30] the last to break into the top 20. Well done to Lara Gut-Behrami – her first downhill win of the season?  Ramona Siebenhofer 2nd by just 2 hundredths with Corinne Suter in 3rd, then Weidle, Johnson and Lie. So, Lara G-B collects 100 points to give her 1047 points in the overall; Vlhova got 29 to take her to 1018 and Gisin also got 29 and has 836 now, in 3rd place. The very unlucky Sofia Goggia still leads the downhill standings on 480, ahead of Corinne Suter [330] and Breezy Johnson [330], tied in 2nd; Lara G-B is 4th on 283.

27 Feb 21; Bansko [Banderiza], Men’s Giant Slalom, run 1: Another beautiful day , this time in Bulgaria – bit warm but the piste looks good and it froze last night! Marco Odermatt first away on a course set by a Croatian coach – apparently it had to be adjusted this morning as it was “too fast”, so it’s quite offset in places.  Mathieu Faivre is bib 2 and seriously green by inter 3 – he leads by a massive 1.09! Alexis Pinturault next – slightly red at 1 and 2, he’s pulled back a little from 3 to the line and he’s 2nd, +0.23. Henrik Kristoffersen also red at 1 and 2 but he hasn’t gained from 3 to the line, quite the reverse, and ends up 3rd, +0.68. Zan Kranjec off the pace, +1.55; Loic Meillard isn’t much better – into 5th, +1.40. Filip Zubcic was +0.60 at inter 2 but he’s getting the time back and goes 2nd, +0.11 – good recovery! Nestvold-Haugen down but +2.06; Muffat-Jeandet slower still, +2.86 – maybe a little tired? Gino Caviezel is also not on form here – 10th, +2.33; Marco Schwarz also struggling for grip – 9th, +1.74. Luca de Aliprandini seems to be having problems too, +2.30; first TV break – Faivre leads from Zubcic and Pinturault. Manu Feller already over a second off the pace at inter 2 – bit better later to go 8th, +1.45. Erik Read has fallen; up and seems OK? Adam Zampa has the dubious distinction of being slowest of those who have completed the course - +3.24. There are only 3 racers within a second of Faivre! Riccardo Tonetti is now slowest, +3.77; this piste and course set really is causing problems for some good racers! Now, that’s a lot better – Stefan Brennsteiner in touch and he’s into 5th, +0.80! At the other end of the finish list Trevor Philp was +3.84 but Cyprien Sarrazin has had even more problems, +5.20! Semyel Bissig [SUI, bib 28] is the highest bib number in the top 20 – he’s 20th! Coverage now shifts to Val di Fassa, no change to the top 6 since Brennsteiner went 5th.
Run 2: Good to see Filippo Della Vite [bib 44] getting a 2nd run, and he’s into the lead at present. Adrian Pertl [bib 53] into 2nd; it’s already looking as though the section from inter 2 to 3 is crucial – several skiers have gone from green to red on that section! Stefan Hadalin isn’t one of them – he keeps the green light all the way and leads by 0.76! Adam Zampa into 3rd; River Radamus using his hand a lot to stay upright, but even so he’s into 2nd! Victor Muffat-Jeandet is not having a good day - +2.21 and he’s lost 11 places; Stefan Luitz much more in  touch and into joint 2nd, +0.58.  Gino Caviezel has just over a second in hand – just 0.16 left at inter 2 and he’s red at 3 – just 7th and +1.21 – TV break! Luca de Aliprandini still just green at 3 but he’s misread the final roller and by the finish he’s +0.95, into 5th. Leif K N-H is just red at 2 having been 1.28 ahead at the start – he’s 11th, +1.32. Thibaut Favrot is much more in touch – he’s lost a good amount of his advantage but he’s done enough to lead by 0.20. Justin Murisier into 3rd; Marco Schwarz just into the red at 3 and he takes over 3rd place. Zan Kranjec has gained time from 1 to 2 but he’s lost a lot of it by 3 and he’s into 4th, +0.39. Manu Feller still green at 3 and he’s gone well from 2 to the line to lead by 0.14. That last roller has cost Loic Meillard time – he’s into 3rd; Alexander Schmidt has gained a lot from 1 to 2; he’s risking a lot but he’s lost time to 3 – he’s only 6th. Marco Odermatt has also gained a lot from 1 to 2, he too is losing again to 3, but he’s got enough in hand to lead by 0.11. Five to go; Stefan Brennsteiner has gained to 1, lost a bit to 2, steady to 3 and he’s gained again to the line – he leads by 0.59!  Henrik Kristoffersen next, he’s lost almost a second from 1 to 2 after a massive mistake, fighting for grip – I’m amazed he managed to stand up from there, and he’s 14th, +1.92. Alexis Pinturault  on course and he’s lost a pole; that’s a brilliant performance to stay in touch and go 2nd with only the one pole! Filip Zubcic has gained a lot from 1 to 2 and he’s  0.98 green at 3 – he’s into the lead by a massive 0.93 – great stuff! Mathieu Faivre just red at 1, 0.10 red at 2, steady to 3 – he’s into 2nd, +0.40. So, a second win this season for Filip Zubcic, which also gets him up to 2nd in the GS standings, on 468 to Alexis Pinturault’s 490. Mathieu Faivre takes 2nd and Stefan Brennsteiner is 3rd, which I think is his first podium? Congratulations to Alexis Pinturault for taking 4th, despite losing a pole and to Stefan Hadalin for the fastest time on run 2 – he ended in 9th place, having gained 15 places!

27 Feb 21; Val di Fassa [La Volata], Women’s Downhill II: Eurosport being a bit slow to join this – too fond of the adverts! Not quite so sunny here today, and some flat light; Elena Curtoni first away and safely down in good conditions. Jasmine Flury green at 1,2 and 3, only just green at 4 though, but she’s pulled out some more time from there to the finish to lead by 0.19. Breezy Johnson fractionally red at 1, green at 2 and better at 3 – she’s lost grip on that right turn - that’s a nasty fall. Both skis were off and she’s up and walking back to her kit – amazingly she seems OK, but understandably unhappy. A delay while the netting is replaced. Michelle Gisin the first to go after the break;  nicely green at 3 and 4, then lost time to take the lead by just 1 one hundredth! Corinne Suter gaining to 3, fast through the gun and into the lead by 0.49! Switzerland one, two and three at present – Suter, Gisin and Flury. Kasja Vickhoff Lie  is +0.50 at inter 3 but she’s pulled a little back to go 2nd, +0.47 – just 3 hundredths between 2 and 4. Next is Lara Gut-Behrami and she’s dead level at 1, green at 2, greener at 3 and she leads by 0.32 – bib 7 seems to suit her! A great recovery by Kira Weidle after an awkward landing, and she’s pulled back a good chunk of time from 4 to the line to go 3rd, +0.68. Federica Brignone isn’t having a good weekend here,  +2.16. Tamara Tippler in touch early on, perhaps a little unlucky with the visibility and just 8th, +1.14. Ramona Siebenhofer in touch but not as close as yesterday – today she’s into 4th, +0.76. Laura Pirovano has had another good run – into joint 5th, +0.79, with Lie; Mich Gagnon a bit off yesterday’s form and into 9th, +0.94.  Now, bib 19 is Petra Vlhova – 0.46 red at 1, 0.89 at 3 and running 12th at inter 4, and that’s where she finishes, at present, +1.29; that would give her 22 points to Lara G-B’s 100 if positions remain unchanged. Another TV break – Lara G-B leads from Suter, Weidle, Siebenhofer and Pirovano/Lie. Happy Birthday Marta Bassino! Isabella Wright into 14th, so she should get some points today. At present Joana Haehlen is the highest bib number [25] in the top 20, in 17th. That’s 30 away – it looks increasingly as though Lara Gut-Behrami has done the double, and in convincing style! Laurenne Ross has also gone into the netting; she is standing up and hopefully OK but I suspect she’ll have a collection of bruises. That’s it – no changes to the top 20 since Haehlen; well done to Lara Gut-Behrami for the double! Corinne Suter deservedly picks up 80 points today, which puts her just 70 behind Sofia Goggia in the downhill standings with [I think] just 1 race to go, and well done to Kira Weidle for another good result! Ramona Siebenhofer in 4th, with Pirovano and Lie tied in 5th. Michelle Gisin got 36 points today and stays 3rd in the overall points, 14 points closer to Petra Vlhova than she was yesterday! Standings at present Lara G-B 1147, Vlhova 1040 and Gisin 872. I think the calendar favours Petra Vlhova though, especially as she seems to contest everything!

28 Feb 21; Bansko [Banderiza], Men’s Giant Slalom II, run 1: This one set by a Swedish coach and it’s a bit tighter than yesterday’s offerings! Loic Meillard is the first away and the commentators seem impressed! Zan Kranjec can’t match it; he did pull back some time from inter 3 to the line, but still +0.44. Mathieu Faivre was 0.28 red at 1 but he’s gaining the rest of the way - +0.19 at 3 but a very impressive final section and he leads by 0.42! Alexis Pinturault is going the other way – 0.36 green at 1, 0.37 red at 3 and he goes 3rd, +0.79. Henrik Kristoffersen is bib 5, red at 1 and he’s over a second off the pace at 3; he’s having another bad day – 5th, +2.10. Filip Zubcic isn’t as much in touch as he was yesterday, he was in the red anyway and he’s down – great recovery but he’s +3.10. Not sure what happened to Marco Odermatt either – fractionally green at 1 but then he’s losing time – 1.21 red at 3 and he’s steadied to go 5th, +1.20. Thibaut Favrot more in touch on the upper sections – he’s lost a bit more from 2 to 3, and more again to the line – he’s into 5th, +1.19. Alex Schmid nicely green at 1, less green at 2 but 0.86 red at 3 and he’s into 7th, +1.59. Faivre’s run is looking better and better! Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen isn’t looking comfortable this weekend; +3.35! Marco Schwarz is also having problems - into 9th, +2.45; there are only 3 racers within 1 second of Faivre’s time! Justin Murisier into 8th, +1.79. First TV break – Faivre leads from Meillard, Pinturault and Kranjec [+0.86]. Manu Feller is another one who is over 3 seconds off the pace. As the commentary team mentioned – not many happy, smiling faces in the finish area! How Adam Zampa managed to be just +2.70 after such an interesting error is one of today’s mysteries – great recovery! Stefan Brennsteiner slightly green at 1, then going red and into 10th, +2.09. River Radamus out after his binding released. Another TV break – have I mentioned how bored I am getting with the interminable Bridgestone advert? That’s 30 away – Faivre leads from Meillard and Pinturault – bib numbers 1 to 4 are in the top 4 places, albeit not in order! Brennsteiner [bib 21] the highest bib number in the top 10.
Run 2: I think this one was set by a Slovakian coach? It’s a little cloudier and seems to be getting cooler; certainly more in shadow in places. Third to ski is Alex Hofer [ITA] , a newcomer to the Italian World Cup team and he’s taken the lead by 0.51! Victor Muffat-Jeandet briefly green at 3 but he’s lost it again and into 2nd, +0.07. Manfred Mölgg has taken over the lead; not for long though as Hannes Zingerle [ITA] has taken over. Italy in the top 3 places for the moment! All change – Ivan Kusnetsov [RUS] leads now; then a great run from Daniele Sette [SUI] on his birthday to lead by 0.81. Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen isn’t enjoying Bansko; +1.77 on run 2. Filip Zubcic arguably pushing too hard – into 2nd, +0.20; Manu Feller into 4th. Giovanni Borsotti into 3rd; Marco Schwarz had 0.93 in hand as he started, he leads but by just 0.04! Gino Caviezel into the red after an error but he’s back green again at 3 – he’s lost time to the line though and goes 3rd, +0.17. Luca de Aliprandini risking it all and he’s almost doubled his advantage to inter 1; again the final section has cost him time and he can only manage 3rd. Henrik Kristoffersen has also gone well to inter 1 and he’s gained more to inter 2; lost a bit to 3 but he just holds on to the green light to lead by 0.10. Stefan Brennsteiner has gained to inter 1 and more to 2; 0.64 green at 3 and he leads by 1.01 – superb final section! I think we can safely say he’s happy with that! Justin Murisier is into 2nd, but +0.97; Marco Odermatt has an advantage of 0.89 at the start – he’s losing a little but he’s skiing well – into the lead by 0.39. Thibaut Favrot red but in touch at 1 and 2, back green at 3 and he’s 2nd, +0.33. Zan Kranjec has lost his advantage by 1, red at 2 and he’s into 4th; Alexis Pinturault has gained a little to 1, he’s kept hold of his pole today but he’s lost 0.41 from 3 to the line – he’s 2nd, +0.06. Loic Meillard has only 1 one hundredth of his 0.78 advantage left by inter 2, and he’s red at 3 – just 6th; that’s a surprise. Just Mathieu Faivre to come and he’s got 1.20 in hand – still over a second left at 3 and he takes the win – France first and third! Well done Mathieu Faivre, great work by Marco Odermatt to gain 4 places to end up second, with Alexis Pinturault on the podium yet again! Pinturault still leads the GS standings but Odermatt has closed up – 525 to 550! It’s much more to Pinturault’s liking in the overall standings – he has 1034 points there to Odermatt’s 824 in 2nd place!

