The ladies super G will get under way as originally scheduled on Saturday, February 20, at 10:00 a.m. PT.
Facts and figures
Alpine skiing was introduced to the Olympic programme at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 Olympic Winter Games; the super G event being added only at the 1988 Calgary Games.
The ladies super G will be run over the same Olympic course - Franz's Run - as the downhill. While the weather improved, the challenging course got faster. Set by the Austrian coach Juergen Kriechbaum, the super G course is slightly more technical than the downhill and shorter in length featuring 30 gates. Expected running time is around 1 minute and 22 seconds. The racers are carried over 2,139 metres with a vertical drop of 600 metres and speeds approaching 100 kilometres per hour.
The super G, which according to four-time Olympian Alpine skier turned commentator Brian Stemmle from Canada, is technical and quite difficult for the women, starts below the top steep portion of the downhill. The big jumps have been shaved down in an attempt to reduce safety risks after some ladies skiers caught a lot of air and crashed during the downhill race.
European racers, first and foremost the Austrians (2 gold / 1 silver / 2 bronze) ahead of the Italians (2 gold / 2 bronze), have historically dominated this event, but North American athletes including one Canadian have reached the Olympic podium three times.
During an Olympic test event in the super combined on the Whistler course in 2008, the women ran the super G course for the speed portion of the two-run race. In that run, Maria Riesch of Germany - the super combined gold medalist - finished with the fastest time followed by Mancuso of the United States and Brydon trailing close behind in third.
Medal contenders
The first name that comes to mind is Lindsey Vonn of the United States. She comes into the race as the favourite with three out of five super G wins in the 2009/10 season and on top of that she also took first in the last five super Gs in 2008/09. At the beginning of this season, she took ‘only' second and third while still adjusting to the new equipment after switching from Rossignol to Head skis.
Vonn also claimed the super G title last season on her way to her second consecutive overall World Cup title. Despite a bruised shin, she lived up to expectations, capturing the ladies downhill title, which was her first Olympic medal. In short, she will be the racer to beat in today's super G.
The Austrians are hungry for Olympic medals, especially after they finally got a bronze medal in the downhill attained by Elisabeth Goergl. Both Goergl and her teammate Andrea Fischbacher, fourth in downhill and ranked third in the discipline heading into the Games, are potential medalists. The technically strong Austrian skiers seem to quite like the bumpy Franz's run on Whistler Mountain.
Coming back from a stunning crash in the downhill to grab bronze in the super combined, Sweden's Anja Pärson, could bring her Olympic medal count to six if she ends up on the podium in the super G.
Fabienne Suter of Switzerland, who was ranked second in the discipline heading into the Games and fifth in downhill on Monday, could also be a likely medalist as well as Slovenia's Tina Maze, who finished fourth in the last super G before the Games and took eighth in the Olympic downhill and fifth in super combined. Both are strong technical skiers and could rise to the occasion at Whistler Creekside.
Last but not least, Julia Mancuso of the United States, who has taken two silver medals in downhill and super combined at these Games and has thus become the first American woman to medal in three different alpine disciplines at the Olympics, seems to always bring it out on the day and perform at her best at big events. With additional self-confidence she can easily make it onto thepodium once again.
"It's pretty simple. Confidence breeds confidence," American women's coach Jim Tracy said and hinted that the 'Vonn-couver' Games are not over.
This will also be the last chance for Canada's so-called "speed queens" to medal at the Games. First and foremost for Canada's Emily Brydon, who has proved to be a serious contender in this discipline in the past with a 5th place overall finish in the super G in 2008. She is a three-time Olympian and finished 9th in the 2006 Torino super G. Brydon has been struggling at these Games in downhill and super combined, left well back of the podium and plans to wipe the slate clean in time for the super G, which will be the final event of her Olympic career.
Britt Janyk, although a first-time Olympian, finished a good sixth in the downhill. She may have an added advantage over other competitors on this course as Whistler is her hometown.
Medal Standings
Alpine Skiing medal standings after 4 events (2 men's, 2 ladies)
| Position | Nation | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | TOTAL |
| 1 | USA | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | NOR | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 3 | GER | 1 | 1 | ||
| 3 | SUI | 1 | 1 | ||
| 5 | SWE | 1 | 1 | ||
| 5 | AUT | 1 | 1 |
In the past
All three ladies, who won medals in super G in the 2006 Torino Games including Michaela Dorfmeister (AUT), Janica Kostelic (CRO) and Alexandra Meissnitzer (AUT), have retired from Alpine Skiing in the meantime.
Karen Percy won Canada's so far only super G medal in this event - a bronze - at the 1988 Calgary Games inaugural super G event. During the Turin Games in 2006, Kelly VanderBeek was just shy of attaining a bronze medal in this event by 0.03 seconds. After injuring a knee in December 2009, her hopes for Olympic redemption in Whistler were shattered and her season cut short.
Weather forecast
5 AM PST Saturday 20 February 2010.
Synopsis: A strong ridge of high pressure remains stationary over the South Coast and will maintain dry and mild conditions for the next couple of days.
5 Day Trend: The ridge of high pressure will remain anchored over BC through Monday however the ridge is expected to weaken around the middle of the week allowing increasing amounts of moisture from the Pacific Ocean into the area midweek.
Whistler - Blackcomb.
Today: Sunny.
Alpine high near minus 2.
Freezing level valley bottom with an above freezing layer from 1100 to 1400 metres becoming 1600 metres this afternoon.
Mountain top winds northeast 30 km/h.
Tonight: Clear.
Alpine low steady near minus 2.
Freezing level lowering to valley bottom with an above freezing layer from 1100 to 1600 metres. Mountain top winds northeast 30 km/h.
Sunday: Sunny.
Alpine high plus 2.
Freezing rising to 2300 metres in the afternoon.
Mountain top winds east 30 km/h.
Schedule for remaining Alpine skiing events
Saturday, Feb 20:
* Ladies super G at 10:00 local time
Sunday, Feb 21:
* Men's super combined downhill at 9:30 local time
* Men's super combined slalom at 12:30 local time
Tuesday, Feb 23:
* Men's giant slalom, 1st run at 9:30 local time
* Men's giant slalom, 2nd run at 13:00 local time
Wednesday, Feb 24:
* Ladies giant slalom, 1st run at 10:00 local time
* Ladies giant slalom, 2nd run at 13:15 local time
Friday, Feb 26:
* Ladies slalom, 1st run at 10:00 local time
* Ladies slalom, 2nd run at 13:30 local time
Saturday, Feb 27:
* Men's slalom, 1st run at 10:00 local time
* Men's slalom, 2nd run at 13:45 local time
