Reichelt, Cuche and Thomsen? in Sochi training
Hannes Reichelt, check. Didier Cuche, check. And Benjamin Thomsen, whoa.
The top three in the first training run (Reichelt reportedly missed gates) down the spankin’ new Rosa Khutor course at Sochi, where the 2014 Olympic downhill will be, produced one big surprise when the first skier out of the gate, Thomsen, put down a sterling run that only two of the best of the season would be able to top.
It’s only a training run, of course, but it is not just any old course. A year from now there will be a gold medal on the line. Kitzbuehel, Wengen they have history and familiarity. The Rosa Khutor, not yet.
“It’s a really nice downhill,” said US coach Sasha Rearick upon arrival and inspection. “Most all elements – turns, jumps, speed and terrain.”
Statistically Sochi (at 3495m) is shorter than Wengen (4415) but longer
than Beaver Creek (2729) and Kitzbuehel (3312) and has more vertical
than any of them (1085 versus 1028, 757 and 860), so we’re talking a
pretty serious DH.
“It’s real difficult,” said Marco Sullivan. “It’s a worker for sure. It starts turning right out of the start and there’s limited areas where you can get in a tuck. On the bottom two jumps you can get in a tuck where is finally straightens out, but above that you’re working for everything.”
If there is any complaint, it’s with the set, which featured GS like turns on the higher reaches of the track.
“Downhill should be straight and fast,” said Ted Ligety, on hand mostly for the combined event that follows Saturday’s downhill. “I think it’s a little too turny for a true downhill, it’s more like a super G up top, but they have some cool jumps. You know, it’s for real and it’s not easy, that’s for sure. … It’s not a downhill you sit in the start house and feel super relaxed about. You definitely have to think about it and have to know you have to charge it.”
Travis Ganong was fastest among the US competitors in 29th with Bode Miller 32nd and Erik Fisher 38th. Andrew Weibrecht, Ted Ligety, Marco Sullivan and Will Brandenburg also took part finishing 44-49-50 and 59 respectively.
Thomsen, up until last weekend was a virtual unknown on the World Cup circuit, but that changed with 11th and fifth place finishes in the two downhills held at Chamonix. Those results appear to have given him a shot of confidence. His better known teammate Erik Guay was eighth and Jan Hudec 25th.
Travis Ganong was fastest American in 29th. Gepa photo.
Sochi (RUS)
Training
Men’s Downhill
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | |
1 | 22 | 50742 | REICHELT Hannes | 1980 | AUT | 2:12.91 | |
2 | 16 | 510030 | CUCHE Didier | 1974 | SUI | 2:13.16 | |
3 | 1 | 103271 | THOMSEN Benjamin | 1987 | CAN | 2:13.60 | |
4 | 38 | 293550 | MARSAGLIA Matteo | 1985 | ITA | 2:13.71 | |
5 | 23 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 2:13.97 | |
5 | 19 | 191740 | CLAREY Johan | 1981 | FRA | 2:13.97 | |
7 | 7 | 291459 | PARIS Dominik | 1989 | ITA | 2:14.06 | |
8 | 20 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 2:14.24 | |
9 | 9 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 2:14.26 | |
10 | 13 | 421483 | JANSRUD Kjetil | 1985 | NOR | 2:14.41 | |
11 | 8 | 50858 | STREITBERGER Georg | 1981 | AUT | 2:14.48 | |
12 | 14 | 50753 | KROELL Klaus | 1980 | AUT | 2:14.80 | |
13 | 25 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | 2:14.86 | |
14 | 59 | 194190 | ROGER Brice | 1990 | FRA | 2:14.89 | |
15 | 3 | 192932 | FAYED Guillermo | 1985 | FRA | 2:15.11 | |
16 | 26 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 2:15.24 | |
17 | 48 | 561067 | PERKO Rok | 1985 | SLO | 2:15.31 | |
18 | 31 | 380260 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 2:15.37 | |
19 | 43 | 180570 | ROMAR Andreas | 1989 | FIN | 2:15.47 | |
