Garmisch-Partenkirchen - The Vancouver Games are history and so is the Kvitfjell (men) / Crans Montana (ladies) World Cup week-end but the Alpine season is about to reach its climactic conclusion at the World Cup Final in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Tuesday was the first and only downhill training for both ladies and men before this season's last epic battles - the downhill, super G, giant slalom and slalom as well as the nations team events - will go underway this week beginning Wednesday, February 10.
The winter sports capital Garmisch-Partenkirchen has adapted the line profiles of the legendary Kandahar downhill and slalom Gudiberg with extensive construction projects according to the latest technical requirements. The 3330 meter long Kandahar on which all-speed competitions will take place, has become more challenging and attractive: Four big jumps and a steep section just before the finish promise viewers watching the races on-site and on the screens at home spectacular races. Around 30 cameras will be used solely on this race course, including a special device such as super-slow motion cameras.
Even the slalom run at Gudiberg has been optimized, giving fans an excellent view of the entire race hill. The trick: The finish was moved to the historic Olympic Ski Stadium and is supposed to accommodate 50 000 fans thanks to temporary grandstands offering an adequate setting for the German Olympic ski-heroines Maria Riesch and Victoria Rebensburg and Felix Neureuther in their home race.
For seven of twelve disciplines, the winner of the globe still remains to be determined.
Grugger, Suter win first and only downhill training
The men's downhill training on Tuesday was won by Austria's Hans Grugger in 1:59.78 and his fellow countryman Mario Scheiber came second in 2:00.02. Andrej Sporn of Slovenia posted the third fastest time (2:00.15), while another Austrian, namely Michael Walchhofer, took fourth (2:00.19). Aksel Lund Svindal was fifth (2:00.27).
Didier Cuche, who has already captured the World Cup downhill title and is still within striking range of the overall title was sixth at 0.73sec of the winning pace and his teammate Carlo Janka ended up 15th. Raich finished 24th among 26 participants.
Walchhofer and the rest of the Austrian downhill team will try Wednesday to change what will otherwise end up being the first season since 1991/92 without an Austrian men downhill victory.
On the ladies side, Switzerland's Fabienne Suter was the fastest down the Kandahar course in the downhill training run ahead of the World Cup finale. She set the pace at 1:38.03, followed by Olympic downhill and combined silver medalist Julia Mancuso 0.78 seconds back and Austria's two-time Olympic downhill and giant slalom bronze medalist Elisabeth Goergl, who trailed Suter by 0.84 seconds.
For tomorrow's downhill, all eyes will be on American Lindsey Vonn, who was at 0.89 seconds in fourth.
Local favorite Maria Riesch marked the twelfth fastest time at 1.75 seconds off the winning pace.
The World Cup finale starts on Wednesday and finishes on Sunday with the team event.
For those who do not want to miss out on this week's action, make sure you check our website, dedicated to alpine skiing, at http://www.fisalpine.com. You can follow live tickers during races and find the results right after the races (http://www.fisalpine.com/place/garmisch-partenkirchen,21.html).
The battle is on....
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