Double joy for alpine speedsters Goggia and Kilde
Sofia Goggia of Italy and Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde both won a pair of golds on the 2021/22 FIS Alpine World Cup tour this weekend -- sending unmistakable messages about Olympic ambitions and sizzling current form.
The weekend action on the FIS Alpine World Cup tour saw a pair of golden doubles on the men’s and women’s side as Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won a pair of golds (super-G and downhill) and the outstanding defending Olympic champion Soffia Goggia won herself two downhill gold medals.
Goggia, the powerful and fearless Italian racer of uncommon speed, was the queen of the downhill scene this weekend in Lake Louise, high in the Canadian Rockies. Racing from an early position in the field on Friday and Saturday both, she dominated the course and confirmed her credentials as firm favourite for a second straight gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in February.
Goggia's joyful day(s)
“For me, this is a joyful day,” she said after winning her second straight downhill gold in the space of 24 busy hours -- and her sixth consecutive world cup downhill gold in an extended stretch of imperious form.
“Today the weather was really different from yesterday and I was calmer than I was yesterday too,” she said after occupying the leader’s chair for what seemed like an eternity as she waited for her opponents to complete their runs.
“I made a really solid run today,” added the prohibitive favourite for Beijing gold on recent form. “I made a nice inspection of the course and I knew the points where I had to be really fast. And I pushed through the points where I had to...and I found the right balance.”
Goggia, a colourful character on the tour, is also a master of understatement. Her two times (1:46.95 on Friday and 1:48.42 on Saturday) were powerful messages sent to the rest of the women’s downhill field ahead of the alpine skiing events of the Beijing Olympic Games, which run from 6 to 19 February at the Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing Field.
Kilde’s two consecutive golds (and seven world cups overall) may not be in the same brand of rarefied air as Goggia’s six-straight, but the 29-year-old Norwegian is in a rich vein of form of late. Like Goggia, his weekend in Beaver Creek, Colorado saw him earn double-gold. But unlike Goggia, Kilde won his podium-topping races in two separate disciplines (super-G and downhill).
And while Goggia has Olympic gold in her recent past, Kilde, a two-time Olympian in 2014 and 2018, is still chasing an elusive Olympic podium. And that’s something, given current form, he could likely rectify come February in Beijing.
“I love to be here and I love to be back competing,” said the Norwegian racer and 2019/20 overall world champion, only just back from a serious knee injury. “Today (Saturday) was great weather conditions and a great crowd and great skiing -- and so that’s just a great package!"
Kilde dedicates big day to injured mate
“I tried to do my best today (Saturday) and I had high confidence and I kept my speed up,” added Kilde who dedicated his performance to his Norwegian teammate and five-time Olympic medallist Kjetil Jansrud, who crashed out of the super-G on Friday in an incident that had the crowd in Beaver Creek fearing the worst.
“We should all give him a hand for his bravery and being a hero,” said Kilde of Jansrud, who managed to make it down the slope under his own power, and on his skis, but suffered a serious knee injury nevertheless. “This one’s for him.”
The Beijing Games are still just under 60 days away, and top competition is a lot about timing. But given the recent performances of Goggia and Kilde both, who’d bet against the golden pair to be up among the top contenders when the Games do roll around in February?