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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS EDITION // DAY 2

TODAY Gates open, 8 a.m., followed by live pre-show, Redtail Finish Stadium, Beaver Creek.

Ladies’ super-G, 11 a.m., Redtail Finish Stadium, Beaver Creek.

Men’s downhill training, 1:30 p.m., Redtail Finish Stadium, Beaver Creek.

Medals Ceremony, 6:30 p.m., Championships Plaza (Solaris), Vail.

Michael Franti & Spearhead free concert, Championships Plaza (Solaris), following Medals Ceremony, Vail.

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The Opening Ceremonies of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships kicked off Monday night with a marching band, fireworks, a light show, live music and special guest appearances a packed venueChampionship at Championships PlazaLeeds (Solaris) Vail.2015 World 10 x 3.5 1/29/15 3:58 PM Page 1 Liz Leeds Vailat Valley 2015 World #10.qxp_Liz Vailin Valley

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Ski races start today

2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships get underway with women’s super-G today. A26-33

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Stacey Cook, of the United States, slows down after crossing the finish line during the first day of training for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Beaver Creek on Monday. Cook remained in first place at the end of the downhill training session.

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Trail 2015 features snow sculptures, halfway lounge, giveaways en route to stadium

By Melanie Wong mwong@vaildaily.com

BEAVER CREEK — During the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, some spectators will forgo the bus ride to Redtail Stadium and take the path less traveled to watch the races.

From Feb. 2-15, Dally, a roughly 2-kilometer skiway from Redtail to the base of Centennial, will transform into Trail 2015 for those who choose to get to the stadium on foot. The trail will be sponsored by Atlas Snowshoes, which will provide 100 pairs of free rental snowshoes for hikers, and Kaiser Permanente will be sponsoring rest stations along the way. Hikers and snowshoers will

Of course, the main appeal of the sculptures is the fun of seeing towering bears and birds on the

TRAIL 2015, A4

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Two polar bear snow statues, constructed by local artist Karl Krueger, sit alongside the Dally trail in Beaver Creek on Monday.

Spectators are invited to walk up to the races while enjoying refreshments, giveaways and admiring the statues along the way.

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Check out the Ladies Super-G Lindsey Vonn and the fastest women in the world attack the Raptor course today in the super-G, slated for 11 a.m. A cross between downhill and giant slalom, super-G is a one-run event like downhill, but with more frequent turns. Unlike downhill, however, there are no prior training runs for super-G, just a racer inspection on the morning of the race. Spectators can see the race from the Redtail Finish Stadium at Beaver Creek. For more information, visit vailbeavercreek2015.com.

enjoy rest stations stocked with water, hot cocoa and snacks, be rewarded with giveaways, catch some free entertainment and even spot some polar bears.

Sculpture bears, that is — Eagle-Vail artist Karl Krueger has created five life-size snow sculptures featuring polar bears and birds of prey that will line the way up to the racecourse, with each sculpture depicting different scenes of the bear and the bird wrestling over a snowy globe.

“Polar bears are an easy target.

I mean, who doesn’t love them?

They’re a worldwide treasure that people from different countries can appreciate,” Krueger said.

“They’re something to make the walk up more fun.”

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Check out the post-race concerts — Apres Avon will kick off today at 2 p.m. featuring live music from Town Cavalry, craft brews, cocktails, food and performance art, along with visits by the 2015 official mascots and cheerleaders, ski racing athlete signings, distribution of the coveted AWSC pins and other American-rooted activities. Then at 7 p.m. in Vail — following the ladies super-G awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. — musician, humanitarian and children’s book author Michael Franti will bring one of his unforgettable, high energy shows with his band, Spearhead, to Championships Plaza at the Solaris.

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Published mornings, seven days a week by Colorado Mountain News Media, 40780 US Hwy 6 & 24, Avon, CO 81620 Postmaster: Send address changes to PO Box 81, Vail, CO 81658 Subscription rates: $164 per year for Sunday edition only by standard mail. $4 per day Sunday only by first class mail. Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. All Property rights to any advertisements produced for the advertisers by the Vail Daily using artwork and/or typography furnished or arranged by the Vail Daily shall be property of the Vail Daily. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the Vail Daily. Vail Daily assumes no financial responsibility for errors beyond the cost of the actual space occupied by the error.

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The Vail Daily

| Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | A3

Organizers: ‘We think it’s going to be great’ World Championships are designed to showcase ski racing, and so much more

By Randy Wyrick rwyrick@vaildaily.com

BEAVER CREEK — Ceil Folz grinned the grin of the well prepared Monday afternoon.

“It feels like our countdown clocks just burned up,” Folz said.

Folz is president of the Vail Valley Foundation and head of the World Championships organizing committee. The journey that began in June 2010 is done.

“We’re proud to have the world come to our home,” Folz said.

The world visits us all the time, just not all at once. Still, we love it when company comes.

Those of us old enough to know that tweet is the sound a bird makes will recall that we’ve twice hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships.

“In 1989 and 1999 we held very successful ski races. Our race crews are the best in the world,

so it may seem unusual but the thing we feel least anxious about is our ski racing,” Folz said. “The goal is to do more than ski racing, to concentrate more on the guest experience.”

