2023 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships: Men's Downhill - Preview, schedule and ones to watch on Sunday 12 February
Some high-octane action is expected on the steep 'L'Eclipse' course in Courchevel on Sunday with Aleksander Aamodt Kilde leading the list of favourites. Read the full preview below.
Alpine Skiing
The world's fastest male skiers will test their limits in Sunday's (12 February) downhill, one of the flagship events at the 2023 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships.
World Cup leader Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who won his first World Championship medal by clinching silver in Super G, headlines the list of men to watch on 'L'Eclipse'.
The course in Courchevel made its debut at last year's World Cup Finals and is known as one of the most challenging tracks in the alpine circuit.
"It's a very, very nice downhill. It's a little bit untraditional with such a steep hill from top to bottom (30% of average gradient with a peak of 61%), but it's definitely something special with all the waves and corners and turns we have here," said Kilde ahead of the race.
Men's Downhill: Medal Favourites
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR): The Attacking Vikings star is the hot favourite after five downhill wins, including the iconic races in Kitzbühel and Wengen.
Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT): The defending champion follows Kilde in the discipline's standings in second place with three victories. The Austrian also triumphed in the only World Cup downhill raced on this course last March.
Marco Odermatt (SUI): The overall World Cup leader, who missed out on medals in his favoured Super G event, this season has stepped on the downhill podium four times.
Johan Clarey (FRA): Despite being 42 years old, the French veteran is still a threat for everyone as he's shown that this season with two second places, respectively in Val Gardena and Kitzbühel.
James 'Jack' Crawford (CAN): The 25-year-old Canadian claimed a surprise gold in Super G beating Kilde by 0.01 seconds. At last year's Olympic Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 he finished just off the podium before taking combined bronze. Currently fourth in the downhill standings, this season he's collected a second (Bormio) and third place (Beaver Creek) in World Cup.
Dominik Paris (ITA): The 33-year-old Italian is seeking his first World Championship medal in downhill since taking silver 10 years ago in Schladming, Austria. After struggling in the first part of the season, he finished in the top 10 in Bormio, Wengen and Kitzbühel.
Day 7 at 2023 Alpine Ski World Championships: Schedule Sunday 12 February
Men's Downhill:
- 11:00 CET (5:00 EST) at the 'L'Eclipse' slope in Courchevel
You can find the full list of the participants here.
How to watch the 2023 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships
The event will be available for television braodcast and livestream in various region and you can check the full list of broadcasters here.
You can also check out the live results on the FIS website and read the latest alpine skiing's stories on Olympics.com.