2018 Winter Olympics: Alpine Skiing Guide and Preview for PyeongChang
With the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea fast approaching, here’s everything you need to know about one of the most popular events: Alpine skiing.
Alpine skiing is not one specific event, but an umbrella term that encompasses 11 different competitions.
Both the men and women compete in two "speed events" (the downhill and the super-G), two "technical events" (the slalom and giant slalom), and a combined event. There is also a new team event on the schedule in PyeongChang, in which co-ed teams of four will face off against each other in a single-elimination bracket.
In PyeongChang, alpine skiing kicks of with the men's downhill on Feb. 10 and wraps up with the new team event, which concludes on Feb. 23.
A full schedule of all 11 events can be seen here.
In December, SI.com published a Rookie’s Guide to Alpine Skiing with information about each specific alpine skiing event, including the rules, history, 2014 medal winners and current world champion. You'll also learn how fast the skiers go and read about the evolution of the ski pole.
The Alpine skiing events are some of the most exciting of all Olympic events, but you might now know much about them besides the fact that skiers will race down a mountain to a finish line. Each different event requires a different skill set and puts a premium on something different, and the Rookie Guide will help you comprehend just how different the events are.
In the January 29-February 5 Olympic Preview issue of Sports Illustrated’s magazine, our expert Brian Cazeneuve gave his medal predictions. Here are his picks for Alpine skiing:
MEN
Downhill
- Beat Feuz, Switzerland
- Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway
- Max Franz, Austria
Svindal won a medal of every color in 2010.
Super-G
- Kjetil Jansrud, Norway
- Vincent Kriechmayr, Austria
- Max Franz, Austria
Jansrud broke a knuckle in his Olympic debut, in 2006.
Combined
- Marcel Hirscher, Austria
- Kjetil Jansrud, Norway
- Alexis Pinturault, France
Hirscher los gold at world by .01 of a second.
Giant Slalom
- Marcel Hirscher, Austria
- Henrik Kristoffersen, Norway
- Alexis Pinturault, France
Hirscher fractured his left ankle in August.
Slalom
- Marcel Hirscher, Austria
- Henrik Kristoffersen, Norway
- Michael Matt, Austria
Hirscher has won six straight overall World Cup titles.
WOMEN
Downhill
- Lindsey Vonn, U.S.
- Tina Weirather, Liechtenstein
- Sofia Goggia, Italy
Liechtenstein's nine medals have all come in alpine skiing.
Super-G
- Lara Gut, Switzerland
- Tina Weirather, Liechtenstein
- Federica Brignone, Italy
Mikaela Shiffrin only skied two Super-Gs this season, but she could strike here, too.
Combined
- Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S.
- Sofia Goggia, Italy
- Wendy Holdener
Goggia missed the Sochi Games with a torn left ACL.
Giant Slalom
- Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S.
- Tessa Worley, France
- Viktoria Rebensburg, Germany
Hirscher Croatia's Janica Kostelic's four Alpine medals in 2002 are the most in one Games.
Slalom
- Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S.
- Frida Handsdotter, Sweden
- Petra Vlhova, Slovakia
Shiffrin has been in the top three in 25 of the last 26 World Cup slaloms.
MIXED TEAM
- Austria
- France
- Switzerland
Austria has won 114 Olympic Alpine medals. The Swiss are next with 59.
Check out the rest of Brian’s medal predictions in the magazine.