“We’re looking forward to the other things. It has been a big job to coordinate, and we think it’s going to be great,” Folz said.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Folz was part of a panel that included FIS President Gian Franco Kasper; Tiger Shaw, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association; and Sara Lewis, FIS secretary general.

U.S. alpine legend Bode Miller called this year’s U.S. team a “powerhouse,” akin to the great Austrian teams.

“We feel like the podium is ours,” Miller said.

Shaw did not flinch much when Miller said it.

“The expectations are high,” Shaw said. “We come into these World Championships more prepared than almost any other time in history. We come into this hoping to do better than I expect, and as well as I hope,” Shaw said.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME “Not only is this an opportunity for our athletes to compete at home, we come into this with one of our strongest teams ever,” Shaw said.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s development program is one of its biggest improvements.

“We hope that makes a difference in our pipeline,” Shaw said.

“Kids coming in the following days may have a moment of inspiration and want to be like that.”

Kasper said he is hoping for a bump not only in U.S. skiing, but also internationally.

He recalled the 1989 World Championships when recreational skiers lined up for a lift at the bottom of Vail Mountain. Many watched the races, but some did not.

“You already did a good job in 1989 and 1999,” Kasper said.

“Look how far we have come.”

THE WORLD IS WATCHING In all, 26 broadcasters from 24 countries will provide 25 hours of programming, including

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Ceil Folz, center, is flanked by U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Tiger Shaw, left, and FIS President Gian Franco Kasper during a news conference to kick off the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Folz is president of the Vail Valley Foundation and chairs the World Championships organizing committee. prime time in Europe, coordinated by the European Broadcast Union.

Among the goals is to expand ski racing in the United States.

“The focus has been on the global message to have a great World Championships, not only in Vail and Beaver Creek, but also in Colorado, the U.S. and globally,” Lewis said. “We’re now reaching out to the world in prime time.”

There are 124 million TV homes in the U.S., and 8 million people

in Austria. These World Championships will be carried live by NBC on weekends, and by the NBC Sports Network during the week.

Some new technology will help put the television audience right in the racers’ pockets.

“We couldn’t be more proud to be part of this groundbreaking effort,” Folz said.

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.

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TRAIL 2015

From page A2

from snow where you can kick back and take some photos during your hike.

HIKE TO THE RACES groomed skiway, but there’s a bigger story going on, too. As Krueger sees it, the bears represent the giants of the skiing world — the Europeans, and the birds represent the smaller, but powerful underdog — the Americans. Statues at the beginning of the walk depict the bird and bear peacefully together, and subsequent statues show various degrees of struggle and competition. In one statue, the bear and bird are wrestling over the globe, with the bird nearly crushed underneath. However, by the last installation, the two animals are in harmony again.

“They start off together, like they will at the Opening Ceremonies, go into competition and face off, but come back together in the end. It’s all in the friendly spirit of competition,” Krueger said.

Krueger, an architect by trade who is responsible for numerous other sculptures and art installations around the Vail Valley, said the snow sculptures may be challenging to maintain throughout the races, depending on the snow conditions and temperatures. Underneath the snow, the sculptures have a skeleton of wood and wire that help keep them intact, but Krueger said he still expects he’ll have to do a bit of “fighting nature” to keep the bears in pristine condition.

“They’re made for you to suspend your disbelief,” he said. “When you turn your head and see them from the corner of your eye, you should feel like you are actually spotting a bear.”

Also keep your eye out for a “Halfway Cafe” on the trail — a seating area carved

Hikers on Trail 2015 should be prepared for a roughly 2,015-meter long hike (yes, really) that will take most people 35 to 55 minutes, depending on fitness and number of stops. The trail is a gradual uphill with a few steep punches. Of course, people can opt to walk down, too, at the end of the races, which will take 20 to 25 minutes.

“The whole idea behind doing it was to alleviate the carbon footprint and offer an active way to get to the races,” said Martha Brassel, with the Vail Valley Foundation.

“This community is such an active community that we want to share that love with the world. Also, we hope that people who are so busy during the races that they don’t have time to exercise can sneak in a workout this way.”

Use your own snowshoes or get your free Atlas rentals in front of the Kjus store in Beaver Creek Village. Once the free rentals are gone, the Beaver Creek Nordic Center will be providing rentals for $20.15.

Once at the top, you can return your snowshoes at the Atlas tent or hang onto them for the hike down.

Hikers should make sure to stay to the right, since Trail 2015 will be shared with skiers. There will be no activities on the trail on Thursday, Feb. 10 and 11, when there are no races at Beaver Creek.

Assistant Managing Editor Melanie Wong can be reached at 970-748-2927 or at mwong@vaildaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @mwongvail.

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A26 | Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | The Vail Daily

20 15

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Vonn arrives; ties for fourth in training Americans, led by Cook, look sharp

By Chris Freud cfreud@vaildaily.com

BEAVER CREEK — Elvis is officially in the building, or on the slopes. Pick your cliche.

