Of the last seven World Cup slalom races there have been seven different winners. So we know this race is wide open. When we look at the odds, the "favorite" is almost 6-1. So, I've taken a different approach to this preview. We have to cast a wider net for this race. Below is a form table for most conceivable podium candidates. If the winner isn't on this list...you can have your money back.
Weather
It's sunny and cold again today, -20C/-4F. Wind is thankfully not an issue. If I had to pick race conditions that were most similar, I'd say Schladming, even thought it was at night. Val d'Isere was cold, but it had just dumped, so the conditions weren't super firm.
Form
As far as results thus far in these Games, Strolz has huge momentum from the gold in the AC. Pinturault was 5th in the GS, Schwarz was 5th in the AC.
When you look at the table above and focus on slalom month results, a few names jump out. Feller, the Norwegians and Strolz. Feller's worst result in January was 5th with no DNFs. He did miss Kitzbuehel due to covid but immediately came back with a podium.
Somehow it doesn't stick out in my mind, but Kristoffersen was in the mix in both Kitzbuehel and Schladming. finishing 3rd and 4th and we know he has big event experience. Braathen is the only athlete of the 15 contenders that hasn't DNF'd this season and with serious speed winning in Wengen and finishing 2nd in Kitzbuehel. Strolz obviously is riding the wave right now, he won the slalom portion of the AC enroute to the gold. He beat Schwarz by over a second in the slalom portion so you have to think he's going to have the right tune on his skis.
I still feel that Clement Noel is the fastest slalom skier in the world, but after the win in Val d'Isere the results haven't been there. Maybe the DNFs got in his head because he appears to be having difficulty accessing his top gear. Sebastian Foss-Solevaag is defending world champion, but he wasn't in top form in January.
A very long winded way of saying, it's anyone's ballgame. I do think having raced in the alpine combined gives a significant advantage.
Miscellaneous
Special rule for the Olympics. "Starting order 2nd runs Giant Slalom, Slalom and Alpine Combined - All competitors who complete the 1st run correctly have the right to start in the 2nd run."
Can the Swiss break the record for most Alpine skiing gold medals at a single edition of Olympic Winter Games? The record is (4 tied with France '68 & Austria in '06)
Will there be a Matt brother on the Olympic slalom podium for the third Games in a row. (Mario won gold in Sochi, Michael was bronze in '18)
SL was first contested at the Garmisch games in 1936.
No man has won the Olympic slalom more than once. Giuliano Razzoli is the only man in the field who could do it today.
The podium from PyeongChang was Myhrer, Zenhaeusern and Michael Matt.
The last slalom season globe winner to take Olympic gold was Alberto Tomba in 1988!
Course Info
The course is situated in the Xiaohaituo Mountain Area in northwest Yanqing about 100km northwest of Beijing in the Yanqing District which is sandwiched between the Yellow Sea and the Gobi Desert.
Due to covid-19 none of the racers and coaches had seen the venue before last week. But the snow surface created and prepared by Tommy "Cowboy" Johnston is drawing rave reviews from the athletes. In fact, Austrian speed skier Vincent Kriechmayr has said "snow conditions are some of the best I’ve ever seen."
Course Name: Ice River
Course Designer: Swiss legend Bernhard Russi, snow guru Tommy "Cowboy" Johnston
Start Altitude: 1,712m
Finish Altitude: 1,501m
Vertical Drop: 211m
The Start List
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