It didn’t necessarily feel like the first day of a world skiing championship.
But it did sound like it.
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships casually kicked off last Monday at Beaver Creek with women’s downhill training. From the media center overlooking the “finish stadium,” it appeared Red Tail Stadium was about one-third full. Fairly quiet. But once outside ...
Ah, the cowbells – the unmistakable noisemaker of big-time skiing. And with the clattering of the bells, these championships were off.
Unfortunately, at the halfway point of the championships, the U.S. is yet to answer the bell.
Through five medal events Sunday, the U.S. has only three medals and is yet to win a gold. With expectations possibly higher than ever for this year’s worlds contingent, that’s got to be disappointing for the U.S.
Still, those in the know may have seen this coming. Three of the top American hopefuls – Lindsey Vonn, Ted Ligety and Bode Miller – are coming off injuries. And Miller, not far removed from back surgery, was hurt again after a wild crash in Wednesday’s men’s super-G. Now 37, he’s talking retirement.
Heading into the worlds, Vonn likely was the hottest racer in the world, with wins in three of four events prior to coming to Beaver Creek. And she’s from nearby Vail and knows this mountain.
Regardless, it’s a demanding hill, and these are the worlds – the biggest stage in Alpine racing. And Vonn has had two major knee surgeries in the last two years.
Still, she got the Americans off to a decent start with a third-place finish in the women’s super-G, which kicked off medal racing Tuesday. But Ligety could only manage a U.S.-best ninth in the men’s super-G, and Vonn led the U.S. with a fifth in the women’s downhill.
But entering the second and final week of the championships, there may be hope for the Americans. They secured two of their medals over the weekend – and were close to a third – with Travis Ganong second in the men’s downhill Saturday and Ligety third in the men’s Alpine combined on Sunday.
Steve Nyman appeared in position to also medal for the U.S. in the men’s downhill Saturday. He led the event early, and still was third late. But Ganong knocked him from the podium with his sterling (silver) late run.
Then, in Sunday’s men’s Alpine combined, Ligety rallied from 29th in the downhill portion with the second-best time in the slalom to earn the bronze.
And then there’s Mikaela Shiffrin. Or, at least, there will be. The 19-year-old American slalom and giant slalom phenom and a huge hopeful for the U.S., has yet to ski in these championships. Also a local – she calls Eagle-Vail home – Shiffrin will debut at the worlds Thursday in the women’s giant slalom, then finish with the women’s slalom on Saturday – the second-to-last day of the championships.
And for the first time in more than two years, Vonn will compete in the giant slalom as well as Monday’s women’s Alpine combined. Her best chance may be in the latter as it includes a downhill run (along with slalom).
Besides testing a racer’s versatility, the Alpine combined also puts a premium on stamina – there’s often less than two hours between the conclusion of the downhill leg and the start of the slalom. Few have trained as hard as Vonn in the last year as she rehabbed from her second knee surgery, so although untested in the Alpine combined, Vonn should be ready.
Meanwhile, the U.S. men should be plenty rested – the next individual men’s event isn’t until Thursday’s giant slalom qualifying at Golden Peak Stadium in Vail. The medal race is Friday back at Beaver Creek’s Red Tail Stadium, and after Saturday’s women’s slalom, the men’s slalom closes out competition Sunday, also at Red Tail.
Ligety leads a list that includes a number of lesser-known American skiers in the slalom and giant slalom. But that’s OK with the Americans.
“We have a lot of superstars, and some underdogs who are capable of winning, too,” Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association president and CEO, said last Monday on the eve of the start of medal racing.
“Some underdogs are going to win. They could be out underdogs.”
bpeterson@durangoherald.com