Lindsey Vonn, the current downhill and super-G World Cup leader who doubtless hopes to leave her imprint of the 2015 FIS Alpine Worlds Ski Championships, tied for fourth with Switzerland’s Fabienne Suter during Monday’s windy downhill training run in Beaver Creek.

Vonn was 62-hundredths off the pace set by teammate Stacey Cook.

With the caveats that this was downhill training and super-G is today’s race and that racers do not necessarily go all out during these runs, Vonn appeared to be in fast form. Running 10th out of the gate, Vonn was 26-hundredths of a second in the green after the second interval, The Runway, and 3-hundredths ahead at the third time check, The Gauntlet.

She lost time on the second half of the course, falling into red numbers by Banshee Bank, yet it was clear she took it easy, standing up over the Redtail Jump.

“This was the first downhill run I’ve had on this hill,” Vonn said. “I’ve trained a couple days of super-G and a day of GS. I never had a chance to run the downhill.

I think it was a little bit different than I expected, just as far as the terrain and how they set it. But it was perfect. I really loved it.”

BACK FROM INJURY Of course, Vonn missed the test event on Raptor, the women’s course at Beaver Creek built for these Championships, in November

2013. Having injured her right knee in a spectacular crash during the Worlds Super-G in Schladming, Austria, on Feb. 5, 2013, she redid her knee during early-season training at Copper Mountain and then officially scrubbed her 2013-14 season in January.

“It’s been a long two years,” Vonn said. “But I don’t think about the past at all. I’m really happy to be here, to be healthy, to be skiing well. I’m just enjoying the moment. I’m a lot more relaxed and a lot more happy than I have been. Because of the injuries, I just enjoy everything a lot more.

I appreciate everything a lot more.

“Today, I had a lot of great memories of the ’99 World Championships and being a course slipper. I saw all the kids out there and remember being in the exact same position. So I don’t know, everything has come full circle.”

Her results say the right knee is in fine shape. She has three downhill wins and two in super-G already this season.

“No, I never doubted myself,” Vonn said. “I always believed that I would be back. I just didn’t know how long it would take me to come back. It’s definitely been a lot quicker riser to the top than I had expected.

Obviously, (I’m) very thankful for how things have gone. (I’m) just really happy to be back home and healthy and feeling good and enjoying these World Championships.”

While Vonn will be competing in today’s super-G, the first race of the Championships, she will continue training downhill on Wednesday and Thursday.

“I just have to get a better kind of feeling for it the next couple of days,” she said. “Super-G, I feel really comfortable and confident.

Downhill, I think I need a little more training. Today was a fine start, and, hopefully, tomorrow is good day.”

“I’m just enjoying the moment. I’m a lot more relaxed and a lot more happy than I have been. Because of the injuries, I just enjoy everything a lot more.

I appreciate everything a lot more.”

Lindsey Vonn U.S. Ski Team

WHOOPS Cook really didn’t want to wan her training run.

“I was kind of joking with my coach earlier how this year I’ve typically been fast on the training runs and the plan today was not to be fast,” Cook said, saying that fast trainings haven’t translated to race days. “So obviously, that didn’t work out.”

She was obviously joking, but she added that she felt good about the technical aspects of her run.

Cook was part of an unprecedented American sweep of the podium (Vonn, Cook and Julia Mancuso) in a downhill up in Lake Louise, Alberta, on Dec. 6. This was an important result because the Americans have five racers for four spots in Friday’s downhill.

Vonn and Mancuso (13th on Monday, despite some difficulty up top) have locked down two of those spots. While training times are always taken with a grain of salt, Cook couldn’t have hurt her cause by winning the practice on Monday.

Laurenne Ross, also bidding for a start, finished seventh.

“I can say that I feel a lot more comfortable with my setup this year, getting used to the new skis and everything. It took a while, and I feel really, really good on

DOMINIQUE TAYLOR | SPECIAL TO THE DAILY

Lindsey Vonn stares down the women’s downhill course as she warms up for her first training run Monday at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Beaver Creek. Vonn finished tied for fourth. them. I changed a couple things in my skiing and I think I’m just skiing with more confidence now that I’m comfortable.”

Glenwood Springs’ Alice McKennis ended up in 14th, a good showing, but not as good as she would have liked against her teammates in the chase for a berth in Friday’s race.

“This has been a goal for me to make it back here. My ultimate goal is to race and go for a podium. I still have some steps to make to make that happen.”

Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-748-2934, cfreud@vaildaily.com and @cfreud.

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20 15

| Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | A27

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

DOMINIQUE TAYLOR | DAILY FILE PHOTO TOWNSEND BESSENT | TOWNSEND@VAILDAILY.COM

Lara Gut, of Switzerland, blazes across the finish line during the first day of downhill training for the women. Gut tied with Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel for second place.

The women compete in super-G today at 11 a.m. in the first race of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

American Cook tops the field in training Top-three women within a tenth of a second

By Shauna Farnell Special to the Daily

BEAVER CREEK — After a two-and-ahalf hour start delay, the first event of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships got underway in strong, swirling wind at Beaver Creek on Monday.

Four inches of fresh snow greeted the women for their first downhill training run, which was pushed back from its original 11 a.m. start time to 1:30 p.m.