28 Feb 21; Val di Fassa [La Volata], Women’s Super G: This course set by a Norwegian coach and it’s another beautiful day! Not quite sure why we suddenly got a shot of Manfred Mölgg but the feed is now back to the women’s race with Mich Gagnon the first away – I hope she’s in better form than her countrymen in Bansko, who aren’t having a good day! The final section looks relatively flat so that might be tricky to carry speed onto. Gagnon seems to feel that wasn’t good enough; Breezy Johnson back from yesterday’s crash and she’s nicely green at 3 – she leads by 0.51. Tamara Tippler green at 1 and 2, half a second ahead at 3 and she leads by 0.37 despite one late error. Francesca Marsaglia nicely green at 3 and she takes over the lead by 0.34. Federica Brignone green at 1 and building – that’s’ a great run, she leads by 0.83! Ragnhild Mowinckel into 3rd, +0.90; now, guess who’s got bib 7 again! Lara Gut-Behrami is fractionally red at 1 and redder at 2 – it’s not going to plan today – she’s pulled back time on the final section, but it’s only good enough for 2nd, +0.59! Corinne Suter into 3rd, +0.72; Elena Curtoni in touch at 2 but she’s gone a little wide – into 4th. Another TV break – then Marta Bassino into 6th. Brignone leads from Lara G-B, Corinne Suter, Curtoni and Marsaglia – ITA/SUI/SUI/ITA/ITA. That’s not good – Kajsa Vickhoff Lie into the netting at speed; that really did look awful! I don’t think she’ll walk away from that one, it’s going to be tricky to get her untangled. It’s taking a long time to get her clear which isn’t a good sign – there seems to be a helo on the way. That’s impressive flying, Kajsa Lie on her way to hospital – hopefully we will find out how she is later. Right Tessa Worley is getting ready, and she’s on course – into 9th, +1.49. Bib 15 is Petra Vlhova; she’s living dangerously and despite good recoveries she’s losing time – she’s into 14th, +2.56 – that’s 18 points. Bad news for Vlhova – Stephanie Venier into 13th and Michelle Gisin is 12th. Joana Haehlen was in touch at 2 but she’s off line lower down and into 16th. Rosina Schneeberger has gone through a gate and fallen after it twisted her around – hopefully that’s not as bad as the last crash; she is talking to the medical team but she’s a bit tangled up – worryingly it might be worse than it seemed at first. Yes, sadly that’s another bad one, one leg being supported by one of the medics and she’s obviously in considerable pain – not a good day. Another evacuation by helo – an impressive team! The race is back on; no change to the top 10 since Tessa Worley went 9th – Petra Vlhova now 21st [10 points]. Jasmine Flury has been yellow flagged – looks like a course worker has been injured; coverage has ended. Good run from Tiffany Gauthier into 15th; Laura Pirovano a DNF. Bib 35 is Roberta Melesi [ITA] – nice run to go 16th. A great result for bib 41, Alice Robinson, going into joint 10th with Breezy Johnson. Michaela Heider [AUT] into 15th; that drops Petra Vlhova to 30th! I’m surprised she’s that far down – she did better in the downhills and that’s usually her weaker discipline? She’s out of the top 30 now – no points today! So, very well done to Federica Brignone, taking the win after a difficult few days – her first win of this season; Lara Gut-Behrami in 2nd, and taking another 80 points in the standings – she leads both overall and in the Super G, where today’s result will be enough to win her the discipline globe. Corinne Suter in third today , then Curtoni, Marsaglia and Bassino – 4 Italians in the top 6! No news at present about the two injuries.

Nove Mesto; Women’s 4 x 6 Km Relay 4 Mar 21: No Denise Herrmann in the German team today – I presume she’s still unwell? Interesting that Sweden seem to have Hanna Öberg on leg 2 and Elvira on 4; Norway going with Tandrevold, Eckhoff, Lien and Røiseland and Italy with Sanfilippo, Wierer, Vittozzi and Carrara? Some brutal hills here so who knows what might happen today; I think they might have reversed the direction of the track?  Four teams could win the globe today, I think?? Twenty one teams here today and the race is on – it’s quite warm there so the track has been salted – quite green away from the track in places! Early on leg 1 Tandrevold leads from Cadurisch [SUI], Bescond, Brorsson, Hammerschmidt and Blashko [UKR]. Here we go for shoot 1 – interesting; Susan Dunklee leads out ahead of Cadurisch, Hammerschmidt, Bescond, Tandrevold and Oja [EST]; all with no spares. Klemencic [SLO] is doing 2 penalty loops, but she seems to be the only one – a couple with 3 spares breathing a sigh of relief! Dunklee hanging on on the next lap ahead of Cadurisch and they are in for S2; Cadurisch has missed 1, so have Dunklee [and 1 more]and Tandrevold. Out Cadurisch [1], Schwaiger [0 here], Blashko [1], Tandrevold [1], Dunklee [2]. Bescond [1]. Hammerschmidt [2] in 13th, +22.2 and losing time on the lap; Sanfilippo has used 2 spares in each shoot and out 18th, +52.9. At the first exchange Tandrevold has opened a small lead as she hands over to Eckhoff. Order at exchange NOR/SUI/UKR/AUT/FRA/USA. Germany in 13th, Italy 17th. On the lap Eckhoff leads Innerhofer and Dzhima but the pace isn’t blistering at present – in for S3 – lots of missing! Tiril Eckhoff [1 spare] leads out ahead of Aita Gasparin [1], Alimbekava [0], Braisaz-Bouchet [1], Innerhofer [2], and Dzhima [2]. Hanna Öberg missed 2, Hinz also used 2 spares but was slow on the range – out 16th, +1:01.4 – looks like Germany have dropped out of the 4 who could win the globe! Eckhoff looking very relaxed on the next lap; in for S4. Eckhoff and Justine B-B both clear and away, then Alimbekava, Dzhima, Gasparin and Öberg. Wierer up to 8th, Hinz has used 32 more spares and out 15th, Innerhofer on a penalty loop but out 12th! Tiril has now switched to full gas but Braisaz-Bouchet is also going well; Alimbekava losing a little as is Dzhima. Eckhoff is flying up that hill as she heads for Lien and exchange 2; Norway have 11.1 seconds as Lien heads out, ahead of Chloe Chevalier, then UKR/BLR/SWE/USA – good work by Reid to keep the USA in the top 6. Italy up to 8th, Germany still 13th but now +1:48.0! At 12.9 Km Lien is still keeping the gap to Chevalier; Sola [BLR] up to 3rd and she’s pulled back almost 10 seconds; some discussion about the Ukraine handover but it seems to be OK? Next prone [S5] – Lien out first with 1 spare, behind her there are misses all over the place – Clare Egan [USA] out 2nd with no spares [+31.9], then Sola [3 spares, +33.2, Persson [1], Vittozzi [2], Kuklina [RUS, 0]. Hettich narrowly avoided a penalty loop – all 3 spares and out 15th, +2:07.4 – goodbye globe! On the lap Sola and Persson are past Egan; at S6 Lien is having problems – 3 misses and now she’s on the penalty loop! Linn Persson leads out, 5.8 ahead of Vittozzi, then Egan, Sola, Kuklina and Lien [+35.4]. Hettich clear this time but 14th, +1:47.4. On the lap Vittozzi has closed a little, as have Egan and Sola; final exchange and Elvira Öberg is away 6.6 ahead of  Irwin [USA] and 7.6 clear of Carrara. Røiseland out 36.7 behind in 5th, Julia Simon 6th, +37.4. On the lap Kruchinkina [BLR] is up from 4th to 2nd, Carrara past Irwin and Simon past Røiseland. I think Preuß might have decided to ease back and concentrate on the next races here! S7 – Elvira Öberg clear and out, nice shooting; Carrara also clear and +11.0, Kruchinkina [1, +15.6], ahead of Irwin [1, +27.5], Røiseland [2] and Mironova [2], there is now an asterisk against Ukraine – perhaps that exchange wasn’t correct? Preuß clear but still over 2 minutes back.  Final shoot – Elvira has missed her last – 2 spares and out but Elena Kruchinkina is clear and out 3.7 ahead. Irwin [1] in 3rd, +32.2, but only just ahead of Simon [0], Carrara [3] and Pidhrushna – the asterisk has gone, by the way! Røiseland [2] in 7th, +43.6; Preuß [1] in 13th, +1:52.8. At 22.9 Km Elvira is just 2.1 behind Kruchinkina, Simon up to 3rd, ahead of Pidhrushna and Carrara – Irwin back to 6th, +38.0; Røiseland isn’t catching. Kruchinkina still ahead at 23.7 by 2.2, then a 25 second gap to Simon, who is clear of Pidhrushna, with Carrara and Irwin very close. Elvira looked to have lost ground but she’s fighting back, did Kruchinkina stumble – that’s an impressive sprint! Sweden [0+6] take the win by 1.2 from Belarus [0+9]; France [1+8] in 3rd, ahead of Ukraine [1+10] with Norway [1+10] 5th and USA [0+7] 6th after a photo finish with Italy – good result for Belarus, Ukraine and USA! Italy ended 7th, and Germany 12th. I think that gives Sweden the crystal globe; the IBU are saying they share it with Germany!! Edit – now the IBU are saying that Sweden won it outright, which is what the commentary team thought! It seems the Ukrainian team were disqualified for a dodgy exchange! EDIT: The Ukrainians were DQ'd but have apparently been reinstated on appeal! I wish the IBU would make its mind up!

Nove Mesto; Men’s 4 x 7.5 Km Relay 5 Mar 21: It might be a brave person who bet against Norway [Laegreid, Dale and 2 Bo’s – 1,2,3 & 5 in the world standings!] but this is biathlon and strange things do happen! Sweden have Samuelsson, Nelin and Ponsiluoma, with Gabriel Stegmayr on leg 1 – a newcomer to World Cup? France with Guigonnat, QFM, Desthieux, Jacquelin; Germany Lesser, Doll, Peiffer and Nawrath and Italy running Bionaz, Hofer, Giacomel and Windisch. A lot colder today apparently and overcast – rather icy on the tracks! This is the final relay of the season – just Norway and Sweden in the fight for the small globe. Laegreid is setting a pretty fair pace; Patrick seems to have Stegmayr and Femling confused - it’s Stegmayr; apparently a very late change! In for S1 – a bit windier than yesterday – Erik Lesser clear and leads out ahead of Laegreid. Krcmar, Runnalls [CAN], Dovzan and Komatz. Khalili and  Langer among those needing 3 spares; I see the Swiss are a “DNS”. In for S2 – Lesser has missed 2, Laegreid clear and away – Lesser in 2nd, +6.6, ahead of Krcmar [1 spare] and Guigonnat [0 this time, 2 on S1]. Looking at Laegreid’s shooting – very impressive, some of those in the prone area! Stegmayr has only used 2 spares here but he’s +1:23.4! Lesser hanging on to Laegreid on the lap. Krcmar has caught up a little, as has Guigonnat! Lesser has sprinted past Laegreid on the hill – Doll takes over and he’s away 3.9 ahead of Dale. Adam Runnells has had a big fall; Moravec out 3rd after the exchange ahead of QFM and Fak, Brown [USA in 6th at the exchange. Runnells must have got up fairly quickly as Canada were 15th, +1:04.6 at the exchange; poor Stegmayr was over the line 22nd, +2:31.5. Leading 2 in for S3; Doll v Dale – both clear – Doll leads out 7.4 ahead of Dale; QFM [1 spare] in 3rd, +23.9, then Fak, Eder and Hofer; Moravec on the penalty loop. Doll pushing hard on the lap; do the Norwegians have the waxing right, I wonder? Sweden aren’t having a good day – Samuelsson needed 2 spares there and out 22nd, +3:04.1. Doll in for S4 – has he pushed too hard? Doll out after using 1 spare, QFM clear and out +11.1, Dale on the penalty loop! After S4 Eder in 3rd, +40.2, ahead of Fak, Pidruchnyi and Eliseev. Dale out 9th; Samuelsson clear this time but still over 3 minutes back, I wonder if he’s pushing hard? At the exchange Peiffer has 10.1 in hand but he’s up against Desthieux, Dudchenko [UKR, +46.4] and Bauer [SLO]; Tarjei Bø away 8th  [+  1:01.2]. On the lap Leitner [AUT] is up to 3rd; Bø has pulled back some 7 seconds. Arnd Peiffer in for the prone; it’s windier too – he’s clear and away; Desthieux has missed 2 but he’s out +29.5. Tarjei Bø clear here and out 3rd, +56.8, ahead of Leitner, Varabei [BLR] and Bauer. Commentary team are wondering about how Nawrath might be feeling now – they aren’t alone! Peiffer in for S6, 1 miss and he’s out; Desthieux also used 1 spare, and out +29.1, Bø has missed his first as the wind gusts and he’s on the penalty loop too! Leitner [2 spares] is out 3rd, +1:25.0, ahead of Bauer, Giacomel [ITA] and Loginov. Bø 7th, +1:49.5, Nelin has done a penalty loop, out 17th, +4:35.3 – Sweden will want to forget today! At the exchange Nawrath is away, 36.7 ahead of Jacquelin, then AUT/NOR/ITA/SLO. That’s a bit worrying – Nawrath has pulled out 6 seconds by 23.4 Km against Jacquelin – too fast? Lemmerer [AUT] is being caught by JoBø, Windisch and Latypov. Nawrath in for his prone, 1 miss and away; Jacquelin has missed his first 2 – all 5 missed again; good group but it seems he had no idea where they were going! He’s going to do 4 penalty loops; JoBø clear and out 2nd, +1:41.7, ahead of Latypov, Lemmerer, Windisch and Trsan [SLO]. Jacquelin out 8th, but +2:53.5. Final shoot – Nawrath has cleared the lot, although he was a bit lucky with 1. JoBø isn’t in the range area as Nawrath leaves and he’s missed 2 – he’s on the penalty loop! Latypov clear and out 2nd, about 17 seconds ahead of Bø, Trsan in 4th, just ahead of Lemmerer and Jacquelin , who cleared the lot this time! Windisch on the penalty loop here and out 7th. Nawrath cruising to Germany’s first relay win in 22 races! Germany [0+5] win with Russia [0+8] 2nd ahead of Norway [3+9]. Latypov looks absolutely wasted after holding off JoBø. Slovenia [0+8] in 4th ahead of France [4+9] and Austria [0+5].  Italy in 7th; 2 penalty loops on leg 3 and another on leg 4 dropped Ukraine from 3rd at exchange 2 to 9th and Sweden ended up 11th. Well done Germany – I didn’t expect that, although I’m delighted! Good effort by Russia, and how Norway managed to get third with 3 penalty loops – impressive! I wasn't that brave person who bet against Norway - I wonder what odds you'd have got on Germany winning!?

5 Mar 21; Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Men’s Downhill: I forgot this was on and feared I’d missed it but the race has been interrupted by fog so I could have missed more! Vincent Kriechmayr was first away but bib 3, Dominik Paris was 0.07 faster! Matthias Mayer into 3rd, Beat Feuz 4th and that’s how it stands – just 9 away before the fog rolled in to the extent that the race had to be paused. That’s annoying – race cancelled, Paris won’t be happy!!

