Méribel (France) (AFP) - Sofia Goggia spearheads the Italian women's team in their bid for three golds from three races when she takes on the world championship downhill in Meribel on Saturday.
Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde will be among the favourites as the men compete in their own blue riband event of alpine skiing in Courchevel on Sunday.
AFP Sport looks at five things we know ahead of the two downhills:
Goggia seeks energy from pain
The Italian women's team have kicked off the worlds with two golds in the alpine combined and super-G thanks to Federica Brignone and Marta Bassino.Undisputed speed queen Goggia -- winner of four of the six World Cup downhills races so far this season -- will be looking to make it three from three in Meribel on Saturday.More poignant for the entire Italian team will be racing just days after the passing of former teammate Elena Fanchini after a long battle with cancer."Yes it definitely was emotional.What happened if Elena's death was today?" Goggia asked after topping Friday's third and final training run."It would have been so much more devastating than two days ago.We had the time to cry, the time to hug ourselves, and the time to be solid within the team.We're trying to get a lot of energy from this pain, so we're going to use it in the right way."
The return of Stuhec
Ilka Stuhec won world downhill titles in 2017 and 2019.An injury-racked couple of seasons followed, but the 32-year-old Slovenian has rebounded to winning ways, notching up one downhill victory this season, the last speed event of the women's calendar before the worlds, in Cortina.She was in bullish form after the final training run."I know how to switch gear for tomorrow," she said."I trust my material, I trust myself, I can ski relaxed, I'm having fun again and I think this is what makes people fast!"
Kilde v Kriechmayr
"No, no problem!" was Kilde's response when asked whether a hand injury sustained in Kitzbuehel that kept him out of the slalom of the combined would prevent him going full gas in the downhill.The Norwegian, winner of five of the eight men's World Cup downhills this season, will have his work cut out against defending champion Vincent Kriechmayr, winner of the three other races and who tellingly won the downhill on the same slope at last season's World Cup Finals.Absent from the equation will be his Austrian teammate Matthias Mayer, 2014 Olympic downhill champion who also won super-G golds in the two subsequent Winter Games, and Switzerland's reigning Olympic champion Beat Feuz, the pair having retired this season."There are good chances in the downhill," Kilde said after winning super-G silver."I feel confident and ready to hammer."
Clarey hoping experience tells
Johan Clarey is the elder statesman of alpine skiing, the Frenchman still managing to pull out podium performances at the age of 42. This season, he has bagged two second places, notably in Kitzbuehel to further improve his record as the oldest skier to make the top three in World Cup races.The Olympic silver medallist does not lack for confidence."I know I can do it and know what to do come the big races," he said, hoping to build on the vociferous home support shown to teammate and brother-in-law Alexis Pinturault, who won combined gold and also snatched a super-G bronze."With his two medals, Alexis has lifted a lot of pressure off everyone else.It will allow me to ski liberated on Sunday, I'll try to go full-gas and enjoy it."
Odermatt guns for maiden world title
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt is the runaway overall World Cup leader, but has yet to translate that form on the world or Olympic stage.The Swiss racer has made the podium four times in downhill this season.He will be hoping to go better than his fourth-placed finish in the super-G."When you want to win gold and finish fourth, you're not happy," a displeased Odermatt said after that result, with Canada's James Crawford the surprise victor of the opening speed event and a dark horse for the downhill.
