The world’s finest male pace racers will compete for the World Championship title in super-G in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, on Friday, Feb. 7. A number of prime contenders shared their pre-race ideas with Ski Racing Media.
James Crawford, Canada
James Crawford, the defending super-G world champion, not too long ago captured the celebrated downhill victory in Kitzbühel, Austria, and completed eighth within the Kitzbühel super-G. The win offers him confidence heading into the World Championships.
“I may be assured that I’ve the pace and I’m able to contending with these prime guys after I’m snowboarding my finest,” Crawford stated.
The lads’s downhill occasion on the World Championships will happen Sunday, Feb. 9. Within the meantime, Crawford is able to give every little thing he’s obtained in Thursday’s super-G.
“Tomorrow, I’ll simply exit and provides it one hundred pc. I don’t wish to depart something on the hill. One probability, so I’m going to attempt to take my probability,” Crawford informed Ski Racing Media.
Bryce Bennett, USA
Bryce Bennett is feeling constructive heading into the super-G.
“My super-G snowboarding has truly improved fairly a bit, so I’m excited for that,” Bennett stated. “Ending fifteenth doesn’t matter—you must put your best possible down and actually hammer it. So I’m excited for that, simply to place all of it on the road and see what occurs.
“I’ve truly had some good super-G World Cups right here earlier than, and I actually like this hill for super-G, so I’m fired up,” he added.
Bennett credit his enchancment to lastly feeling snug on his super-G skis, along with particular coaching.
“We’ve been doing numerous technical big slalom coaching, and that’s actually helped my super-G,” he stated.
He additionally famous that, as he will get older, sustaining motion is extra essential than ever.
“For me, particularly as I’m getting older, the extra pace I ski, the stiffer I get and the slower I get in my motion,” he stated with a chuckle. “So it’s actually necessary to maintain the GS going and that motion. I simply really feel extra snug in super-G. Not in comparison with downhill, however simply normally. I additionally imagine I may be aggressive in super-G. I’m proper there in coaching all summer time lengthy, so that you’ve simply obtained to place it down.”
Ryan Cochran-Siegle, USA
After recording the quickest time in Thursday’s second downhill coaching, Ryan Cochran-Siegle identified that day by day is completely different.
“This isn’t telling of what’s going to occur tomorrow (within the super-G). However understanding that after I make one of the best turns that I can, I can compete among the many finest.”
He says he seems like an outsider and mentions Vincent Kriechmayr (Austria), Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) and Fredrik Møller (Norway) as among the greatest contenders.
After two days of downhill coaching runs, Cochran-Siegle says it’s necessary to shift his mindset.
“Making an attempt to carry a little bit bit extra improve in tempo, and belief with the inspection, and nonetheless looking for move and trusting the area of the gate so I make good, dynamic turns prime to backside.”
Jared Goldberg, USA
“I actually like this super-G. It’s enjoyable to ski, and there are cool terrain options which might be playful, so I’m excited for super-G,” Jared Goldberg informed Ski Racing Media.
“The occasions have advanced over time. They’re turning into lots completely different now,” he stated. “It feels lots completely different in super-G for me. The downhill speeds are actually quick with large, heavy turns in them, and the super-G hyperlinks higher, extra like an open GS. The pace is normally extra managed, and you’ll really feel the ski bending much more. The downhills have been a little bit extra hectic and set humorous.”
Fredrik Møller, Norway
Fredrik Møller captured his first World Cup super-G victory this season in Bormio, Italy. Nonetheless, he suffered a leg harm in Wengen when the sting of his ski boot hit his leg. After taking a break from racing, he says his leg has healed.
Møller is happy in regards to the World Championship super-G. He feedback sparingly however, with a smile, says what counts is, “to ski nicely, as all the time.”
Marco Odermatt, Switzerland
Marco Odermatt leads the general World Cup standings, in addition to the super-G, downhill and big slalom standings, heading into the World Championships. Understandably, he’s the person everybody desires to speak to. After a coaching run, he made his rounds with the world’s media, grinning.
“The slope is superb—excellent situations, excellent climate, properly ready slope—so it’s very good to ski,” Odermatt stated after Thursday’s males’s downhill coaching run.
Heading into Friday’s super-G championship, the World Cup chief says everybody is happy to see what they will accomplish in a race held in ultimate situations.
The 2023 Podium
On the 2023 World Championships, Crawford captured the title, ending simply 0.01 seconds forward of Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Alexis Pinturault of France took third.
This 12 months, each Kilde and Pinturault are sidelined with accidents.
The 2023 fourth-place finisher, Odermatt, is probably going able to problem the defending champion and the remainder of the sector for the 2025 title.