6 Mar 21; Jasna [Lukova 2], Women’s Slalom, run 1: I think this should have been the GS but the organisers have swapped the programme. Rather odd – Zuzulova is doing the camera run but we seem to be looking at the bib allocation! This course set by an Italian coach and Petra Vlhova is first to try it! Lots of support from the course workers and there are some supporters too, not supposed to  be there but they’ve sneaked in, and she’s down. Wendy Holdener green at 1 and 2 but red at 3 and over the line +0.40. It looks a bit overcast with flat light; Chiara Mair down but well off the pace, +1.82. Katharina Truppe back from injury and well off the pace today, +2.68; even Katharina Liensberger is red at 1 and 2 and getting redder – she’s into 3rd, +0.91. Mikaela Shiffrin next and just green at 1 and 2, slightly red at 3 and 2nd, +0.27. Michelle Gisin slightly red at 1 and then losing time – 5th, +1.29. That seems to be it for the moment, no changes to the top 6 – Vlhova leads from Shiffrin, Holdener, Liensberger, Gisin and Mair. Strange – I’m sure Matt originally said the course was set by an Italian coach – but I thought I heard him just say it was Laurence St-Germain’s coach? Anyway she’s into 8th! Federica Brignone into 8th; Martina Dubovska [CZE] in touch for the top 6 at 3 but she’s slipped to 8th.  The visibility isn’t getting any better, if anything it’s worse – the poor Norwegians aren’t enjoying this – with 22 away they are in the last 3 places; no change to the top 6 since Gisin. Ah, at last – Paula Moltzan [bib 26] rather too red at 1 but she pulled back to 2, lost again to 3 but good enough to take 6th! Melanie Meillard [bib 27] into 10th. A sudden improvement in the light and Jessica Hilzinger is nicely in touch at inter 2 but she’s lost it later and into 13th. Charlie Guest is safely down and into 26th – might get a 2nd run? Yes, she’s held on to place 26! That’s run 1 over – no change to the top 10 since Meillard.
Run 2: This is only on the ad-free app and there seems to be no commentary? Camille Rast [SUI] first away and Stjernesund can’t match it – over a second off the pace! Ali Nullmeyer [CAN] green at 1 but then red the rest of the way into 2nd, +0.71. Charlie Guest nicely green at inter 1, having gained time, but then she too is into the red and goes 3rd, +0.77. It seems the section from 1 to 2 is the critical point where people can’t keep in the green – Nastasia Noens has made a very good job of the final section to pull back time and go 2nd, +0.12 after being +0.45 at 3. The visibility isn’t quite so good, it seems and once again it’s trying to snow. Martina Peterlini [ITA] gained to 1 and lost time to 2 but crucially she’s still green at 2 and gaining time impressively from there – she leads by 1.00! She’s happy with that, and we have commentary again! Andreja Slokar [SLO] fractionally red all the way – into 2nd, +0.23. Emelie Wikström into 3rd; Irene Curtoni into 4th. Lena Dürr has taken over 3rd; Laurence St-Germain has gained a little from 1 to 2 but then it’s red and she goes 3rd – Matt is drifting in and out of commentary! That’s half way, Peterlini leads from Slokar and St-Germain. Sara Hector into 4th; Ana Bucik has gained to 1, more to 2, lost a bit to 3 after an error but she’s recovered well to go into the lead by 0.25. Martina Dubovska into 3rd; 8 to come. Paula Moltzan still green at 2 but she’s losing time – red at 3 and into 8th. Now, Michelle Gisin has 0.93 advantage in the start hut – lost a bit to 1, steady to 2 and she’s gained again to 3 – she leads by 0.83; 4th best time on run 2. Katharina Liensberger has gained to 1, lost a bit to 2, back greener by 3 and then gaining time to lead by 0.82 and that’s the new fastest time on run 2. Wendy Holdener has gained to 1, she’s almost doubled her initial advantage by 3 and she leads by 0.90. Mikaela Shiffrin has gained a little to 1, lost it to 2 where she’s only just green , a bit greener at 3 and she’s’ very fast on the final section to go 2nd, 0.52 ahead – the new fastest time on run 2. Petra Vlhova has gone from 0.27 ahead at the hut to 0.02 at 1, 0.10 green at 2 and just red at 3 – she’s 2nd, +0.34! Well, what a race! Mikaela Shiffrin takes the win, with the fastest time on run 2. Petra Vlhova in 2nd, and Wendy Holdener getting another podium place. Peterlini in 7th, which must be a career best after the 5th best time on run 2 – she gained 15 places on that run. That moves Shiffrin up 1 place in the slalom standings – now 45 points behind Vlhova, and 25 ahead of Liensberger.  In the overall Vlhova is now 107 behind Lara Gut-Behrami.

6 Mar 21; Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Men’s Downhill II: Sadly this clashes with the Women’s biathlon sprint, which is the one I’ll be looking at more closely. It looks a really nice day for a change – a 920 metre drop for this race so it’s very hard to have consistent snow conditions. That’s a beast of a course, with a tricky finish too! Vincent Kriechmayr first away – that’s looking good and that might be hard to beat!? Mathieu Bailet can’t match it, +1.49; Dominik Paris is quite red at 1, better at 2 and goes 2nd, +0.42. Bryce Bennett into 3rd and now it’s Beat Feuz – looking to wrap up the downhill standings, but he’s 0.71 red at 1 – pulled back a little and he’s good from inter 4 to the line – he’s 2nd +0.17. Matthias Mayer into 3rd; Franz 5th and Clarey 6th at the first TV break. Otmar Striedinger into 6th; that’s a good run by Marco Odermatt [bib 18] to go into joint 5th with Max Franz. Kjetil Jansrud isn’t on form today – just 15th at present and he’s losing places later. If nothing changes that gives Feuz another 80 points in the downhill standings, with Mayer getting 60 and Paris 50 – Paris now out of the running for the globe and Feuz has a 68 point lead over Mayer! It’s not entirely over yet – that’s a good run from Erik Arvidsson [USA, bib 34] into 8th place, +1.30! That’s the race over – great win for Vincent Kriechmayr. Beat Feuz in 2nd ahead of Matthias Mayer, then Paris, and Odermatt/Franz tied in 5th.

7 Mar 21; Jasna [Lukova 2], Women’s Giant Slalom, run 1: Looks good in Jasna today – Lara Gut-Behrami is first away and down, with one big error, but bib 2 is Mikaela Shiffrin and she’s almost a second ahead at inter 1 and gaining – Shiffrin into the lead by 1.78! Petra Vlhova next and slightly red at 1, a little redder at 2 but just green at 3 – an error as that green light shows and she’s 2nd, +0.16. Federica Brignone into 3rd, +0.91; Tessa Worley a bit off the pace – over a second back at inter 3 and into 4th, ahead of Lara G-B. Marta Bassino leads the GS standings at present – red at inter 1 and getting redder – she goes 3rd, +0.84. Michelle Gisin off the pace and into 6th, but still ahead of Gut-Behrami – that’s not going to help Lara G-B in the overall points! Meta Hrovat is a DNS; Maryna Gasienica-Daniel is in touch – red all the way but not too far off and she’s into 3rd, +0.44. Alice Robinson into 6th; first TV break coming up with no changes to that top 6 – Shiffrin leads from Vlhova and Gasienica-Daniel, then Bassino, Brignone and Robinson. No Alex Tilley today as she and her coach are isolating! Nina O’Brien going well – a bit off the pace at inter 2 but she’s pulled it back to go 4th, + 0.49! No changes to the top 10 since then with 30 away and coverage is moving to the men’s Super G. Good efforts by Simone Wild [SUI], bib 44, to go 18th, and Andreja Slokar [SLO, bib 49] in 20th.
Run 2: Joined this a bit late as I was watching Tiril Eckhoff cruise to another biathlon pursuit race! Five away, Vanessa Kasper [SUI] leading ahead of A J Hurt. Coralie Frasse Sombet has gained a lot to inter 1 and she’s continuing to build – she leads by 1.13! Steph Brunner into 2nd, just +0.01! Andreja Slokar is going well – green all the way and she leads by 0.19; Simone Wild is pretty much keeping her advantage all the way down – now she leads, by 0.24. Ana Bucik is going well – she’s gained from 2 to 3 and she’s taken over the lead by 0.20. That’s half-way – Bucik leads from Wild and Slokar; Tina Robnik is the first after the TV break and she’s into 2nd. Slovenia 1, 2 and 4 at present! Lara Gut-Behrami next and she’s gained from 1 to 2; a great final section to lead by 0.63. Ramona Siebenhofer has gained to inter 1 and even more to 2, steady to 3 and although she’s lost a little she leads by 0.35. Ragnhild Mowinckel into 3rd; Michelle Gisin won’t get any thanks from Lara G-B for going 2nd! Katharina Liensberger has skied into 2nd, after a good run from inter 2 to the line; Alice Robinson gaining to 1 and more to 3 – she leads by a massive 1.18 despite almost going down at one stage! Federica Brignone into 3rd; Marta Bassino losing time – she’s into 2nd; useful for the points, especially as she’s ahead of Worley – in fact it seems that she’s got the crystal globe for GS. Nina O’Brien has fallen – she’s OK but that’s a pity after such a good first run. Maryna Gasienica-Daniel into the red at 2 but she’s fallen just within sight of the line after hitting a gate – she might have hurt her ribs and there’s a delay while they try to move her out of the finish area. Petra Vlhova in the start hut – 0.82 green as she starts, down to 0.43 at inter 1 and she’s only just green at 3 – she’s just held on to win but by just 0.16. Mikaela Shiffrin is just 0.16 ahead in the start hut – another delay while the course is repaired – she’s away, slight loss to inter 1 and red at 2, redder at 3 and she’s into 3rd! That’s a good win for Vlhova, on home snow, and a very useful 100 points, especially as Lara G-B only gets 29 today! Well done Alice Robinson and Mikaela Shiffrin too, and congrats to Marta Bassino for the GS globe.

I’ve been trying to get an update on a couple recent crashes, to see how they are doing, but the best I can find is this - Kajsa Vickhoff Lie has a broken left leg whilst Rosina Schneeberger has a fractured tibia and fibula.

7 Mar 21; Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Men’s Super G: Course set by a French coach, it seems, probably to suit Alexis Pinturault – lots of blind rollers! And it’s Alexis Pinturault who goes first – Finlay reckons there were a couple errors but Pinturault is down safely. That was quick – Brodie Seger has skied out after getting one of those blind rollers wrong; the Canadian coach has turned his back to the camera! Andreas Sander is slightly green at 1 but he’s just made the next gate after making a similar error to Seger; red at 2 but very fast through the speed gun and back green – he leads by 0.56! Gino Caviezel green at 1, but red at 2 after another epic at “that blind rise” – he hasn’t made it up – into 3rd but +2.15. Vincent Kriechmayr through that tricky roller and green at 2; he’s 0.80 green at 3 and he leads by 0.73. Christof Innerhofer has crashed through a gate but he’s legal and in touch but he’s down on his hip and he’s skied out – another coach turning away! Matthias Mayer also having an epic at the curve, all very athletic but he’s recovered and goes 2nd, +0.47. James Crawford into 5th; Marco Odermatt slightly red at 1 but very neat through the curve and 0.49 green at 2 – that’s a brilliant final section too – he leads by 0.81! He’s understandably happy with that - his coach is delighted too. That’s a nasty crash for Johan Clarey, a full 360 but he’s up and seems to be OK. The light is not as good as it was – visibility a bit tricky. Kjetil Jansrud into 7th but +3.49. Loic Meillard has skied out, guess where; Romed Baumann into 7th. Nils Allegre also out on the blind curve; Dominik Paris has tried to drift the curve but it’s cost him time and he’s 8th. Matthieu Bailet very neat through that curve and he’s into 2nd, ahead of Kriechmayr – that means the Austrian hasn’t wrapped up the Super G globe today – another thing to make Odermatt happy! Max Franz also out, but lower down the course for a change. Beat Feuz nicely through the curve and in touch – he’s into 4th. Stefan Rogentin nicely in touch on the upper section but he’s lost time lower down and goes 9th. The sun has come out which should help? Daniel Danklmaier into 7th – good run for him. Josef Ferstl in touch at 1 and briefly green at 2 but late in the line a little lower and that’s spoilt his run – into 8th. Simon Jocher has also crashed where Clarey went out – less acrobatic but he too seems OK. Good run from Riccardo Tonetti into 8th – a Super G PB for him. That was almost embarrassing – Raphael Haaser [AUT] into 4th, just 2 hundredths behind Kriechmayr, so within a whisker of costing him points in the Super G standings! Roy Piccard well in touch on the upper section; almost down later but he’s recovered to finish. A good run by Bryce Bennett – into 8th place. Justin Murisier [bib 40] is another of the Swiss racers who is going well on this course – he’s into 5th, knocking Feuz down a place! Daniel Hemetsberger [AUT, bib 42] is also getting a Super G PB today – into 10th. That’s it, no more excitement – a great result for Marco Odermatt, with a first podium for Matthieu Bailet and another podium for Vincent Kriechmayr. Kriechmayr leads the Super G standings by 83 points, ahead of Odermatt with Mayer a further 33 back! Odermatt is also closing on Pinturault in the overall, helped by some of the later starters today - just 81 behind!