American veteran Stacey Cook put down the fastest training time, finishing in 1 minute, 48.16 seconds, followed by Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel and Swiss racer Lara Gut, both 0.09 seconds back. Although the women said the snow had been cleared off the course and didn’t slow things down too much, the wind — averaging speeds around

peak.

45 mph — was most definitely a factor.

“It was really windy. We didn’t have that last time,” said Gut, who won the 2013 World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek by nearly a half second and also the 2013 super-G by nearly a full second. She says the course is almost the same as it was, with less aggressive snow, than during her Beaver Creek speed sweep in 2013.

“There’s just a few gates a little more straight and a few gates more turny, but the course is pretty similar to what we had last November,” Gut said. “The slope is in great shape. It’s not so difficult as it looks. You have to be confident, stay on your skis and try to push on every gate.”

WIND, WIND AND MORE WIND Cook, who has had three second-place World Cup downhill finishes — all in Lake Louise, Alberta — and who will be competing in her fifth World Championships, is

TRAINING, A32

Mikaela Shiffrin says she’s ready for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. The World Cup and world champion in slalom is eager to defend her title on home snow.

Sticking to tech, Shiffrin ‘well-prepared’ for Worlds Defending slalom champion ready for hometown event

By Shauna Farnell Special to the Daily

AVON — Mikaela Shiffrin, in spite of setting her sights on adding super-G to her repertoire earlier this season, is going to stick with what she knows during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

The 19-year-old Olympic gold medalist and hometown hero is more than ready to compete in the giant slalom race and defend her title in the slalom at Beaver Creek and is planning on competing in the Nations Team Event, but she will not compete in the super-G or alpine combined races.

After winning the opening World Cup race this season in a tie with Austria’s Anna Fenninger, Shiffrin’s first victory in giant slalom, the Eagle-Vail native had talked about trying her speed at super-G. She even competed in a pair of FIS super-G races at Copper Mountain in November, in which she finished a

respectable 15th and 16th among a field of World Cup regulars. But she has since decided that adding disciplines to her repertoire will have to wait.

“I was hoping that getting more comfortable with speed I might set myself up to race at World Championships, but I was maybe being a little arrogant,” Shiffrin said during a news conference in Avon on Monday. “Sometimes you need a little bit of a wakeup call. I was thinking, ‘Well, my GS is good. I’m not afraid of speed. I can jump right in there with a couple days of super-G training and probably win.’ I definitely didn’t win. Super-G is not easy. Those girls who win super-G are strong skiers and know how to ski the event. And I don’t yet. I didn’t want to go to any other super-G and race my heart out and get injured.”

HOME COOKING Sticking to only giant slalom and slalom races, Shiffrin has been home for nearly three weeks, a rarity for the Eagle-Vail resident who has spent the last three and

SHIFFRIN, A31

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A28 | Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | The Vail Daily

20 15

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Opening Ceremonies kick off Championships Alpine World Ski Championships begin with a bang, literally

By John LaConte jlaconte@vaildaily.com

VAIL — If the Opening Ceremonies are any indication of how the rest of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships will play out, we’re in for quite a show.

Amid a Super Bowl halftime show-type atmosphere, copious fireworks, free swag giveaways, a large marching band, jook dancing and a multitude of speeches that were inaudible from the outskirts of the enormous crowd were perforated by concert songs from several of the performers who will play free shows during the next two weeks.

Completely packed full of people was the entire Championships Plaza area at the Solaris, including Meadow Drive, the Village Center Mall, both levels of Solaris including every balcony there, and all the balconies at One Willow Bridge Road across the street.

Teams from countries all over the globe were paraded in, carrying flags from their homes. The U.S. received a deafening ovation but Mexico, with its last-butnot-least entrance, received wild applause as Vail-native Sarah Schleper, the country’s marquee skier, danced her way down the isle in a triangular explosion of bouncing hair.

Los Angeles performer Lil’ Buck, a regular at the Vail International Dance Festival, thrilled the crowd with his one-of-a-kind jook-dancing style as a large marching band performed a moving rendition of Big Boi’s “The Way You Move.”

All ages from infants to

JUSTIN Q. MCCARTY | SPECIAL TO THE DAILY

International Ski Federation President Gian Franco Kasper addresses the many athletes, teams and spectators that came from around the world to witness the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships during the Opening Ceremonies on Monday in Vail. octogenarians could be found in the crowd, no surprises there, but the millennials and 20-somethings, often an outcast group at local celebrations of ski racing, were out in force at the event, enjoying the music and waiting patiently through the speeches, which weren’t necessarily taking place in the English language.

“I don’t know who this is, Andreas something,” said 19-year-old Jamee Hanrahan as she danced to the music of Andreas Gabalier. She was joined by her friend,

The Opening Ceremonies brought spectators a lot of entertainment with the Dream It, Live It and Share It themed celebration Monday at Championships Plaza in Vail.

20-year-old Kayla Bruntz, of Edwards.

“We’re really looking forward to Michael Franti tomorrow night,” Hanrahan said.

Franti and the rest of the performers will take the stage at the same venue beginning at 7 p.m. during the World Championships. Based on the large crowd numbers at Monday’s event, showing up early would be among the top recommendations for best enjoying the remaining shows in store.

