https://youtube.com/watch?v=Lyo27TZ4Fu8
All eyes in the ski-racing world this week are trained on the Bavarian Alps, where something of the sport鈥檚 Super Bowl is underway. Ski racing might not get the love it does in Europe (like live network coverage) but the are still worth tuning in. They happen only once every other year and this year the resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, home of the infamous Kandahar downhill, is hosting the 12-day event.
It鈥檚 been a bumpy ride so far for the Americans. Things started out strong earlier this week when Julia Mancuso added a fourth Championship medal to her neck with , behind Austria鈥檚 Elisabeth Goergl but ahead of Germany鈥檚 Maria Riesch, the world鈥檚 current World Cup leader. On Thursday, the 26-year-old from Squaw Valley then rocketed into second place during a downhill training run ahead of today鈥檚 super combined comp. But during the real thing, a lackluster downhill run combined with a solid slalom run plopped her in seventh overall. Austrian Anna Fenninger won over Tina Maze of Slovenia and Swedish star Anja Paerson, who took third.
The men haven鈥檛 had much luck so far, either. Bode Miller had the makings for a spectacular run in the super G before (thankfully not taking his shoulder with it). But wait! What鈥檚 this? He鈥檚 charging it! Until, well, he lost his balance, stood up at the finish and got blown back into 12th. Ted Ligety, who won the three World Cup giant slalom races in a row this season, didn鈥檛 even finish. Ach Scheisse.
And Lindsey Vonn?
The world鈥檚 No. 2 hasn鈥檛 seemed so sure on her feet after being rattled with a concussion last week. Vonn, who won the super combined in December, has complained (along with numerous other racers) that the Kandahar course is too bumpy, icy and dangerous. On Friday France鈥檚 Marie Marchand-Arvier lost control, crashed and needed help off the slope during the downhill portion of the super combined. Vonn has still mustered a top-ten finish at but didn鈥檛 finish the super combined.
Meanwhile on Saturday, it鈥檚 on to the marquee event, the men鈥檚 downhill. So far we Yanks are sitting in third place overall with Mancuso鈥檚 lone silver contribution. That鈥檚 where we ended up two years ago at the championships in Val d鈥橧s猫re, France, but a lot can change with more than a week of racing ahead.
— will be reporting live from the Bavarian Alps on the World Ski Championships.