Nove Mesto; Women’s 7.5 Km Sprint, 6 Mar 21: Conditions look reasonable here – Franzi Preuß first away; I see Denise Herrmann will be racing today after missing the relay. Franzi P at S1 – fast shooting and clear, sadly we didn’t see where the rounds went. Hanna Öberg is bib 3 and she’s at S1 – she’s missed the first, rest down, out 34.8 behind Preuß; Julia Simon has missed 3 and Denise Herrmann 1. Tandrevold is clear at S1 and out 12.0 behind Franzi P; Clare Egan is also clear and marginally faster than the Norwegian, +10.9. Franzi Preuß has missed 1 at S2; Doro Wierer is at S1 and clear – out 1.4 ahead of Preuß. At S2 Hanna Öberg has missed 2; Bendika has missed 4. Back at S1 Paulina Fialkova is clear and marginally faster than Egan; Eckhoff fastest early on the first lap. Denise Herrmann has cleared at S2,and out 10.7 behind Preuß. Now, Tandrevold has cleared again at S2, to go 10/10 but she’s only 3.6 ahead of Franzi’s time. Back at S1 Kaisheva, Dzhima, Vittozzi and Alimbekava have all gone clear and they are very much in touch. Doro Wierer has also gone 10/10 and out 1.9 ahead of Tandrevold; Røiseland [2,0] is also in touch, just 13.8 behind Doro. Davidova clear at S1; Dzhima has gone 10/10 too and she’s even faster than Doro – Vittozzi has cleared all 10 as well and she’s just 3.4 behind Dzhima! At the finish Doro Wierer leads from Tandrevold, Røiseland in 3rd despite those 2 missed, ahead of Preuß and Herrmann. Tiril Eckhoff missed 1 at S1 but she’s clear at 2 and out 10.5 behind Yuliia Dzhima; Alimbekava is 10/10 and 2.2 behind Dzhima. This is a cracker! At 5.9 Km Tiril is just 4.6 off the lead. Yuliia Dzhima over the line in the lead, 7.0 ahead of Doro; Lisa Vittozzi into 2nd, 5.7 behind. At 6.6 Km Tiril is just 0.8 behind, and ahead of Alimbekava’s time. Tiril Eckhoff is steaming up that last hill – she’s over the line 9.3 ahead of Dzhima, she’s taken about 20 seconds out of the Ukrainian! Davidova missed 1 at S2, over the line in 10th. Back at S1 Cadurisch is clear and 5 seconds ahead of Doro. Irene Cadurisch has missed 1 at S2 – out 9th, +22.8. That was a great shoot at S2 by Maren Hammerschmidt – very quick and accurate but her ski speed isn’t quite good enough. I missed Clare Egan at S2 – she was in touch after the first shoot but missed 4 at S2. That was good shooting by Lou Jeanmonnot [FRA] – all 10 down but she’s a little off the ski πace – out 20th, +42.8 – over the line 29th, but pushed down a place by Aita Gasparin! So, another sprint win for Tiril Eckhoff [1,0] – the woman is an absolute sprint machine – that’s her 5th sprint title!! Yuliia Dzhima [0,0] in a very impressive 2nd, ahead of Lisa Vittozzi [0,0], then Alimbekava, Wierer and Tandrevold. Franzi Preuß ended up 8th, Braisaz-Bouchet best of the French in 9th, just ahead of Denise Herrmann. Good effort by Røiseland to get 7th, despite 2 misses. Nice to see Amanda Lightfoot [1,0] just in the top 60, in 59th.

Nove Mesto; Men’s 10 Km Sprint, 6 Mar 21: Favourites all going fairly early; the weather looks nice if a bit warm – very little snow away from the track. Martin Ponsiluoma the first away; JoBø is bib 12 and currently fastest early on. Ponsiluoma at S1 and he’s missed number 5; quite slow too. Nelin has also missed 1, so has Loginov – here comes Jacquelin; that’s more like it, all clear today! Benedikt Doll clear at S1 and just 0.5 behind Jacquelin. Arnd Peiffer looking impressive at S1 – all down and he’s out 1.9 ahead of Jacquelin; JoBø in for his prone – 1 miss but he’s skiing fast; out 11.6 behind. Tarjei Bø is also clear at S1 and out 4.1 ahead of Peiffer; Ponsiluoma clear at S2, as is Loginov. Jacquelin has missed 1 at S2 but he’s skiing fast – out in the lead, an impressive 24.4 ahead of Ponsiluoma. Benedikt Doll has also missed 1 at S2 but out 7.5 ahead of Jacquelin! Seb Samuelsson is clear at S1 and out 3rd, +5.2; Arnd Peiffer the first to get all 10 down but he’s only 10.8 ahead of Doll. JoBø in for S2 – he’s missed the last 2. JoBø out 4th, +41.3 after his 3 loops [1,2]. Back at S1 Laegreid is clear and faster than Tarjei! Speaking of the elder Bø, he’s at S2 – he’s missed 1 but he’s fast – out just 1 second behind Peiffer; Simon Desthieux also 10/10 and he leads by 1.6 after S2. Peiffer currently a bit quicker on the last lap than Tarjei, but Desthieux is keeping his advantage. Seb Samuelsson is 10/10 and out dead level with Desthieux; he’s slightly ahead of the Frenchman at 7.6 Km. Desthieux has gained on Peiffer by 9.2 Km; back at S2 Laegreid has actually missed 1 – out +0.5 against Samuelsson and Desthieux. At the finish it’s Desthieux, Peiffer [+4.4] and Tarjei Bø. Back at S1 Dale is clear and out tied with Samuelsson in 4th. At 9.2 Km Samuelsson has dropped behind Desthieux; over the line in 2nd, +2.4. Laegreid is losing a little time on the final lap; over the line in 4th, +10.4, just ahead of Tarjei. Dale at S2 – he’s missed his first, long pause before his final shot but he’s missed that too; out 25th. Good shooting by Endre Strømsheim [NOR] – 10/10 and out 9th. Latypov [0,1] over the line in 10th, pushing JoBø out of the top 10. Strømsheim over the line in 12th at present – a good debut in the world cup! Guigonnat shooting fast at S2 but he’s missed the last one [1,1,] and out 13th. Poor Johannes Kühn has missed all 5 at S2 – I don’t think he’s bothering with the penalty loops? I think that’s it – none of the later starters seem to have the shooting skills or ski speed to change the top 6. An impressive win by Simon Desthieux, just 2.4 ahead of Seb Samuelsson – both of them hitting 10 out of 10. Arnd Peiffer [0,0; +4.4] in 3rd, ahead of Laegreid [0,1; +10.4], Tarjei Bø [0,1; +10.6] and Benedikt Doll [0,1; +14.5]. JoBø down in 11th; not bad with 3 penalties but it means Laegreid has closed the gap in the overall. It should be an interesting pursuit! Eliseev fastest on the range, ahead of Tarjei and Laegreid; no real surprise that JoBø was quickest around the tracks ahead of QFM, Dale and Doll – Laegreid 5th just ahead of Tarjei Bø.

Nove Mesto; Women’s 10 Km Pursuit, 7 Mar 21: Another nice looking day – can’t be that hot though as Julia Simon isn’t wearing a T shirt! Tiril Eckhoff at S1, clear and away, 21.2 ahead of Alimbekava, who is about a second ahead of Røiseland, then Tandrevold, Preuß and Davidova [+42.9] – all clear. Dzhima, Sola, Hanna Öberg and Herrmann among those missing 1. Linn Persson clear and up to 13th from 21. Going the other way Wierer and Vittozzi have missed 3 each, and both +1:23 or so. Tiril in for S2 – clear again and away; Røiseland has missed 1, so has Tandrevold and Alimbekava 4! Røiseland out 2nd, +43.0 just ahead of Preuß who was clear again, then Dzhima, Tandrevold and Sola. Vittozzi and Wierer have missed another 2 each – 5 so far – very unusual. Hauser also shooting poorly today; meanwhile Eckhoff is n for S3 – first miss. It’s gone gusty – Preuß and Røiseland have also missed 1 each here – out in that order, +56.6 and 1:00.2 respectively. Herrmann up to 4th, ahead of Paulina Fialkova [0,0,0] and Dzhima. On the lap Preuß, Røiseland and Herrmann are all in a chasing group, about 12 seconds ahead of Fialkova. Tiril Eckhoff has missed her first at S4 and 1 more – she’s finished her loops as the chasers settle. Denise Herrmann [1,0,0,0] out 2nd, +33.8 with Dzhima [1,0,1,0] 3rd, +50.4. Preuß and Røiseland missed 1 each here and out in that order +52.3 and +54.2 respectively with Persson +57.1. Tiril and Denise look safe for 1 and 2 but there’s a real fight for the final podium place – Preuß, Røiseland and Persson very tightly grouped; Røiseland has stormed past to take 3rd, ahead of Persson and Preuß with Dzhima in 6th. Good gains by Herrmann [10 up to 2], Persson [21 – 4], Bescond [26-8], Paulina Fialkova [25-9], Hinz [23-11], Hanna Öberg [36-13], Zdouc [46-18], Simon [35-19], Selina Gasparin [48-22], Pavlova [54-23], Talihaerm [55-24] and Lien [56-25]. Going the other way, Tandrevold [6-12], Braisaz-Bouchet [9-20], Alimbekava [4-26], Vittozzi [3-27 with 8 misses], Wierer [5-34, 9 misses!], and Jislova [27-51]. Well done to Tiril Eckhoff – that’s the Pursuit globe, according to the commentary team!

Nove Mesto; Men’s 12.5 Km Pursuit, 7 Mar 21: A very tight start – just 4 seconds between the top 3! JoBø has pulled back about 10 seconds on the first lap! At 1.6 Km the leading 3 are just a second apart; in for S1, Desthieux clear and out, ahead of Peiffer [+3.3] and Doll [+9.4], both clear. Samuelsson in 4th after 1 miss, ahead of Jacquelin [0] and Laegreid [1 miss]. Tarjei in 7th, 1 miss, JoBø has missed 2, out 15th, +1:07.1! Tarjei up to 4th on the lap; the leading 3 are in for S2 – Desthieux has missed 2, Peiffer and Doll 1 each. Tarjei Bø [1,0] leads out, just ahead of Peiffer, then Jacquelin [0,0], Doll, Fak [0,0] and Laegreid [1,1; +16.9]. On the lap Jacquelin is into the lead, ahead of Tarjei, Doll and Peiffer but those 4 are very close; JoBø gaining time again. In for S3 – Jacquelin [0,0,0] and Tarjei [1,0,0] clear and out in that order, just 2.1 apart. Fak [0,0,0] in 3rd, ahead of Laegreid [1,1,0], Desthieux [0,2,0] and JoBø [2,0,0; +23.1]. Peiffer [0,1,1] in 8th just ahead of Doll [0,1,1]. Samuelsson [1,1,1,] in 11th. JoBø is closing in on Desthieux, and is just 15.7 back at 9.1 Km. The final shoot – 2 leading, then a group of 5 and a group of 4. Tarjei clear and away, with Desthieux and Laegreid tied at 11.2 behind. JoBø clear again and 4th, +13.4 with Fak 5th, the highest placed 20/20. Jacquelin missed 1 and out 6th. At 11.6 Km JoBø is 11.0 behind his brother, then Fak +20.0, Desthieux, 20.5 with Jacquelin and Laegreid dead level, +21.1. Tarjei Bø takes the win, up from 5th, ahead of his brother [up from 11] with Desthieux winning the sprint for 3rd. Jakob Fak in 4th, from 9th just ahead of Laegreid, QFM, Jacquelin and Doll. Other gainers include Hofer [21 – 11], Krcmar [39-14], Leitner [30-16, 20/20], Bocharnikov [54-17; 20/20], Nelin [32-18], Eliseev [34-24], Tyschenko [35-25], Dovzan [55-28] and Nawrath [53-29]. Those losing ground include Peiffer [3-10], Samuelsson [2-12], Latypov [10-23], Dale [18-35], Khalili [16-36] and Christiansen [24-38].

Nove Mesto; Men’s 10 Km Sprint II, 11 Mar 21: In the excitement of getting a walk done between heavy showers, I missed the start of this! I joined just as Benedikt Doll [0,2, bib 32] crossed the line in 9th. At present Quentin Fillon Maillet [0,0] leads Tarjei Bø [0,0] and Emilien Jacquelin [0,0] at the finish, then Laegreid [0,1], JoBø [2,0] and Fak [0,1]. Back at S2 Dale has missed 1; out 12th, +41.2. Ponsiluoma [1,0] has done better – out 8th but Seb Samuelsson is better still he’s [0,0], 5th place and +18.4. Lukas Hofer was through S2 earlier and on the lap he’s heading for 3rd – he’s over the line in 3rd, knocking Jacquelin off the podium. Now can Samuelsson upset this on his final lap – he seems to be losing time to both QFM and Hofer. Good final lap from Johannes Dale – he’s over the line in 6th, knocking down JoBø to 7th – that’s going to be popular! Back at S2 Guigonnat has missed his last shot – out 8th, +25.6. Seb Samuelsson over the line in 6th, ahead of Dale and JoBø. Odd that both Eliseev and Loginov were 20/20 but lost time on the final lap – currently 15 and 16 respectively. Garanichev also 20/20 but his ski speed is even worse – out 26th after S2, +55.9. At the finish Samuelsson is over the line in 6th, just behind Laegreid. All 105 starters through S1 – doesn’t look like a late upset is likely, especially as the tracks are getting quite cut up? That’s it – a rare sprint win for Quentin Fillon Maillet, ahead of Tarjei Bø and Lukas Hofer – all 20/20. Jacquelin [0,0] in 4th, fractionally ahead of Laegreid [0,1] and Guigonnat [0,1], +23.6. JoBø [2,0] down in 9th, but probably very glad that Laegreid had that miss! Some fast shooting on the range – Laegreid quickest but only just ahead of Jacquelin, Ponsiluoma and Fak; JoBø just fastest around the course, 3.1 ahead of QFM, then Guigonnat, Doll, Dale and Laegreid.