JUSTIN Q. MCCARTY SPECIAL TO THE DAILY

Kelsey Montague autograph signing:

February 3rd 4-7 at Tavern on the Gore

Street artist Kelsey Montague will have one of her winged pieces at Tavern on the Gore during the 2015 ski Championships.

Come take a picture with the #whatliftsyou art (2/2-2/15) and meet the artist during a special cocktail hour in our VIP room.

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Questions about the artist or cocktail hour, please contact Lynnette Manzanares 720-260-0182

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The Vail Daily

20 15

| Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | A29

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Let the Championships begin: Today’s start list It’s the women’s super-G race for super-G race Daily staff report

Who is the first winner at 2015 Worlds?

newsroom@vaildaily.com

2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Ladies’ Course Map - Beaver Creek

By Chris Freud cfreud@vaildaily.com

+

The RUNway

Ladies’ Downhill & Downhill Combined Start

376’ | 115m 2,007’ | 612m 19% | 10.8° 23% | 12.8°

Cin ch E

xp res sL

ift

Start Elevation: 11,283’ | 3,440 m Finish Elevation: 8,954‘ | 2,730 m Vertical Drop: 2,329’ | 710m Distance: 8,069’ | 2,460m Avg. Slope: 30% | 16.7° Max. Slope 59% | 30.5°

The Apex

Vertical Drop: Distance: Avg. Slope: Max. Slope:

+

Ladies’ Weather Downhill & Super-G Start

249’ | 76m 865’ | 264m 30% | 16.9° 51% | 26.9°

Lech-Zuers Schuss

Vertical Drop: 308’ | 94m Distance: 745’ | 227m Avg. Slope: 45% | 24.4° Max. Slope: 51% | 32.2°

The Gauntlet

Vertical Drop: 255’ | 78m Distance: 606’ | 185m Avg. Slope: 46% | 24.9° Max. Slope: 53% | 28.0°

Start Elevation: 10,890’ | 3,320 m Finish Elevation: 8,954‘ | 2,730 m Vertical Drop: 1,935’ | 590m Distance: 6,002’ | 1,830m Avg. Slope: 34% | 19.0° Max. Slope: 57% | 30.0°

+ Goshawk Conne ctor

P

+

+

Predator Corner

Ladies’ GIANT SLALOM Start

Kestrel

Vertical Drop: 335’ | 102m Distance: 926’ | 282m Avg. Slope: 39% | 21.3° Max. Slope: 57% | 29.5°

Screech Owl Jump We s tfall

Banshee Bank

Vertical Drop: Distance: Avg. Slope: Max. Slope:

444’ | 136m 1,669’ | 508m 28% | 15.5° 52% | 27.3°

Road

RUSSI’s Ride

Vertical Drop: 461’ | 141m Distance: 1,945’ | 593m Avg. Slope: 25% | 13.8° Max. Slope: 42% | 22.8 °

+

Heckle Jump

H

Jeckle Jump

Peregrine Runout

Start Elevation: 10,093’ | 3,077 m Finish Elevation: 8,935‘ | 2,724 m Vertical Drop: 1,158’ | 353m Distance: 4,280’ | 1,305m Avg. Slope: 29% | 16.1° Max. Slope: 50% | 26.7°

Liberty Jump

The Abyss

Golden Eagle Jump

+

Ladies’ Slalom Start

Vertical Drop: 394’ | 120m Distance: 1,989’ | 606m Avg. Slope: 20% | 11.5° Max. Slope: 39% | 21.2°

se Gr ou

+

Mo

Redtail Jump

un tain

Lift

Harrier Jump

Birds of Prey Lift

OK, here we go, people.

The first race of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships is the women’s super-G at 11 a.m., and we really couldn’t ask for a better opening act.

The first question on everyone’s mind is, “Can Lindsey really do it?”

Vonn (Bib No. 18) looked sharp in downhill training on Monday, for what it’s worth, tying for fourth.

And, oh, yeah, don’t forget that American Stacey Cook (14) actually won training on Monday.

OK, enough with the flag waving.

As a public service reminder, there really are other nations with tremendous athletes competing in the 2015 Worlds, even though the U.S.A. had five in the top 14 on Monday. (Note to self, stop being a jingoistic jerk, Freud.).

Seriously, let’s start with Switzerland’s Lara Gut (16). She’s third in the World Cup points What’s more she’s only the defending World Cup champion, the defending world champion and the winner of the test event on Raptor in super-G in 2013.

She should be a factor.

Austria’s Anna Fenninger (22) is second in the World Cup points, trailing Vonn only 280-272. In addition to being a speed machine, she’s the defending Olympic gold medalist in super-G. Austria’s Cornelia Huetter (15) was a DNF on Monday, but she’s still very much in the mix. And, get used to this — Slovenia’s Tina Maze (19). She’s going to be a factor in every women’s race. There’s a reason she’s the overall leader coming into Worlds.

