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I’ve needed to learn and re-read this sentence a couple of instances to imagine it myself: Breezy Johnson may very properly win the 2021 downhill title. To totally grasp the cosmic rarity of this chance, know that no American male has ever received the downhill title and solely two American ladies have carried out so: Lindsey Vonn, along with her report eight, and Johnson’s doppelgänger, Picabo Avenue, who received two. In these circumstances, we may see them coming a yr or two away, whereas Johnson was ranked twentieth final yr. Previous to that, she spent the higher a part of two seasons injured. As for a preamble, even legendary 1984 Olympic gold-medal shocker Invoice Johnson (no relation) gave extra warning than Breezy Johnson.
It have to be talked about that Johnson’s chances are high drastically enhanced by the truth that Italy’s Sofia Goggia, who leads the downhill standings by 195 factors, is out injured for the rest of the yr. The truth is, Goggia may nonetheless win, if challengers Johnson and Corinne Suter (SUI) can’t common higher than third place for the remaining three downhill races.
At first blush, that would appear like a protracted shot for the American; she’s by no means completed higher than third in her profession. Take a re-assessment and be aware that it was Goggia who completed in entrance of her every of these races, and on the final World Cup cease in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Johnson was bested by Ester Ledecka and Goggia. With Ledecka racing her snowboard elsewhere this weekend and Goggia sitting out, the trail to victory is extra open than ever. That’s been borne out within the coaching runs the place Johnson has completed second and first respectively. Although she mentioned quite famously that successful coaching runs is “like fools gold, shiny however they ain’t price shit,” there is no such thing as a denying that this substitute for the canceled races on the 2022 Olympic venue in Yanqing, China has her identify throughout it.
Val di Fassa is Italy’s go-to coaching venue for pace. Numerous different groups, together with the Individuals, have additionally skilled there and did so simply earlier than the World Championship in Cortina. So, all of them realize it, and their data is current. It’s a flowing course and, the way in which it’s been set, has a really long-radius and high-speed turns. There’s additionally some rattle growing within the floor. It’s a confluence of components through which the American excels. The one factor higher could be if it had been cloudy and both raining or snowing — challenges the Jackson Gap-native thinks set her aside. Slightly, this race will probably be bathed in daylight for all the area.
So, she did one thing she’s by no means carried out earlier than in the course of the bib draw. The highest-10 ranked skiers get to choose their begin quantity, any quantity that continues to be, 1 by way of 19, as long as it’s odd. The very best sometimes decide 5, 7 and 9.
“We checked out video at 11:45 (begin time) and at 12 midday, and it ain’t gonna get any sunnier, or any quicker,” she defined. “I’d as properly ship it No. 1. I’ve by no means carried out it earlier than, however I don’t suppose it is going to change my method.”
There can even be one other title race through which the screws are tightening. Petra Vlhova began this season on a mission: Convey Slovakia its first total title. She shot into the lead when she completed on the rostrum within the first 5 races of the season, 3 times because the victor. She received three of the 5 slalom races this season. However the mid-season emergence of Intestine-Behrami has put the Swiss simply 42 factors behind Vlhova, who has proven indicators that her 27-race schedule thus far this season is taking a toll on her power and preparedness. On paper, the calendar fits Vlhova to maintain her lead. Eleven races stay, and Vlhova has top-five potential in all disciplines. 4 are slaloms, through which Intestine-Behrami doesn’t compete.
Ominously for Vlhova, she has been gradual within the downhill coaching. She can’t afford to let Intestine-Behrami run uncontested by way of the weekend, which has two downhills and an excellent G.
As former World Cup star-turned-Swiss TV analyst Tina Wierather advised me simply at this time, “It’s that point of yr whenever you simply begin on the lookout for methods to preserve power,” she defined, noting that whereas Intestine-Behrami is firing on all cylinders in GS, tremendous G and downhill, Vlhova is exhibiting indicators of fading, certainly in her GS. It begs the query: How a lot coaching time she might want to really feel squared away in all disciplines as she weighs the cost-benefit of testing tools versus resting the physique.
Subsequent week, she’ll be contending with Mikaela Shiffrin who’s sitting out the pace occasions “to go discover two seconds in my slalom snowboarding,” she joked after her bronze medal at worlds. That’s how a lot she trailed gold medalist Kathi Liensberger, who can even be resting and fine-tuning her technical expertise. All of the whereas, Vlhova races. That’s to say, slalom and GS factors get tougher and tougher to come back by because the season grows lengthy, and the all-rounders face off in opposition to these with a lot lighter calendars.
Whichever method this goes, it’ll go proper right down to the wire.
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