Nove Mesto; Women’s 7.5 Km Sprint II, 12 Mar 21: I learned my lesson and did my walk earlier today; it just stayed dry but sadly it’s much nicer now - typical! Denise Herrmann first away; conditions look good. Herrmann in for S1 – clear and away; Julia Simon has missed 2. Justine Braisaz-Bouchet going fast on the lap; Doro Wierer clear at S1 and out ahead of Herrmann. Vittozzi has missed 3 at S1; Justine B-B also clear and out 7.7 ahead of Doro. Linn Persson has missed 1 at S1; so has Anais Chevalier-Bouchet. Denise Herrmann 10/10 and off on her final lap. Franzi Preuß clear at S1 and out 2.5 behind Justine B-B, who is still going fast on lap 2! Doro at S2 – clear and out 3.6 ahead; Hanna Öberg clear at S1 and out +5.2. Dzinara Alimbekava clear at S1 but Justine B-B has missed 2 at S2. Tandrevold also clear at S1; Franzi Preuß has missed 1 at S2 – out 13.6 behind Doro who has slipped behind Denise H at the finish. Tiril Eckhoff clear at S1 and out in the lead; Hanna Öberg has missed 2 at S2. Røiseland has missed 2 at S1; Justine B-B over the line currently in 3rd. Alimbekava has missed 1 at S2 – out 4th, 8 seconds behind Preuß, 21.6 behind Doro. Tandrevold has missed 2 at S2; Preuß over the line 3rd, at present. Tiril in for her standing shoot – she’s missed 1 and out 1.5 ahead of Herrmann. Alimbekava over the line 4th; Hanna Öberg has lost a lot of time in that last lap, currently 9th. Elvira Öberg 10/10 and out from S2 in 4th; despite what Patrick says Eckhoff is staying ahead of Herrmann on the last lap – 3 seconds clear at 6.6 Km and she’s over the line 6.1 ahead. That could be a record if she hangs on to win 6 sprints in a row. Elvira Öberg has faded a little on the last lap – over the line 6th, 9 places ahead of sister Hanna. Susan Dunklee 10/10 and out +12.9, just ahead of Elvira Öberg; I missed Yuliia Dzhima at S2 – also 10/10 and she’s over the line in 5th. Meanwhile Dunklee has lost 10 seconds to 5.9 Km and is down to 9th at 6.6 Km – she’s over the line 8th, having overtaken Schwaiger. Back at S1 Marketa Davidova is clear and out 7th, +9.0; she’s in for S2 with a slight lead – 1 miss and out 10th, +30.2, but she’s skiing fast. The conditions seem to be a bit worse now? Lucie Charvátová is also 0,1 and she’s out from S2 just ahead of Davidova, who has crossed the line in 10th. Lucie Charvátová has finished – over the line 10th – just best of the home nation, 1 place ahead of Davidova. That’s it – Tiril Eckhoff has made biathlon history by winning 6 sprints in a row, and she managed todays’ win with 1 miss too! Great result for Denise Herrmann in 2nd, ahead of Doro Wierer, with Franzi Preuß 4th, ahead of Dzhima and Alimbekava. Maren Hammerschmidt quickest on the range, but she missed 3 targets, ahead of Preuß and Vittozzi [who also missed 3]. To no one’s surprise Eckhoff was quickest around the course ahead of Justine B-B, Røiseland, Alimbekava, Preuß and Herrmann.

12 Mar 21; Åre [Olympia], Women’s Slalom, run 1: Course set by a Swiss coach – Petra Vlhova is the first away – safely down but I’m not sure her body language suggested she was too happy with that? Katharina Liensberger is all over the place at times and she’s 0.57 after some impressive recoveries! Kristin Lysdahl has made a big error between 1 and 2 - +1.86! Wendy Holdener next and it was her coach who set this pattern of gates – green at inter 1 but then into the red and getting redder – she’s into 3rd, +0.68 – looks like there’s not a lot wrong with Vlhova’s time! Mikaela Shiffrin is bib 5 and green at 1, red  at 2 and redder from there – into 2nd, +0.41. Michelle Gisin off the pace, +1.15; Chiara Mair is +1.98. Irene Curtoni also off form today - +1.88; Martina Dubovska in touch at inter 1 and 2 but she’s lost a bit of time later – into 6th, +1.75. Katharina Huber a DNF but OK; it seems very easy to lose time on this pattern of gates, especially as it’s flattish in parts. Erin Mielzynski has straddled; Ana Bucik fractionally green at 1 but she’s losing time – rather cautious on the flatter section too and just 10th, +1.92! Lena Dürr is a bit more in touch – 6th, +1.31; nasty fall for Emelie Wikström, hopefully OK as we’ve gone to a TV break as she was getting up. Petra Vlhova leads from Shiffrin and Liensberger – nice to see a bit of support on the sides of the course. Franziska Gritsch into 7th; Andreja Slokar goes 9th. Thea Louise Stjernesund also a DNF but seems fine; some big time gaps for the later starters who have got down! Melanie Meillard is down but had a very odd start – crossed the tails of her skis and almost fell – she’ll want to forget that one and hope tomorrow’s slalom is better. No change to the top 10 since Andreja Slokar [bib 20] went 9th. Nice to see Charlie Guest in 26th after run 1!
Run 2: This pattern of gates set by an American coach; less direct and with a tricky finish, apparently!  Elsa Fermbaeck [SWE] first away; Ali Nullmeyer [CAN] is faster. Charlie Guest red at inter 1 and going redder as she continues – she’s into 4th, +1.01. Hensien and Hilzinger both out early on; Peterlini has joined them – 3 DNFs in a row! Nina O’Brien safely down and into 4th; Kristina Riis-Johannessen  pulled back some time from 3 to the finish to go 3rd, +0.64 – 10 away and Nullmeyer still leads, ahead of Fermbaeck. The course does seem to be cutting up – Sara Hector had 0.88 in hand, almost all gone by 2 and she’s out! That’s halfway – Nullmeyer still leads – she’s gained 13 places!  TV break over and Paula Moltzan had 1.07 advantage as she started  - still green at 3 and a good final section gets her the lead by 0.40! Ana Bucik has gained time from 2 to 3 and she’s gained more to the line – she leads by 0.32. Laurence St-Germain in touch but she’s lost time from 3 to go 3rd. Kristin Lysdahl quite red at 1, better at 2, back to redder at 3 and then steady to go 3rd, +0.48. Second TV break – Bucik leads from Moltzan and Lysdahl; 8 to go. Martina Dubovska red at 1, back green at 2, red again at 3 and into 6th; Franziska Gritsch green all the way and she takes over the lead by 0.11. Lena Dürr has gained from 1 to 2, dead level at 3 but pulled back from there to lead by 0.13 – a happy lady! Irrespective of what happens that will apparently be her best result this season. Michelle Gisin red at 1, green at 2, red at 3 and into joint 3rd; Wendy Holdener has gained a tiny amount to 1, more to 2, a bit more to 3 where she’s 0.93 ahead – she leads by 0.98! Great effort! Katharina Liensberger dead level at 1, just green at 2 and better at 3 – she leads by 0.49 – super stuff. Now, Mikaela Shiffrin has eventually decided on the tint for her goggles – she’s gained to 1 but then a big error and she’s red at 2 and getting redder – into 2nd, but +0.44. In the circumstances “goodness me” seems very restrained! Petra Vlhova has gained to 1 but then she’s losing a bit of time – she leads by 0.20 having been 0.72 ahead at inter 1! Petra Vlhova wins again, on the hill where she won her first world cup slalom – that gives her back the lead in the overall. Katharina Liensberger in 2nd and Mikaela Shiffrin in 3rd – great recovery after a very uncharacteristic error.

13 Mar 21; Kranjska Gora [Podkoren 3], Men’s Giant Slalom, run 1: Nick and Ed doing the commentary here; Luca de Aliprandini first away of 59 starters – this looks a tough course, set by an American coach – he’s safely down. Loic Meillard nicely green at inter 1 and 1.23 ahead at 2 – he leads by a massive 2.04! Filip Zubcic red at 1and going redder – into 2nd, +0.93; Alexis Pinturault next and he’s fractionally green at 1, just red at 2, still in touch at 3 and into 2nd, +0.11. My connection has dropped out just as Marco Odermatt starts his run – he’s into 3rd, +0.61; Mathieu Faivre into 4th. Gino Caviezel in touch early on – lost time a bit later to go 5th; good run from Stefan Brennsteiner, briefly green at 1 but in touch to go 3rd, +0.52. Henrik Kristoffersen just red at 1, but 0.64 red at 2 – he’s 10th, +1.24; there are rumours that he’s going to start training with the Norwegian team again, rather than on his own? First TV break – Meillard leads, ahead of Pinturault, Brennsteiner, Odermatt, Faivre and Caviezel, +0.83. The only one of the later starters to get into the top 10 so far is Manu Feller [bib 16] who is currently 10th. River Radamus the first DNF – seems to be OK – ironic that his coach set this pattern! The highest bib number in the top 20 at present is bib 22, Riccardo Tonetti, in 16th.  The combination of developing ruts and flatter light isn’t helping the later starters! Semyel Bissig was perhaps a little unlucky – almost at the finish but he’s skied out. That’s 30 away – no changes to the top 20 since Tonetti. Live coverage now shifts to Åre.  Bad news – Charlie Raposo is a DNF. Run 1 over – no late changes to the top 20.
Run 2: No commentary at present – Stefan Hadalin on course and 1.22 faster than Borgnaes who was first away – now we have Nick and Ed; this course set by a Swiss coach. Trevor Philp dead level at 3 and into 2nd, +0.10. It’s getting warmer quite quickly; Dominik Raschner [AUT], who from his photo looks as though he’s too young to compete, is powering down – he leads by 0.32; a good world cup debut! Rasmus Windingstad into 3rd; 10 away now, Raschner leads from Hadalin and Windingstad. Zan Kranjec into 5th, replacing Victor Muffat-Jeandet; Luca de Aliprandini looking a bit wild but he’s taken over the lead by 0.10! Erik Read has gained to 1, lost half of his advantage to 2, then steady to 3 – lost a bit on the final section to go 2nd, +0.06! Half way – de Aliprandini leads from Read and Raschner.  Stefan Luitz has gained to 1, lost a bit to 2, steady to 3 and a good finish – he leads by 0.57. Roland Leitinger into 2nd; Henrik Kristoffersen just red at 1, then green at 2 and better at 3 – he’s into the lead by 0.19. Leif K N-H next and he’s gained to 1, back to 0.07 green at 2, red at 3 and into 4th. Manu Feller has gained to 1, better at 2 but just 0.09 green at 3 and he’s into 2nd, +0.11. Thibaut Favrot dead level at 3 but he’s tiring – into 4th; Filip Zubcic first away after the second TV break – nicely green at 2, less so at 3 but he’s held on to lead by just one one hundredth! Alex Schmid just red at 2, still red but in touch at 3 but then into 5th; Gino Caviezel steady from inter 2 to go 4th.  The lower section of the course is getting rutted; Mathieu Faivre just holding on to the green at 3 and he’s gained to the line – he leads by 0.15. Marco Odermatt has gained to 1 and he’s getting greener all the way – a really impressive run to lead by 1.18! No surprise that he has the new best time on run 2 – superb effort. Stefan Brennsteiner red at 1 and going redder but he’s into 2nd, +1.09. Next is Alexis Pinturault – 0.50 in hand at the start – just 0.03 left at 1, fractionally red at 2 and he’s losing time from 3 to the finish – into 3rd, +1.11. Just Loic Meillard to come, 0.61 in hand at the start, 0.17 left at 1 and he’s red at 2 – he’s into 2nd, +1.06. That’s a good day for the Swiss, the top 2 podium places and Pinturault in 4th. Marco Odermatt takes the win, Meillard 2nd and Brennsteiner in 3rd. Then Pinturault, Faivre and Zubcic. That’s quite a surprise – it means that Marco Odermatt now leads the GS standings by 25 points from Pinturault with Zubcic 3rd, 99 points back from Odermatt. Pinturault still leads the overall but he lost 50 points to Odermatt today – he’s on 1100 to Marco’s 1069! This is going to be an exciting end to the season!

13 Mar 21; Åre [Olympia], Women’s Slalom II, run 1: It looks a bit gloomy in Åre today; Melanie Meillard apparently quarantined for today’s race. The course was set by a Slovakian coach, and it’s moved a little into the colder side of the piste. Chiara Mair first away and safely down; Mikaela Shiffrin well green all the way and leads by 2.14 – happy birthday Mikaela! Lena Dürr in touch at 1 and 2, faded a little from there – into 2nd, +0.68; bib 4 is Petra Vlhova – big mistake, almost out early on and a very athletic recovery but that’s spoiled her run – currently 4th, but +2.95. Wendy Holdener has also lost a bit from 2 to 3, she’s into  3rd, +0.92; Michelle Gisin into 4th but +1.68. This is more like it – Katharina Liensberger just green at 2 and well in touch – she goes 2nd, +0.19. Martina Dubovska into 6th; Franziska Gritsch in touch early on but she’s lost a lot on the final section after a big error to go 10th – great recovery! Good effort by Kristin Lysdahl – she’s 5th at present, +1.50; Paula Moltzan has done marginally better – she takes over 5th, +1.46! Andreja Slokar [bib 17] into 9th; Sara Hector [bib 20] in touch and joint 9th with Slokar. It’s getting a bit sunnier which might help the visibility? It’s certainly helped Kristina Riis-Johannessen [NOR, bib 22] who has had a good run into 7th. I thought Thea Louise Stjernesund might have something similar but she’s skied out – the first DNF today. Ali Nullmeyer had a great day yesterday and she’s going well here too – she’s in 14th, from bib 27. Now, this is interesting for the overall points – Petra Vlhova currently in 26th place. Charlie Guest is in touch at inter 1 but she’s lost a lot from 2 to 3 – into 28th, just behind Vlhova! Fascinating – if Vlhova does hang on and get a second run, then she’ll have a pristine course – ideal to get a fast time and recover some points! I think she’ll do it – the later starters aren’t fast enough and the course is cutting up. That’s run 1 over – Shiffrin leads from Liensberger, Dürr, Holdener, Moltzan and Lysdahl – crucially Petra Vlhova has hung on to place 27, so she’ll start 4th on run 2 – Charlie Guest will be second on that run!
Run 2: Andrea Filser first away – that looks a tricky course set – by a Norwegian coach; Charlie Guest green at 1 and greener at 2, less at 3 but she leads by 0.18. Charlotta Saefvenberg red at 2 and 3 but better on the final section to take over the lead by 0.05. Now, Petra Vlhova – gaining to 1 but no further gain to 2, she’s almost doubled that to 3 though and she leads by 0.57. I don’t think she’s too happy with that run? Katharina Gallhuber  has gained from 1 to 2, dead level at 3 and into 2nd, +0.10. That’s 10 away – Vlhova still leads from Gallhuber and Saefvenberg with Gust still 4th. Franziska Gritsch on track to go into the lead but an error 6 gates from home has dropped her to 3rd; no one seems to be able to hang on to their advantage! Vlhova has now gained 10 places! Emelie Wickström was 0.80 ahead at the start but she’s red at 2 and into 12th! Half way, Vlhova leads from Gallhuber and Gritsch. Chiara Mair was 0.80 ahead and finishes 1.36 behind – not atypical! Ali Nullmeyer is better but even she’s lost almost one and a half seconds – into joint 5th with Guest, who is well on track for a PB. Laurence St-Germain has also lost time from 3 to the line – into 4th. Now Sara Hector has 0.93 in hand as she starts – she too is red by inter 2 and into 5th, +0.57. Martini Dubovska into 5th – amazing that some of the best in the world can’t hang on to such large time advantages! Michelle Gisin has lost 1.20 by inter 2 and into 6th; I don’t think she can believe it! At last – Kristina Riis-Johannessen has gone from 1.39 ahead at the start to lead by just 0.02! Kristin Lysdahl is gaining to inter 2 and more to 3 – that’s better, she’s into the lead by 0.42 after starting just 0.06 ahead – good run! Paula Moltzan has also gained to 1, less at 2, more green at 3 and she takes over the lead by 0.27 – suddenly the race has come alive! Wendy Holdener hasn’t been lucky with the light but she’s taken over the lead by 0.35; Lena Dürr has also gained a little to 1 but it’s almost gone by 2 - fractionally red at 3 and she’s into 2nd, +0.13. Just 2 to come. Katharina Liensberger has also gained to 1 and she’s flying – she leads by a massive 1.65 – 2nd fastest time on run 2. Mikaela Shiffrin the last to go – slight loss to 1 and red by 2 – she’s into 2nd, +0.72! That’s good news for Katharina Liensberger, a very well deserved win for her and the Austrian press will love that! Mikaela Shiffrin takes another podium, with Wendy Holdener in third. That leaves Vlhova on 612 in the slalom standings ahead of Liensberger [590] and Shiffrin [575].

