By Simon Evans
YANQING, China (Reuters) – It took 70 years for Norway to win an Olympic gold in men’s downhill but the Scandinavian nation are hoping to become only the second to retain the title in Sunday’s opening race at the Beijing Games.
Aksel Lund Svindal retired after his triumph in Pyeongchang four years ago but compatriot Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the World Cup downhill leader, is favourite this time around.
Gusty winds on the new course, which has been created entirely from artificial snow, have affected training and led to Saturday’s third session being cancelled nL8N2UG05E.
Those conditions also help create an open field with all the top skiers in with a chance of glory in what should be a thrilling race on a course dubbed ‘The Rock’.
Kilde was one of three skiers who completed a third run before training was cancelled and comes into the race after victories in January’s World Cup classics at Wengen and Kitzbuehel.
“Everything can happen, especially when you have weather like this. It’s not that it’s going to be easy. It’s never easy to win an Olympic gold medal. Everything is possible though,” said Kilde.
While his rivals rate him the man to beat, Kilde is far from being the runaway favourite in a field packed with talent.
Austria’s Matthias Mayer would enter the record books as the first male skier to win a gold medal in three straight Olympics after his triumphs in downhill at Sochi in 2014 and super-G four years ago.
Fellow Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr is the reigning world champion in downhill and enjoyed a victory in Wengen last month to boost his confidence.
Austria have won 18 Olympic medals in the men’s downhill including seven golds but their old rivals Switzerland have two racers primed to challenge.
The 34-year-old Beat Feuz, who picked up a downhill bronze in 2018 and Marco Odermatt, the 24-year-old overall World Cup leader, are both expected to push for podium places.
Dominik Paris, in his fourth Games, is hoping to become the first Italian to win gold in 70 years and follow in the footsteps of 1952 champion Zeno Colo.
When it comes to experience though, none can match Frenchman Johan Clarey who is aiming for his first medal at the age of 41 having hit form with a second place at Kitzbuehel last month.
American fans won’t have to wait to see if they have a chance of glory however as first out of the hut on Sunday will be the top U.S downhiller Bryce Bennett who won the pre-Christmas World Cup race at Val Gardena.
(Reporting by Simon Evans, Editing by Ken Ferris)
