The countdown for the first women’s Downhill race of the season is on. With less than 48 hours to go until the first of two Downhills at Corviglia-St. Moritz in Switzerland, athletes have finished the first of two scheduled Downhill trainings on the Salastrains race course today, December 10.
Team USA has nine women in the starting gates this weekend: Lindsey Vonn, Bella Wright, Jacqui Wiles, Allison Mollin, Tricia Manga, Breezy Johnson, Haley Cutler, Keely Cashman, and Bobbi Jo Griffin, who is having her World Cup debut at St. Moritz.
Ahead of a Downhill race, a minimum of one training race is mandatory in order to get athletes adequately prepared for the fastest of all FIS races. Tomorrow will see a second Downhill training and given the forecast for St. Moritz is calling for sun, sun, and more sun, there should be nothing in the way of a second successful training day on Thursday, December 11.
Lindsey Vonn clocked up the fastest training run today, with a time of 1:30.95. She was 0.59 seconds faster than the next fastest skier, Kajsa Lie from Norway, and 0.71 seconds ahead of the ‘Queen of Speed’ Sofia Goggia.
Team USA’s Jacqui Wiles finished not far off in fifth place, 0.85 seconds behind Vonn, while Bella Wright also skied into the top 10.
While training runs are just that: training runs, they can give an indication of an athlete’s ability and comfort level with a certain race course.
The events in Corviglia-St. Moritz consist of two Downhill races on Friday and Saturday, December 12 and 13. followed by a Super-G on Sunday, December 14.