14 Mar 21; Kranjska Gora [Podkoren 3], Men’s Slalom, run 1: Low cloud and what looks like wet snow and rain; it doesn’t look attractive! This first run was set by a French coach – on salted “snow” – this is going to be tricky! Henrik Kristoffersen is the first away – he apparently likes salty, Spring snow. I’m surprised that he’s using a darker lens in this poor visibility? Anyway, he’s down – Clement Noel is green at 1 and gaining time – he leads by 0.49. Bib 3 is Marco Schwarz – if he finishes in the top 3 today he will claim the slalom globe – he’s in the red by 2 though and has recurring back problems too – into 3rd, +0.76. Alexis Pinturault is also in the red at 2 – he goes 3rd, +0.58; already some good people are finding it a struggle and large time gaps are the result. Ramon Zenhaeusern is in touch at 1 and 2 – he’s into 3rd, +0.56. Loic Meillard green at 1 but then going red and redder – he’s 6th, +0.97! The course is already rutted and the visibility looks poor in places. Victor Muffat-Jeandet green at 1, but he too is into the red lower down – into 5th. Dave Ryding next – his back problems are apparently clear, but he’s finding this tricky, especially on the final section – into 11th, +2.69. The weather seems to be getting even worse; Daniel Yule has done well to get into 9th, +1.43. First TV break – Noel leads from Kristoffersen, Zenhaeusern, Pinturault, Muffat-Jeandet and Schwarz. The chances of any of the later starters getting into the top 10 look a bit remote – highest bib number at present is Yule in 9th! The wet snow is sticking to the athletes, and the goggles and poles too! This is a bit ridiculous – they surely can’t see – Luca Aerni was +3.20! Good effort by Fabio Gstrein [bib 21] into 15th. Highest bib number in the top 20 at present is Jean-Baptiste Grange [bib 24] in 18th. Somehow 30 racers have started in rapidly deteriorating conditions; coverage shifts to the biathlon.
Run 2: Frankly conditions look even worse and apparently the course is tough too with lots of swing across the slope! Seb Holzmann first away and the weather seems to have eased. It may be that some racers here don’t want to push for a win, but are aiming for a finish that will get them into the 25 who will attend the final races and/or get them a better start number next season? Christian Hirschbühl has straddled; Timon Haugen nicely green at 1, slightly red at 2, green at 3 and into 2nd, +0.05. Stefano Gross is nicely green, in varying shades, to lead by 0.52. Armand Marchant is having problems getting a grip on his pole – good effort but understandably he’s off the pace! Luca Aerni is losing his advantage and he’s fractionally red at 3 – he’s straddled! Alex Khoroshilov red by 2 – into 4th; looks like the piste is already getting rutted. Matej Vidovic has gained from 1 to 2 but red at 3 – he’s into 2nd, +0.39. Kristoffer Jakobsen is green all the way to 3 but caught on the tails – great recovery and he’s ties for first place! Dave Ryding next and he’s lost a bit to 1, steady to 2, just red at 3 but an error on the final section to go 10th, losing about 1.75 seconds in a couple gates. That’s good from J-B Grange – he too has lost time from 3, but he had enough to go into the lead – he should be able to retire next week after that! Seb Foss-Solevaag briefly red at 3 but a good final section gets him back green and he leads by 0.17 – he doesn’t seem that happy with the run though! That’s half-way – Seb F-S leads from J-B Grange and Stefano Gross, who has the best time on run 2 so far. That’s a good run from Fabio Gstrein to take the lead by 0.23; Filip Zubcic gained a little early on but he’s red at 3 and into 3rd; conditions seem to have got worse again. Linus Strasser fractionally red at 3 but he’s lost more from there to go 5th. Adrian Pertl green at 2 but 0.03 red at 3 – like Strasser he’s losing time in the rutted final section and a big error drops him to 8th. Manu Feller has gained a lot from 1 to 2 and he leads by an impressive 0.69 – he wasn’t going for just some points! Alex Vinatzer into 2nd, but +0.63; Daniel Yule a bit wild and he can only manage 5th. Next TV break – Feller leads from Vinatzer and Gstrein; Gross still with the best time on run 2 and currently joint 9th. Michael Matt has gained from 2 to 3 but he’s hit a rut and he’s out. Loic Meillard has gained from 2 to 3 as well, and he’s had a good run to the finish to take the lead by 0.28. Now, Marco Schwarz is next – he’s red by inter 1 and is 0.75 off the pace at 3 – he’s 3rd, +0.79. A bad back and this type of snow aren’t a good combination! Victor Muffat-Jeandet has also gained from 2 to 3, lost a bit to 3 and he’s gained a bit to the line despite being bumped around – he leads by 0.28. Alexis Pinturault next – he’s straddled – that will please Odermatt! Ramon Zenhaeusern on course, maybe a little cautious, and slightly red at 2 and 3 – into 2nd, +0.09! Henrik Kristoffersen red at 2, less red at 3 – he’s been a little unlucky with the visibility I think – into 4th, +0.40. Just Clement Noel to come – he’s holding on to green at 2 and the weather isn’t helping him either; he’s gained a bit to 3 and even more to the line – he takes an impressive win by 0.62! That was superb in the conditions – a French 1, 2! Noel wins, Victor M-J 2nd and Ramon Zenhaeusern in 3rd – he could still win the slalom globe! Ah, no he can’t – Marco Schwarz took 36 points from 7th, so he’s on 625 points, third only gave Ramon Zenhaeusern 60 points which takes him to 503, with Noel up to 3rd, on 473. In the overall Pinturault took no points today so stays just 31 ahead of Odermatt!

Nove Mesto II; Men’s 12.5 Km Pursuit II, 13 Mar 21: A cloudy day here; QFM will be the first away but 23 athletes will start within a minute – we seems to have “lost” Mike! Ah, he’s back – a slight glitch. QFM is setting a tough pace; JoBø has gained a couple places by 1.6 Km, as have Doll, Peiffer and Ponsiluoma. QFM in for S1 – the wind is gusty and shifting around; QFM has missed 1, so has Tarjei; Hofer and Jacquelin are clear, so are Laegreid and Guigonnat. JoBø has missed 1, as has Dale. Lukas Hofer leads out ahead of Jacquelin, Laegreid, Guigonnat, QFM and Tarjei, +21.4. Peiffer clear and 7th but Doll has missed 2. The leading group of 5 are in for S2; Lukas Hofer 10/10 and out, just 0.4 ahead of Laegreid with Jacquelin 3rd, +2.4 – all clear. Both Bøs clear this time and out 5/6, Tarjei and JoBø in that order. Doll clear this time but Peiffer has missed 2, Samuelsson [2,1]. On the lap Laegreid is leading but Hofer and Jacquelin are within a second at 6.6 Km; JoBø past Tarjei and Christiansen is up from 20 to 8. In for the first standing shoot – leading 3 have all missed 1! After S3 QFM [1,1,0] leads out, ahead of JoBø [1,0,0], Guigonnat [0,1,0], Laegreid [0,0,1], Jacquelin [0,0,1] and Hofer [0,0,1] – first 3 within 1 second. Christiansen missed 2 there, so did Peiffer. At 9.1 Km there are 6 athletes within 2 seconds – 3 French, 2 Norwegians and an Italian! In for the last shoot – QFM clear and out just ahead of Jacquelin; Laegreid missed 1, and out 3rd, +21.1, just ahead of JoBø [1 miss here, +21.3], then Guigonnat, +24.4, and Hofer +24.7. QFM has opened a gap, JoBø is right up with Jacquelin, and he’s past. At 11.6 Km QFM is 11.3 ahead of JoBø, who is 1.7 ahead of Jacquelin, then Laegreid, Hofer and Tarjei Bø. Quentin Fillon Maillet has done the sprint/pursuit double, JoBø in 2nd from 9th, Jacquelin takes the final podium place. Laegreid in 4th, then Hofer and Tarjei. Dale [1,0,1,2] in 9th! Among those gaining are Eliseev [16-10], Christiansen [20-11], Desthieux [21-12], Lesser [19-14], Fabien Claude [22-16], Strømsheim [48-18], Khalili [38-22], Pidruchnyi [35-23] Seppala [40-25], Jaeger [49-28] and Giacomel [56-30]. Going the wrong way the list includes Samuelsson [7-20], Doll [15-24], Peiffer [13-27], Nelin [23-33], Weger [26-39], and Usov [24-47].

Nove Mesto II; Women’s 10 Km Pursuit II, 13 Mar 21: Still a bit gloomy but the floodlights should help! Tiril Eckhoff away followed by Herrmann, Wierer and Preuß – top 15 separated by less than a minute. On the lap Tiril has opened slightly and Preuß is closing on Wierer – one of the Finns has fallen. In for S1 – the wind has died – Eckhoff clear and away; Denise H is also clear but slower – out 2nd, +17.1. Doro clear and out +19.2 just ahead of Preuß, Alimbekava and Elvira Öberg [all clear, +36.6]. Justine B-B has missed 3 here! Herrmann, Wierer and Preuß are the chasing pack, but Eckhoff is pulling away slightly. Tiril in for S2 – 1 miss as the wind shifts; Herrmann and Preuß have missed 1, so has Doro, so they haven’t closed on Eckhoff, who has already finished her loop! Alimbekava is clear and out 2nd, +25.4 ahead of Hauser and Dunklee – all 10/10. Preuß in 5th, +29.8, just ahead of Wierer with Herrmann another 8 seconds back. At 5.6 Km Tiril is 27.4 ahead of Hauser, who is just past Alimbekava; Doro in 4th ahead of Preuß, Dunklee and Herrmann. In for the first standing shoot – Eckhoff very neat and she’s clear again; Hauser has missed her last but Alimbekava, Preuß and Wierer are clear here and out in that order, +33.4 and more. Dunklee has missed 1, out 7th, +1:06.7. Denise Herrmann is [0,1,1] and 9th, +1:09.3 and just behind Røiseland. At 7.6 Km Alimbekava, Preuß and Wierer are about 35 seconds back with Hauser a further 20 seconds back. Eckhoff in for the last shoot – that was fast but all 5 are down! Alimbekava has got all 20 and she’s out 2nd, about 15 seconds ahead of Preuß and Wierer who both missed 1. Davidova [1,0,0,0] a further 12 seconds back, just ahead of Røiseland [1,0,0,0]. Røiseland is flying on the final lap, closing down on Preuß and Wierer. At 9.6 Km Røiseland is pretty much up with Preuß and Wierer. Tiril Eckhoff takes another win, her 12th this season? Dzinara Alimbekava in a well-deserved 2nd place with perfect shooting, up from 6th. Franzi Preuß has won the sprint for the final podium place, ahead of Røiseland, up from 14th. Wierer in 5th, then Davidova [up from 11], Hauser [from 13] and Dunklee. Other gainers include Anais Chevalier-Bouchet [19-9], Zdouc [41-13], Bescond [36-18], Persson [37-20], Kryuko [40-21], Jeanmonnot [clear; 48-26], Kruchinkina [51-28], Magnusson [56-32], Lie [46-36], Fialkova [53-38] and Kaisheva [58-43]. Going the wrong way the list includes Herrmann [2-10], Dzhima [5-15], Elvira Öberg [7-16], Tandrevold [17-24], Lucie Charvátová [10-30], Selina Gasparin [18-34], Knotten [22-35], Vittozzi [28-54] and Merkushyna [27-55]. Well done Tiril!!