Vertical Drop: Distance: Avg. Slope: Max. Slope:

H

Start Elevation: 9,548’ | 2,911 m Finish Elevation: 8,935‘ | 2,724 m Vertical Drop: 613’ | 187m Distance: 2,099’ | 640m Avg. Slope: 34% | 18.9° Max. Slope: 46% | 24.8°

Ladies’ Combined SLALOM Start

Start Elevation: 9,548’ | 2,911 m Finish Elevation: 8,941‘ | 2,726 m Vertical Drop: 607’ | 185m Distance: 1,968’ | 600m Avg. Slope: 34% | 18.9° Max. Slope: 46% | 24.8°

Vertical Drop: 697’ | 212m Distance: 2,224’ | 678m Avg. Slope: 33% | 18.4° Max. Slope: 50% | 26.7°

LEGEND Men’s FIS Alpine Course LADIEs’ FIS Alpine Course

+ Medical Point H Helicopter Landing Zone P

1 JAY M.-ARVIER Marie FRA 2 CURTONI Elena ITA 3 MARSAGLIA Francesca ITA 4 PIOT Jennifer FRA 5 NUFER Priska SUI 6 STUHEC Ilka SLO 7 SUTER Fabienne SUI 8 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild NOR 9 MERIGHETTI Daniela ITA 10 REBENSBURG Viktoria GER 11 MANCUSO Julia USA 12 FANCHINI Nadia ITA 13 KLING Kajsa SWE 14 COOK Stacey USA 15 HUETTER Cornelia AUT 16 GUT Lara SUI 17 HOSP Nicole AUT 18 VONN Lindsey USA 19 MAZE Tina SLO 20 WEIRATHER Tina LIE 21 GOERGL Elisabeth AUT 22 FENNINGER Anna AUT 23 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina SPA

because of snow and wind on Monday. As always, your mileage may vary on weather. One thing to remember with snow is that sometimes the earlier racers can have an advantage rather than the favorites, who go Nos. 15-22, because the course has just been cleaned of the white stuff.

Pumphouse

THINGS TO KNOW

Finish +

And then there’s the “Who?” factor. Worlds always has a surprise factor, someone from nowhere who wins. (So maybe you can ignore everything to this point.)

TODAYS RACE The stats and other things you need to know about today’s super-G: ■ Format: One run with the fastest time winning. Do note that in super-G, the racers may not pre-ski the course, only inspect it.

■ Course numbers: The super-G start is at 10,890 feet and drops, 1,935 feet to 8,955 feet. The average slope is 19 degrees with a maximum angle of 30 degrees.

■ Weather: Weather.com says 44 degrees for Avon, which means about 34 for Redtail. There’s a 50 percent chance of snow with an emphasis on morning snow showers, according to the website. Winds are 10-15 mph.

Of course, we had quite a delay

■ Watch out: If it’s windy, the Runway at the top of the course could be interesting. Redtail Jump was also launching some of the racers more than expected on Monday.

■ Beaver Creek women’s super-G champions: Vonn (2011) and Gut (2013).

■ Defending world champion: Gut. ■ 1999 world champion: Renate Goetschl, Austria.

■ Favorites: As mentioned, Vonn, Fenninger, Gut, Huetter and Maze make up the top five in the points in

24 WORLEY Tessa 25 YURKIW Larisa 26 GRENIER Valerie 27 GAGNON Marie-Michele 28 ROSS Laurenne 29 HRONEK Veronique 30 BAILET Margot 31 KRIZOVA Klara 32 TVIBERG Maria Therese 33 MIKLOS Edit 34 KOMSIC Andrea 35 BRODNIK Vanja 36SIMARI BIRKNER M. 37 SMALL Greta 38 GASIENICA-DANIEL M. 39 POPOVIC Leona 40 BARAHONA Noelle 41 COLETTI Alexandra 42 PAULATHOVA Katerina 43 TIKUN Tetyana 44 SIMARI BIRKNER M. B. 45 MATSOTSKA Bogdana 46 SIMARI BIRKNER A.

FRA CAN CAN CAN USA GER FRA CZE NOR HUN CRO SLO ARG AUS POL CRO CHI MON CZE UKR ARG UKR ARG

super-G. Liecthenstein’s Tina Weirather (20) is a factor as is Austria’s Elisabeth Goergl (21).

■ Darkhorses: Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel (8) had a good training on Monday as did Switzerland’s Fabienne Suter (7). Julia Mancuso (11) can never be underestimated at Worlds.

Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg (10) has the speed skills to get it done.

■ Americans: Mancuso (11); Cook (14);Vonn (18) and Laurenne Ross (28).

■ The picks: Yes, we are theoretically experts, but we’re usually wrong. But Chris Freud, the Daily’s sports editor, Shauna Farnell, the Daily’s ski goddess, and Pat Graham, of AP Denver, all go with Vonn.

Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-7482934, cfreud@vaildaily.com and @cfreud.

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A30 | Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | The Vail Daily

FIS ALPINE WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS

American men: Bode optimistic, Ted realistic With lots of talent, US men’s speed team has super-G on Wednesday

By John LaConte jlaconte@vaildaily.com

type of surgery where the recovery time is much quicker, but the patient has to be awake and conscious the whole procedure.

