The last weekend is here, and all the best World Cup racers have moved to Sun Valley, USA, to end the season with the last runs.
Who Can Take Part In The Finals
The races in the finals will be considerably shorter. FIS rules state that only the 25 best in every discipline can take part, and in addition, every racer in the final must have acquired at least 500 FIS WC points during this season. Traditionally, the junior FIS Champions of each discipline make their World Cup debut here, and it is exciting to watch them. These youngsters are the future champions; they usually shine at these events. Also, the senior World Champions of each discipline or Olympic champions do not have to compete for their posts. Unlike the national championships, the national teams’ coaches have no say here; it is purely about the season’s performance. So, there will be a lot of Swiss racers in every discipline, especially in the men’s speed events.
Sun Valley, Idaho
This is the first time the Sun Valley resort in Idaho hosts the World Cup finals, and the organizers have put much effort into the preparations. Nature helped them as there is a lot of natural snow, even so late in March. Sun Valley is proud of its history. This resort opened in 1936 as a tourist attraction and was among the first to offer a modern chairlift. The race course is called Challenger, and its name is appropriate. Men and women will race on the same course, and all disciplines will use parts of this one track.
The World Cup Finals Schedule
The schedule is packed because there are fewer participants in every discipline. So, men and women compete on the same day.
There will be two downhill trainings, and on Saturday, first men and then women will compete in the downhill.
On Sunday, super-G events follow, with women starting first. Then, the athletes can rest for one day in the case of men and two in the case of women. The Giant Slalom race will be divided into two days, with women competing on Tuesday and men on Wednesday. In slalom, however, both genders race on the same day, Thursday, only one hour apart. Then, the end-of-season party can start.
What’s At Stake
Regardless of their current position, every racer’s final ranking is at stake. They reap financial rewards from their federation and sponsors according to their final position. Furthermore, sponsor contracts are usually renegotiated after this season, and every racer wants to have the best possible results to show.
Then there are the globes.
Who Will Get the Men’s Globes
In men’s disciplines, three globes are already given. Marco Odermatt (SUI) has gained the overall globe, the giant slalom, and super-G globes. In the race for the biggest downhill prize, Odermatt has an 83-point lead on Franjo Von Allmen (SUI), the only one who can theoretically endanger him. However, even though Von Allmen is good at beating his teammates, his winning with 83 points between them is a very improbable result.
The men’s slalom rankings can theoretically change, but Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) is 56 points ahead of Loic Meillard (SUI) and 86 points ahead of Clement Noel (FRA). Slalom can be unpredictable when you risk it all, and Meillard is in fantastic form. So, here, the battle will be tough and rough.
Who Will Win the Women’s Globes
No woman has claimed a globe yet, as there are mathematical chances that somebody will snatch it away from the leader of every discipline. However, with the overall prize, the opportunity lies in the mathematical realm only, as Federica Brignone (ITA) is leading by 382 points on Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI), her only theoretical competitor. As none of the two ladies race in slalom, there are only three races where the decision can be made; only 300 points are at stake. That means that practically, theory aside, Brignone will crown her stunning season and raise the biggest trophy once more.
The battle in the downhill will be tough. Brignone leads by 16 points over last year’s winner, Cornelia Hütter (AUT), and is only 36 points ahead of Sofia Goggia (ITA).
The same goes for the super-G battle. Brignone leads by 15 points on Lara Gut-Behrami. Sofia Goggia is 104 points behind her teammate so the battle will be decided between the former two.
Brignone can grab even the giant slalom globe, where she is only 20 points behind Alice Robinson (NEZ), while the third Sara Hector (SWE) cannot get into the mix.
With slalom, Zrinka Ljutic’s (CRO) first rank is slightly more solid, as she is 41 points ahead of the second Camille Rast (SUI). However, anything could happen in the slalom, and one can acquire a DNF, making it more likely to switch the order. Ljutic has been very consistent in this regard, but she would feel huge pressure on her young shoulders here.
The third, Katharina Liensberger (AUT), has a 51-point gap on Ljutic, and even the fourth, Wendy Holdener (SUI), has a mathematical chance of winning the globe, as she is 96 points behind. But from fourth place, this would mean that all three ladies ahead of her would have to fail to acquire sufficient points, which is not probable.
Anyway, we will see the tears of joy and tears of sorrow. We will watch the emotions, the thrill of some, and the relief of others. We will hear words of appreciation, gratitude, and all those expressions that sound like cliches but are valid for those who say them.
Then, we will let the champions rest and train so they can perform at their best again next season.