20 | 39 | 200379 | SANDER Andreas | 1989 | GER | 2:15.48 | |
21 | 17 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 2:15.58 | |
22 | 18 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 2:15.70 | |
23 | 46 | 191964 | POISSON David | 1982 | FRA | 2:15.79 | |
24 | 15 | 511383 | FEUZ Beat | 1987 | SUI | 2:16.03 | |
25 | 12 | 102271 | HUDEC Jan | 1981 | CAN | 2:16.22 | |
26 | 42 | 990081 | CASSE Mattia | 1990 | ITA | 2:16.23 | |
27 | 40 | 511142 | LUEOEND Vitus | 1984 | SUI | 2:16.24 | |
28 | 44 | 561087 | MARKIC Gasper | 1986 | SLO | 2:16.26 | |
29 | 37 | 530874 | GANONG Travis | 1988 | USA | 2:16.27 | |
29 | 30 | 510890 | ZURBRIGGEN Silvan | 1981 | SUI | 2:16.27 | |
29 | 28 | 191591 | BERTRAND Yannick | 1980 | FRA | 2:16.27 | |
32 | 21 | 532431 | MILLER Bode | 1977 | USA | 2:16.28 | |
33 | 60 | 192504 | MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas | 1984 | FRA | 2:16.29 | |
34 | 65 | 481054 | MURAVYEV Ivan | 1989 | RUS | 2:16.31 | |
35 | 10 | 51327 | PUCHNER Joachim | 1987 | AUT | 2:16.37 | |
36 | 51 | 294277 | KLOTZ Siegmar | 1987 | ITA | 2:16.56 | |
37 | 4 | 53817 | FRANZ Max | 1989 | AUT | 2:16.58 | |
38 | 34 | 534939 | FISHER Erik | 1985 | USA | 2:16.64 | |
39 | 11 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 2:16.66 | |
40 | 54 | 510747 | GRUENENFELDER Tobias | 1977 | SUI | 2:16.67 | |
40 | 2 | 560447 | SPORN Andrej | 1981 | SLO | 2:16.67 | |
42 | 56 | 53902 | MAYER Matthias | 1990 | AUT | 2:16.99 | |
43 | 64 | 194364 | PINTURAULT Alexis | 1991 | FRA | 2:17.09 | |
44 | 35 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | 2:17.26 | |
45 | 27 | 510767 | HOFFMANN Ambrosi | 1977 | SUI | 2:17.45 | |
46 | 45 | 380292 | ZRNCIC-DIM Natko | 1986 | CRO | 2:17.72 | |
47 | 32 | 50625 | RAICH Benjamin | 1978 | AUT | 2:18.04 | |
48 | 58 | 53853 | SIEBER Bjoern | 1989 | AUT | 2:18.05 | |
49 | 33 | 534562 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | 2:18.10 | |
50 | 36 | 533131 | SULLIVAN Marco | 1980 | USA | 2:18.36 | |
51 | 47 | 150398 | BANK Ondrej | 1980 | CZE | 2:18.71 | |
52 | 55 | 191778 | PICHOT Sebastien | 1981 | FRA | 2:19.24 | |
53 | 6 | 201606 | KEPPLER Stephan | 1983 | GER | 2:19.38 | |
54 | 73 | 92534 | CHONGAROV Nikola | 1989 | BUL | 2:20.01 | |
55 | 57 | 51401 | GRAF Bernhard | 1988 | AUT | 2:20.15 | |
56 | 63 | 51007 | SCHOERGHOFER Philipp | 1983 | AUT | 2:20.73 | |
57 | 41 | 501076 | OLSSON Hans | 1984 | SWE | 2:20.85 | |
58 | 79 | 700830 | ZAMPA Adam | 1990 | SVK | 2:20.89 | |
59 | 67 | 530165 | BRANDENBURG Will | 1987 | USA | 2:21.05 | |
60 | 53 | 294904 | PANGRAZZI Paolo | 1988 | ITA | 2:21.14 | |
61 | 66 | 481196 | BYSTROV Andrey | 1991 | RUS | 2:21.44 | |
62 | 72 | 150495 | VRABLIK Martin | 1982 | CZE | 2:22.20 | |
63 | 75 | 430429 | BYDLINSKI Maciej | 1988 | POL | 2:22.57 | |
64 | 70 | 660021 | DANILOCHKIN Yuri | 1991 | BLR | 2:22.62 | |
65 | 71 | 150644 | KRYZL Krystof | 1986 | CZE | 2:22.96 | |
66 | 62 | 380298 | SIROKI Tin | 1987 | CRO | 2:22.97 | |
67 | 69 | 90131 | GEORGIEV Georgi | 1987 | BUL | 2:23.13 | |
68 | 77 | 700724 | BABUSIAK Jaroslav | 1984 | SVK | 2:24.01 | |
69 | 74 | 30149 | SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier | 1980 | ARG | 2:24.13 | |
70 | 52 | 510997 | BERTHOD Marc | 1983 | SUI | 2:24.36 | |
71 | 76 | 430472 | KLUSAK Michal | 1990 | POL | 2:25.26 | |
72 | 80 | 550022 | RODE Roberts | 1987 | LAT | 2:28.61 | |
73 | 61 | 20267 | ESTEVE Kevin | 1989 | AND | 2:31.75 | |
Did not start 1st run | |||||||
68 | 480885 | LISITSA Evgeniy | 1987 | RUS | |||
50 | 561216 | KLINE Bostjan | 1991 | SLO | |||
24 | 511139 | KUENG Patrick | 1984 | SUI | |||
Did not finish 1st run | |||||||
78 | 380290 | SAMSAL Dalibor | 1985 | CRO | |||
49 | 481705 | GLEBOV Alek | 1983 | RUS | |||
29 | 511529 | GISIN Marc | 1988 | SUI | |||
5 | 51005 | SCHEIBER Mario | 1983 | AUT |