“You have to tell (the surgeon) if it hurts too much, because he’s compressing the nerve,” Miller said. “It’s a risky move.”

Following the surgery, Miller’s goal was to get a few training runs at the January World Cup stops in Wengen, Switzerland, and Kitzbuhel, Austria, which he did, finishing sixth in training on the legendary Hahnenkamm in Austria.

“Although I didn’t race I had some pretty aggressive skiing in Wengen and Kitzbuhel on the race hill,” Miller said Monday.

“That was sort of the last step before I feel comfortable coming in and actually putting the gas pedal down in a race.”

BEAVER CREEK — As the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships were beginning on Monday, one question was on the minds of ski racing fans across the globe.

Will Bode Miller race?

In a short news conference Monday, Miller did his best to quell the curiosity.

“I’m here and ready to race,” Miller said. “The preparation has gone about as well as it could have.”

When the news broke earlier this season that Miller was going to need a microdiscectomy on a TED TALKS herniated disk in his back, many Another question on the minds suspected the end was near for of race fans — what is going on the 37-year-old ski racing senwith Ted Ligety? — was also adsation. Miller himself even said dressed Monday, by Ligety himthings like “I don’t really feel like I self. A master of the giant slalom, need a send off,” and, “if this is it, Ligety’s win here in December is then I’ll talk to my wife and make the only time he’s found himself a plan.” atop the World Cup podium so far Miller, however, opted for a rare this season.

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“GS this year hasn’t gone as smoothly as maybe it has in years past,” Ligety said Monday. “But I did win here in the fall and this is a hill that I have a lot of confidence on. I’ve done really well here in the past. If there’s a hill that I would have confidence on without necessarily skiing well, this would be the hill.”

Ligety has a massive undertaking on his hands here in Beaver Creek as he is the defending world champion in the giant slalom, super-G and the combined, a remarkable hat trick he achieved while skiing in top form at the last World Championships in Schladming, Austria, in 2013.

“Obviously defending all three would be a dream come true, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the most realistic expectation,” Ligety said Monday. “If there is a place to repeat, this would be one of the better places, but it’s not something I’m consumed about.”

‘TOUGH DECISIONS’ Miller and Ligety have plenty of competition, not the least of which will come from their own teammates. At the World Cup here in December, Steven Nyman

JOHN LACONTE | JLACONTE@VAILDAILY.COM

Bode Miller, recovering from back surgery, says that he’s a go for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Beaver Creek. Miller met with the media during a news conference on Monday. was the only American to find the podium in the speed events, where he was third in the downhill. He then notched a win in Val Gardena, Italy, in December, and teammate Travis Ganong followed up with a win at the next downhill stop on the tour.

For Wednesday’s super-G

— with Bode hoping for a start, Ligety the defending world champion, Ganong and Nyman both notching downhill wins this season and Andrew Weibrecht a big-game hunter in the discipline, earning Olympic super-G medals in 2010 and 2014 — the Americans looked stacked.

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VERSION The Vail Daily #2 | Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | A31

Greystone Lodge Family Retreat

FIS ALPINE WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS

119 ELK MEADOWS

ANTHONY THORNTON | DAILY FILE PHOTO

Mikaela Shiffrin shares a laugh with former Olympic skier Chad Fleischer during a celebration welcoming her home after winning gold in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Shiffrin says she’s feeling the pressure coming into her hometown event, but she knows how to handle it better than ever.

SHIFFRIN

From page A27

a half years racing on the World Cup and the winters before that training and living at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont.

“It is a special atmosphere being home,” Shiffrin said. “I feel like a little kid. I’m glad to be home in my own bed.”

Mikaela’s mother, Eileen, her constant sidekick on the World Cup, is also cherishing the rare time at home and has been lavishing her daughter with home-cooked dinners and family time.

“We’ve been doing the home-cooked everything. We’ve been staying home, playing with the cat. We love being here,” Eileen said. “The skiing has been amazing. She hasn’t had a chance to take advantage of the skiing here in a while.”

The extra time at home has allowed Mikaela to feel “very prepared” coming into the World Champs. After winning the Soelden, Austria, World Cup GS race, the defending slalom champion has finished topthree in her last four World Cup races. She took third in the Kuehtai in Tirol, Austria, GS, won the slalom at the same venue, won the slalom race in Zagreb, Croatia, and took third in the last slalom race in Flachau, Austria. She has also proven her speed on the Beaver Creek GS course, having finished second here in the 2013 World Cup GS race.

‘EXACT POSITION I WANT TO BE IN’ She said she’s feeling the pressure coming into her big hometown event, but she knows how to handle it better than ever.

“Pressure can be a very tough opponent,” she said. “The last World Championships

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I definitely didn’t win.

Super-G is not easy. Those girls who win super-G are strong skiers and know how to ski the event. And I don’t yet. I didn’t want to go to any other super-G and race my heart out and get injured.”

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I was in — Schladming (Austria) — was the most nervous I’ve ever been for slalom.

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There’s a lot to be said for experience and knowledge. Sometimes you feel pressure at the worst points. Sometimes you don’t at all. Right now I’m trying to see my position and it’s the exact position I want to be in.