Nove Mesto II; 4 x 6 Km Mixed Relay, 14 Mar 21: Let’s hope the weather is better here than in Kranjska Gora! It is – overcast but dry at present; warm so the salt is being used here too. Look at Norway – Eckhoff, Røiseland, and the Bøs, Tarjei then Johannes! Sweden aren’t racing Hanna Öberg, and their coaches are all in isolation today. Anais C-B has fallen early on and broken a pole. At 0.9 Km the top 10 are separated by just 4.9, Tiril Eckhoff in the lead! Kryuko [BLR] has also fallen and that one seems to have damaged her rifle. In for S1 – Tiril away with no spares used, ahead of Cadurisch, and Moser [CAN] – all clear. Vittozzi used 2 spares, Elvira Öberg, Hinz and Blashko among those using all 3 spares – no penalty loops. Good to see Kryuko has used just 1 spare. On the lap Kaisheva is now leading the chase group but she’s over 8 seconds behind Eckhoff, who is heading in for S2 – great shooting – all 5 down fast! Kaisheva also clear and out 2nd, +14.2 ahead of Zdouc [1 spare], Vittozzi [3,1 spares] and Anais C-B [clear here]. Hinz is having a bad day – all 3 spares in both shoots and problems hand feeding the rounds too. Mari Eder on the penalty loop this time, Klemencic [SLO] is doing 2 loops. Tiril is flying now – at 5.6 Km she’s 20.8 ahead! First exchange and Røiseland has 27.3 lead! Kazakevitch is away 2nd, ahead of Doro Wierer, Justine B-B, Schwaiger, and Kadeva [BUL]. Sweden have the problems that they don’t have any coaches spotting the fall of shot, but they are 8th at present despite that. Røiseland is opening the gap slightly, Justine B-B up with Kazakevitch, with Doro just behind. In for S3 – Marte Olsbu Røiseland has missed 1 but she’s quick with the spare and away. Doro out second [1 spare], just ahead of Justine B-B [1], Kazakevitch [1], Reid [0] and Magnusson [1]. Herrmann also needed 1 spare and out 19th – that poor leg by Hinz has left her too much to do. Dzhima is on the penalty loop. Røiseland in for S4 – that was very good – clear and away despite the wind. Wierer shooting more slowly – out 2nd, +43.7, after 1 spare; Justine B-B [2 spares] 3rd, +52.3, Magnusson and Reid tied in 4th. Kazakevitch and Herrmann among those doing penalty loops – Selina Gasparin is doing 2. At the next exchange Tarjei Bø is away with 50.2 in hand – Doro has just held off Justine B-B; Italy out just 0.2 ahead of France, then SWE/USA/AUT. Germany having an awful day – in 19th. Tarjei is setting a god paced and keeping the gap to Desthieux and Windisch, Nelin in 4th – the team are apparently spotting for each other! Tarjei in for S5, first 3 all low right but he’s hit all five with no spares used; Desthieux has missed 4and he’s got a penalty loop to do; Windisch [2 spares] is slow but out 2nd, +1:20.7! Nelin [0] up to 3rd, who needs coaches! Desthieux 4th ahead of Loginov [0] and Leitner [1] and the wind has really picked up. Tarjei in for his standing shoot – bit wild and 2 misses but he’s got them all down. Windisch [1] out +1:08.2, about 4 seconds ahead of Nelin [1] with Desthieux, who is clear here, a further 6 seconds back. Loginov is doing 2 penalty loops, so Brown is out 5th. Final exchange and JoBø is away 1:14.3 ahead of Hofer who is just 0.4 ahead of Ponsiluoma; then QFM in 4th, who is comfortably ahead of Pidruchnyi and Nordgren. JoBø in for his prone as the exchange is still in progress! Johannes has missed his first but 1 spare and out. Hofer clear and out +1:10.5, Ponsiluoma [1 spare] out 9 seconds back, but 21 ahead of QFM [1]. Nordgren [1] just past Pidruchnyi [2]. Benedikt Doll [1] has got Germany up to 10th, just ahead of Canada. JoBø is already at his final shoot – fast and accurate! Hofer away with 1 spare, Ponsiluoma has used all 3 and out 18 seconds back on Hofer, with QFM [1] another 11 seconds back. Pidruchnyi back past Nordgren. On the lap Hofer looks secure . Norway [0+4] take an easy win, again, Italy [0+10] in 2nd ahead of Sweden [0+10] – great effort without coaches! France [1+9] in 4th ahead of Ukraine [1+10] and USA [0+7]. Germany a disappointing 9th. Update - Tiril Eckhoff has won the overall crystal globe! Congratulations.

Nove Mesto II; 4 x 6 Km Single Mixed Relay, 14 Mar 21: Well, can Norway do the double, I wonder – Tandrevold and Laegreid sounds a good combination? Persson and Samuelsson sounds good too; I’m less sure about Hettich and Rees. All a bit tight at the start with 27 starters; Julia Simon setting quite a pace. This doesn’t look a good track if you fall! Looks like Susan Dunklee leading in to S1 – I wondered why she wasn’t in this morning’s relay. Quite a bit of wind - Dunklee leads out, ahead of Elisa Gasparin, Persson, Hauser, Kuklina and Carrara – all with no spares. Tandrevold also clear and 7th, Charvátová and Hettich among those using 1 spare, Korea doing 1 loop, Lithuania and Latvia are doing 2 loops each. In for S2 – Hauser leads Dunklee and Persson; wind has picked up! Charvátová has missed all 5 – so 5 penalty loops! Julia Simon [1 spare] first away, ahead of Carrara [0], Lunder [2], Merkushyna [1], Tandrevold [2] and Dunklee [3]. Hauser needed all 3 and out 8th, Hettich [3] in 10th. At exchange 1 it’s FRA/ITA/CAN/UKR/NOR/USA. At S3 Laegreid [0 spares] leads out ahead of Guigonnat, +1.1, Tsymbal [UKR,, +11.1], Doherty, Eder and Eliseev. On the lap Laegreid and Guigonnat are fighting for the lead; on this short lap they are in for S4 already. Laegreid has missed 1, Guigonnat 4 and now on the loop – I thought just 1 but it’s listed as 2! Laegreid leads out ahead of Eder and Doherty so at the exchange it’s Norway, then AUT/USA/ITA/SWE/BEL! Germany up to 7th, +35.9. Tandrevold holding her lead over Hauser, Dunklee dropping a little, Persson back past Carrara. Tandrevold in for S5, 1 miss; she leads out but Dunklee is clear and out +6.3, with Persson [1] +14.7; the Hauser, Kuklina and Hettich. Carrara has got 2 loops to do as has Lunder. Dunklee is not losing much to Tandrevold, but Persson is closing on them as is Hauser. Final shoot for the women – Tandrevold and Dunklee have both missed 1 and out in that order just 1.1 apart then Hauser, Persson Simon and Hettich. Final exchange Norway just ahead of USA; then AUT/SWE/FRA/GER. Laegreid away with Sean Doherty right with him, then Eder, Samuelsson [+6.6], Guigonnat [+30.0] and Rees. Best shooting at present by Belgium; just 3 spares. S7 – 1 miss for Laegreid, Doherty and Eder but Samuelsson is clear. Laegreid is out in the lead, just 4.2 ahead of Samuelsson with Doherty +5.1 and Eder [+6.0]; then more than 30 seconds to Eliseev; Guigonnat needed all 3 spares and out 7th. Laegreid and Samuelsson are very close on the lap; in for the final shoot – Laegreid clear and out, Samuelsson needs 1 spare and out +5.0. Doherty [1] 3rd, +17.8 and he’ll be happy to see Eder use 2 spares and come out 12 seconds behind him. I don’t think Eder can catch him. This is a good fight – Seb Samuelsson is pushing hard and Laegreid is tiring! I thought Laegreid had that so well done to Seb Samuelsson for getting past. Great win for Sweden [0+7], Norway [0+6] in 2nd and winning the mixed relay globe with USA [0+7] getting a very impressive 3rd. Austria in 4th ahead of Russia and France [2+14]. Well done Belgium [0+6] for finishing 9th, Germany [0+12] having a bad day, down in 11th. Ondrej Moravec [CZE, 7+11] would have preferred fewer loops but his family are there to greet him on his final race, over the line 17th!

18 Mar 21; Lenzerheide [Beltrametti], Super G [Women and Men]:  Well, after yesterday’s downhill races were cancelled [weather/no training?] there was always going to be some concern about the Super G’s. First off should have been the women but both races have been delayed due to “fog and snowfall”. The 0930 CET decision is to delay until a further decision at 1100 CET! That’s it - these have been cancelled as well  - no speed events in the season finale! As a result the downhill globes go to Beat Feuz and Sofia Goggia; the Super G globes to Vincent Kreichmayr and Lara Gut. The debit side, especially for Gut, is the loss of any chance for the speed specialists to gain points for the overall. The men’s slalom globe was decided last weekend, going to Marco Odermatt, who could still be in contention for the men’s overall – he is currently 31 points behind Alexis Pinturault. Let’s hope the rest of the programme can go ahead.

19 Mar 21; Lenzerheide [Beltrametti], Mixed team Parallel event: Typically the weather today is much better – pity the rules don’t allow them to run the downhill or Super G today instead of this event; let’s hope that the courses are more evenly set up today! Sadly, if rather predictably, the GB team were knocked out in the 1/8 finals, losing to Sweden – at least Alex Tilley won her heat! Here we go again – it seems the blue course is quicker but at least the teams alternate in this event! First heat – Switzerland v Sweden; Jasmina Suter against Sara Hector – Hector, on the blue course, wins. Next Rönngren v Murisier; the Swiss take it by 0.04; Camille Rast has beaten Moa Boström Mussener, who was a DNF again – this is her second as she also DNF’d against Tilley.  Semyel Bissing has also DNF’d for Switzerland so Jakobsen takes it – that lets Sweden through on time difference.
Next is USA v Norway; Kristina Riis-Johannessen has DNF’d so Nina O’Brien takes that one. A couple nasty crashes so far. Seb F-S, on red, v Radamus – the blue course wins – well done River; he’s beaten the world champion!! Now Paula Moltzan versus Kristin Lysdahl [red]; Lysdahl just gets it! Finally Leif K N-H [blue] v Ben Ritchie – Norway take it and they are through – they must be relieved!
Next up Italy v Germany; Andrea Filser wins against Nadia Delago [DNF]. Luca de Aliprandini [blue] has won against Linus Strasser but by just 0.02! Lena Dürr v Sophie Mathiou – I hadn’t heard of Mathiou, but she is a world junior champion – not surprising as she’s taken the win by 0.13. Alex Schmid [blue] has beaten Giovanni Borsotti by 0.39; Germany go through with a 0.66 advantage.  Last of the quarters – Slovenia against Austria; first away Andreja Slokar v Franzi Gritsch – Austria take it by just 0.05. Next Stefan Hadalin [blue] against Adrian Pertl; Hadalin takes it by 0.04. Now, Tina Robnik [blue] v Katharina Huber – Huber started well but she’s a DNF – Slovenia 2-1 up. Just Zan Kranjec v Fabio Gstrein – Gstrein took it and Austria go through by just 0.02!
Semi Finals – Sweden v Norway and Germany v Austria! Sweden have put Jakobsen and Hector on the blue course. First off Lysdahl v Moa BM; this time the Swede has finished but 0.93 back on Lysdahl. Seb F-S isn’t having a good day – he’s lost to Kristoffer Jakobsen this time! Sara Hector has beaten Kristina R-J, Sweden 2-1 up, but Leif K N-H is on blue against Rönngren; Leif wins which gives Norway the win by 0.45! At this stage I’m swapping to the biathlon sprint – I’ll catch this on highlights – more interesting than I expected!
Germany v Austria – Dürr against Gritsch first; the Austrian takes it quite convincingly! Alex Schmid takes the next leg against Pertl to even things up. Filser has beaten Huber but Gstrein has evened things by beating Strasser – Germany go through on time difference.
Small Final: SWE/AUT – As expected Gritsch beat Moa BM quite convincingly; Jakobsen [blue] got Sweden  level again by beating Gstrein. Sara Hector, again on blue, beat Huber – advantage Sweden! Final race was Pertl [blue] against Rönngren and Pertl won by 0.22 to give Austria third place by 0.36; poor Moa Boström Mussener didn’t have a good day!
Big Final! Andrea Filser made a good start for Germany by beating Kristina Riis-Johannessen by 0.17, but the very reliable Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen evened things up by beating Linus Strasser by 0.14. What swung it for Norway was arguably Kristin Lysdahl beating Lena Dürr by 0.83, which left Alex Schmid with a lot to do against Seb Foss-Solevaag. Alex did win, so that’s a day for Seb F-S to forget, but only by 0.30 which gave Norway the win by 0.22! Well done to Norway, close run thing but they won in the end. Germany second and Austria third.

20 Mar 21; Lenzerheide [Beltrametti], Men’s Giant Slalom, run 1: Looks a bit gloomy again, with a little bit of snow falling – there is a slight delay already as they aren’t happy with the state of the piste. Apparently the decision to cancel the Super G is also attracting some hostile comment in the sports press! Bib 1 is Alexis Pinturault – it’s his birthday and run 1 has been set by a French coach! Oh dear, he’s putting his warm up suit back on which doesn’t bode well as we are supposed to start in 2 minutes! Ah, it’s the TV run – by Marc Berthod and Tina Weirather! It looks a bit tricky and the condition of the piste in parts leaves a bit to be desired. Pinturault in the gate – he must finish ahead of Odermatt or the Swiss skier will win the GS globe. The commentary team seem impressed by that run; Zan Kranjec next and he’s red at 2 – safely down but 1.48 off the pace. Now, here comes Marco Odermatt – he’s 0.09 green at 1 but he’s making mistakes and he’s 0.55 red at 2; he’s over a second back at 3 and into 3rd, +1.66. The light conditions look tricky too – all to play for on run 2! Filip Zubcic could just about win the GS globe too but he too is off Pinturault’s pace – he’s into 2nd but +1.04. There’s a lot of snow coming up from the skis on the steep section – Justin Murisier into 3rd, which isn’t helping Odermatt! Mathieu Faivre into 5th, so Odermatt is down to 6th of 6! Loic Meillard is out; Thibaut Favrot into 3rd, despite losing a pole after hitting a gate – great recovery! Luca de Aliprandini is also helping Pinturault – he’s into 3rd, so Marco is now 8th! Henrik Kristoffersen is bib 10; almost a second back at 2 - he’s doing better to 3; not so good to the finish and he’s 9th of 10.  Alex Schmid has had a similar run – he’s into 9th; Stefan Brennsteiner is much more in touch – that’s a good run and he’s into 2nd, +0.81.  Marco Schwarz is also off the pace – he’s 12th, his back problems aren’t helping. Gino Caviezel hasn’t had a particularly good run, but as he goes 9th, he’s pushed Odermatt down another place. Leif Kristian N-H into joint 10th with Odermatt; that’s the TV break – Pinturault leads from Brennsteiner and Zubcic. Roland Leitinger down – he seems unhurt; great camera shot which shows just how steep that starting pitch is! The racing line is getting very bumpy and rutted. That’s it – all 22 down – no change to the top 3 since Brennsteiner; Marco Odermatt in 10th!
Run 2:  Which sadly clashes with the women’s pursuit biathlon – great timing! This pattern of gates set by a Norwegian coach. Quite a lot of pressure on Pinturault – if he wins the GS globe he will be the first Frenchman to do so since 2002; if he gets the overall then the last Frenchman to win that was back in 1997! One racer reckoned that there were 5 different snow conditions out on track on run 1!  So, starting in reverse order from run 1 – they are still working on the gates! Lukas Feurstein [AUT], the junior champion, is first away – this is a tricky set and there is some discussion about whether it’s too technical for the snow conditions – Lukas is down safely! Manu Feller green – he’s 0.77 ahead at inter 3 but the final section has taken some time off him – he’s 0.30 ahead. Adam Zampa red at 1 and 2, just green at 3 and he leads by 0.24, despite a big error near the end. Giovanni Borsotti nicely green at 1 and 2 and more so at 3 – a great final section too and he leads by 1.39! Erik Read out; all credit to Marco Schwarz taking the lead by just 0.01 despite his back pain. Stefan Luitz has gained from 1 to 2 and is still nicely green at 3 – he leads by 0.34. Henrik Kristoffersen next on a course set by a Norwegian – he’s well green at 3 and takes the lead by 0.18. Alex Schmid is having problems – just 5th; next is Marco Odermatt – green at 1 and 2, but he’s looking tired and he’s into 3rd, +0.21. Leif Kristian N-H also in the red at 1 – a good final  section pulls back some time and he’s into 2nd, +0.02.  That’s a good recovery by Gino Caviezel – 0.34 red at 3 but into the lead by 0.07! A TV break and then Mathieu Faivre is on course – that’s a good run, the fastest on run 2 so far and he leads by 0.79! Faivre leads from Caviezel and Kristoffersen. Thibaut Favrot in touch at 3 but then he’s lost time – into 2nd. Luca de Aliprandini has gone 2nd,  Filip Zubcic well green at 2 but then losing time – he’s taken the lead by just 0.01! Stefan Brennsteiner into 3rd; just Pinturault to go now and he’s losing time all the way but with 0.81 in hand he’s going to hang on – he leads by 0.20 at the finish to take the GS win, and the GS globe – 700 points to Odermatt’s  649 [only 24 today from his 11th place]. That’s the overall crystal globe to Alexis Pinturault as well – the first time a Frenchman has won since 1997! What a day – happy birthday Alexis Pinturault! Zubcic and Faivre getting 2nd and 3rd respectively today. Exciting stuff!

20 Mar 21; Lenzerheide [Beltrametti], Women’s Slalom, run 1: Tina Weirather doing the camera run again – I suspect the snow will cause problems on this run too! Twenty four starters for this race – the light looks a bit better than for the men’s GS? Laurence St-Germain will be first away – safely down but Kristin Lysdahl is faster – and she’s gaining too, into the lead by 0.50. Katharina Liensberger is green at 1 and she’s gained to 2; a slight loss to 3 and then gaining again – she leads by 0.70, a beautiful run. Mikaela Shiffrin is bib 4 and slightly red at 1, much redder at 2and +0.80 at 3 – into 3rd, +0.90. Michelle Gisin briefly green but then into the red – into 5th, +1.24. Petra Vlhova is bib 6 – that’s a surprise, a big mistake early on and it’s hard to recover time – she’s into 6th, +1.84 – skis not set up for the conditions?  Lena Dürr even more off the pace, into 7th and the course is really cutting up already. Erin Mielzynski has straddled; so far no one has pushed Vlhova down any further. Paula Moltzan into 7th, but +2.27; Irene Curtoni into 8th, and she is apparently retiring after this race? Franzi Gritsch out; Martina Dubovska into 8th – a good result for her. TV break – Liensberger leads from Lysdahl and Shiffrin; Vlhova in 6th.  That’s a good run from Sara Hector, into 7th, +2.26; Marta Bassino has skied out. That’s run 1 over – no late changes to the top 6!  
Run 2: A tough technical set; the junior world champion, Sophie Mathiou, is first away and safely down. Katharina Huber out; Katharina Gallhuber is flying – over a second ahead at 1 and she leads by 3.03. Camille Rast next – hopefully she’ll go better on this run if she doesn’t lose control of a pole this time – losing time though and into 2nd, +0.25. Andreja Slokar gaining time to 1, steady to 2, lost a bit to 3 but pulled it back to the line – she leads by 0.50.  Chiara Mair into 3rd; Nastasia Noens has pulled back time from inter 2 to go 2nd. Already it seems very easy to lose a lot of time to inter 1; Slokar leads from Noens and Gallhuber, all of whom are gaining places. There is a big bunch of flowers in the finish area – presumably for Irene Curtoni – she’s into 5th after 194 starts – that might have been a late straddle but she probably doesn’t care – the flowers are for her! Sadly that was a straddle so she’s a DSQ.  Martina Dubovska has lost almost all her 0.86 advantage by 1 but she’s steadied from there and she’s into 2nd, +0.21 – good effort.  Paula Moltzan is still just green at 3 – she’s just done enough – the lead by just 0.01! Sara Hector is gaining time and that’s unusual on this course– she leads by 0.24! Now, Petra Vlhova – 0.42 in hand at the start; just 0.14 left at 1, then back to 0.42 green at 2 – 0.19 at 3 and she’s losing a bit more – into 2nd, +0.04. Crucially she’s in the top 15 so she will win the overall crystal globe! Michelle Gisin is flying on run 2 after a tricky start – that’s a great run and she leads by a massive 1.16. Laurence St-Germain almost down, good recovery but that’s cost her – just 8th. Mikaela Shiffrin next with 0.34 in hand at the start; just 0.03 left at 1 after an error but then back to 0.45 at 2 and that’s’ a great recovery – she leads by 0.71 and it might have been belter after a late error on the final turns! Shiffrin leads the slalom standings at present, but – Kristin Lysdahl into 3rd, which knocks Vlhova down one more place. Just Katharina Liensberger to .come and she’s gained to 1, she’s 1.19 green at 2 – what a superb run, a couple small errors but she’s over the line 1.24 ahead! That gives her not only the win, but the  slalom crystal globe with 690 points to Shiffrin’s 655 with Vlhova on 652. I think Liensberger is only the second Austrian to win that? So, a great win for Liensberger, with the best time on run 2 as well, Mikaela Shiffrin in second with Michelle Gisin taking the final podium place.

21 Mar 21; Lenzerheide [Beltrametti], Women’s Giant Slalom, run 1: Not so crucial today – Marta Bassino has already won the GS globe, and of course Petra Vlhova wrapped up the overall yesterday. It looks a bit gloomy again, more flat light but the snow might be in better condition? Federica Brignone the first away, on a course set by an Italian coach. A steep start, with some swinging turns – Brignone safely down. Lara Gut-Behrami has skied out early on – no idea what happened there, she just seemed to give up the run; the Swiss coaches look rather bemused ? Maybe just annoyed that they cancelled the downhill and Super G?? Mikaela Shiffrin red at 1, less red at 2 and 0.50 green at 3 – what a finish – she leads by 1.39 despite an error later on. Petra Vlhova next; green at 1, red at 2 and much redder at 3 and into 3rd, +1.83. Michelle Gisin well green at 1 but into the red at 2; into 2nd, +0.81. That’s a nice run from Marta Bassino – into 2nd, just 0.10 behind; a difficult start for Katharina Liensberger, rather late in the line on the early turns, but better once she settled – into 4th, +1.08. Meta Hrovat is a massive 0.59 green at 1 and still nicely in touch at 2; just red at 3 – she’s into joint 2nd with Bassino, +0.10. Ana Bucik skiing well but she’s fallen on the final section; an amazing recovery by Ramona Siebenhofer, almost down but it’s cost her time – over the line +3.20. Alice Robinson green at 1 and 2 but then losing time, into 4th, +0.77. A TV break with 15 away; Mikaela Shiffrin leads from Hrovat and Bassino, tied in 2nd, then Robinson, Gisin and Liensberger. Only 4 more to come, and none of them made the top 10 – that’s run 1 over.
Run 2: This time a French coach has set the pattern of gates – supposed to be a little less technical? Seems Charlie Guest has won the slalom at the Europa Cup? Ragnhild Mowinckel first away on this GS second run; she’s safely down. Corinne Suter 0.77 faster; Ramona Siebenhofer gained to 1, but she’s red at 2 – into 2nd. Nina O’Brien is pushing hard and gaining time to inter 2 – holding that advantage from there and she leads by 0.99! Valerie Grenier has also gained to 1 and 2 and more to 3 but she’s caught an edge and she’s out – she’s going to be really disappointed when she sees the times – 1.15 ahead! Elena Curtoni lost time to 2; she pulled back to 3 but just off the pace by 0.14 to go into 2nd. Maryna Gasienica-Daniel gained to 1, lost a bit to 2, gained again to 3 and she leads by 0.92! Petra Vlhova away – just red at 2 and 3 and into 2nd, just +0.02; she really looks tired – it’s been a tough season for her racing in so many races. Big error for Tessa Worley between 2 and 3 but she’s made a very impressive recovery to take the lead by 0.25! Sara Hector dead level at 2, a massive 1.30 green at 3 and she leads by 0.60. Federica Brignone has been lucky with the light and she’s made good use of it – gaining a lot to lead by 0.72. Katharina Liensberger has made a couple errors but her recovery skills are good – she’s into 2nd by just 0.08. Michelle Gisin has gained to 1 but then she’s losing to 2 and 3 – she’s into 2nd, +0.02! Alice Robinson has also gained to 1, and she’s really risking it all – over a second ahead at 3 and she leads by 1.29! That was a really gutsy run! Marta Bassino has lost a good amount by 1 and she’s red at 2 as she’s bounced around by the ruts – she’s into 5th, +1.45. The wind is picking up and the visibility isn’t so good now – Meta Hrovat has gained a little to 1 but she’s lost almost half by 2; fractionally green at 3 and into 2nd, +0.48. Just Mikaela Shiffrin to go – she’s lost a good amount of her advantage by 1, and red at 2; a little redder at 3 and she’s into 2nd, +0.28. An impressive win for Alice Robinson, with Mikaela Shiffrin 2nd and Meta Hrovat 3rd – that’s the women’s season finished! That gets Shiffrin up to 2nd in the GS standings! Marta Bassino has been awarded her GS crystal globe, the 4th Italian woman to win it! Well done to all who managed to get us a full season’s racing – a massive effort given all the constraints.

21 Mar 21; Lenzerheide [Beltrametti], Men’s Slalom, run 1: A little busier than the earlier women’s race – 26 starters here; I think the pattern of gates set by an Austrian coach? Marco Schwarz the first away; he’s already won the slalom globe – he’s down and that’s the target time set. Clement Noel is 0.49 red at 2 but just 0.02 back at 3 – he’s into 2nd, +0.18; Ramon Zenhaeusern green at 1 and 2, red at 3 and he’s not as clean through the final gates – 3rd, +0.63. Seb Foss-Solevaag is out; Henrik Kristoffersen in trouble on the top turns and now he’s arguably too aggressive – into 5th, +1.72. Manu Feller in touch to 3 - into 5th, +0.94; Loic Meillard 6th, +0.97. Adrian Pertl green at 1, dead level at 2 but slightly red at 3 – he’s into 3rd, +0.62. Fabio Gstrein out – spectacular fall but he’s up and OK; Alexis Pinturault into 8th, +1.09. Daniel Yule has “done a Gstrein” and he’s out; Dave Ryding the last before the TV break – bit disappointing, he’s just 12th, +1.90. At the break Schwarz leads from Noel and Pertl. Alex Vinatzer in touch on the steep – into 8th, +1.00; nice to see J-B Grange here; he has retired but qualified for this one so he’s here! Since the break, only Vinatzer has got into the top 10 – that’s run 1 over.
Run 2: The weather isn’t helping – the snow is getting heavier, so visibility won’t be ideal. J-B Grange will be first away and he’s getting quite a send-off – there’s a large welcoming group in the finish area too! This might take a while! So, farewell J-B – there is some suggestion he might come back as a coach? Right – back to the race and Stefan Hadalin will be the first to try this set, the work of a Swiss coach, at race pace; it looks another tricky one – he’s down, and Alex Khoroshilov can’t match Hadalin. Christian Hirschbühl going well despite a few errors and he leads by 0.71; Luca Aerni lost a lot to inter 1 but after that he’s been gaining time and he leads by 0.66. Tanguy Nef going well on the upper section but he’s lost a lot on the flat – 2nd, +0.60. Now it’s Dave Ryding – steady to inter 1, big error but a good recovery – he’s red at 3 but he’s lost almost a full second to the line – 4th, +1.37. Henrick Kristoffersen going well on the upper section but he too is losing it lower down, red at 3 and into 4th, +0.84. It’s a similar story for Filip Zubcic, green at 3 but red at 3 and into 5th, +1.21. Michael Matt has fallen – heavy hit on the ice; he’s up but unsurprisingly he’s got a sore back – hopefully nothing too serious! Victor Muffat-Jeandet gained to 1 but then he’s steadily losing time – into 2nd by just 0.04. Alexis Pinturault has gained to 1, more to 2 and this is looking good – he leads by 1.03. Good work on the flat by Alex Vinatzer – into 2nd, +0.21. Loic Meillard into the red at 2 and he goes 3rd, +0.22; it’s getting windier and the snow is still falling! Manu Feller is gaining all the way to 3; lost a bit to the line but he leads by 0.11. Linus Strasser off the pace in the decreasing visibility, just 7th; Ramon Zenhaeusern red by 2, but he’s gained time to 3 – he’s tripped and he’s out with the line in sight. Adrian Pertl red from 1 and he’s a DNF too; Clement Noel has lost most of his advantage by 1 and he’s red at 2 – better on the final turns so he’s into 2nd, +0.08. Just Marco Schwarz to go – 0.94 in hand – still green at 2 but just red at 3; it’s gone after a massive error which as dropped him to 6th! Manu Feller has won the final slalom, and final race, of this season! Clement Noel in 2nd, with Alexis Pinturault taking the final podium place. That’s it until October – once again superb work by the FIS and the local resort teams who worked so hard to get this season completed against all the constraints. Marco Schwarz has collected his slalom crystal globe – 7 podiums!