That takes the pressure off.”

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A32 | Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | The Vail Daily

FIS ALPINE WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS

TRAINING

From page A27

hungry for her first medal. But she didn’t put much stock in Monday’s training result.

“I wouldn’t look at the times too much because it’s so windy up top,” Cook said. I don’t think they would have run a race in that kind of wind. So I’m not really looking at the scoreboard.”

Gut said that she held back a little due to the wind and will have more to give in today’s super-G and Friday’s downhill race.

“I just tried to ski clean, this was my goal, to ski the way I can,” she said. “I don’t think it’s the most important thing to go 100 percent for the first training.”

Mowinckel, whose top World Cup result is a fifth place in December’s giant slalom in Kuehtai in Tirol, Austria, and who finished eight in the 2013 giant slalom at Beaver Creek and has a pair of top 10s in super G, wasn’t holding back and surprised herself with her second-place finish.

“For sure I was gunning it. I was not taking it easy,” said the 22-year-old Norwegian. “I was quite surprised. I’m more of a GS skier and super-G, but this was fun. It is a really technical

course. You are traversing a lot and there are big arcs but you’re going across the slope all the time. There’s a lot happening.

I managed to do a high line and got the speed out of every turn instead of fighting against everything.”

After Gut and Mowinckel came Lindsey Vonn and Swiss veteran Fabienne Suter, who finished the training run in 1:48.78, 0.62 seconds off of Cook’s lead pace.

“You have to be on the line and you have to attack. You have to find a good mix between these two things,” said Suter, who finished fourth in the 2013 Beaver Creek downhill race, just 0.06 seconds off of the podium. “It’s not an easy course. To win here or get a medal you have to be … how do you say in English?

Fearless.”

Wrapping up the top 10 in Monday’s downhill training was Lichtenstein’s Tina Weirather (who finished second on the Raptor downhill course in the 2013 World Cup) in sixth, American Laurenne Ross in seventh, World Cup overall leader Tina Maze from Slovenia in eighth, Austrian veteran Nicole Hosp in ninth and her compatriot Nicole Schmidhofer in 10th.

DOMINIQUE TAYLOR | SPECIAL TO THE DAILY

Fablenne Suter, of Switzerland, starts her first day of downhill training during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Beaver Creek on Monday. Suter tied for fourth with Lindsey Vonn on the first day of training.

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The Vail Daily

| Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | A33

CO M E T RY T H E B EST P H O A RO U N D !

FIS ALPINE WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS Anna Fenninger, of Austria, crosses the finish line during the women’s downhill training for the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Beaver Creek on Monday.

Fenninger finished 11th in training.

TOWNSEND BESSENT TOWNSEND@VAILDAILY.COM

Monday’s training results Women’s downhill Daily staff report newsroom@vaildaily.com 1 COOK Stacey USA 2 GUT Lara SUI 2 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild NOR 4 VONN Lindsey USA 4 SUTER Fabienne SUI 6 WEIRATHER Tina LIE 7 ROSS Laurenne 8 MAZE Tina SLO 9 HOSP Nicole AUT 10 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole AUT 11 FENNINGER Anna AUT 12 STUHEC Ilka SLO 13 MANCUSO Julia USA 14 MCKENNIS Alice USA 15 BAILET Margot FRA 16 REBENSBURG Viktoria GER 17 FANCHINI Nadia ITA 18 YURKIW Larisa CAN 19 KLING Kajsa SWE 20 FANCHINI Elena ITA 21 NUFER Priska SUI

1:48.16 1:48.25 1:48.25 1:48.78 1:48.78 1:48.96 1:49.10 1:49.34 1:49.41 1:49.52 1:49.72 1:49.74 1:50.33 1:50.39 1:50.41 1:50.64 1:50.70 1:50.86 1:50.92 1:50.95 1:51.29

22 JNGLIN-KAMER Nadja SUI 1:51.42 23 JAY MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie FRA 1:51.46 24 MIKLOS Edit HUN 1:51.68 25 MARSAGLIA Francesca ITA 1:51.86 26 PIOT Jennifer FRA 1:52.28 26 GOERGL Elisabeth AUT 1:52.28 28 SCHNARF Johanna ITA 1:52.31 29 TVIBERG Maria Therese NOR 1:52.38 30 WORLEY Tessa FRA 1:52.51 31 GAGNON Marie-Michele CAN 1:52.71 32 BRODNIK Vanja SLO 1:52.78 33 KRIZOVA Klara CZE 1:52.79 34 HRONEK Veronique GER 1:53.36 35 ABDERHALDEN Marianne SUI 1:53.53 36 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina SPA 1:54.09 37 COLETTI Alexandra MON 1:54.36 38 GRENIER Valerie CAN 1:54.71 39 MERIGHETTI Daniela ITA 1:54.99 40 CURTONI Elena ITA 1:55.01 41 SMALL Greta AUS 1:55.28 42 SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena ARG 1:56.12 43 BARAHONA Noelle CHI 1:56.48 44 POPOVIC Leona CRO 1:57.90 45 BUCIK Ana SLO 1:59.54 46 KOMSIC AndreaCR 2:00.20

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