In training before the speed weekend in Aspen, Andreas Sander was in top form. In two descents and in the Super-G he also wants to annoy the favorites in the races.
It’s been six years since the alpine ski circus last toured the posh US resort of Aspen. In 2017 Dominik Paris won the last downhill run on the slope in the Rocky Mountains. In training before the first races after the long break, the Italian finished tenth on Thursday (March 2nd, 2023). “The track is very short, so there is no time for mistakes. That will be very exciting in the racesaid Paris.
Sander still without a podium this season
Accordingly, Aspen is probably the place where the underdogs in downhill and super-G have the best chance of success. Apparently Andreas Sander has also decided to do the same. Nobody was faster in downhill training than the DSV athlete. The significance of this will be shown in the downhill competitions on Friday and Saturday and in the super-G on Sunday.
Sander has already made it into the top 20 four times this season in the downhill, his best result was 14th place in Val Gardena. However, his favorite discipline is the Super-G, in Cortina d’Ampezzo the 33-year-old just barely missed the podium in fourth place, at the World Championships in Courcheval he finished ninth. So it’s no wonder that Sander is starting the speed weekend in Aspen with a large portion of self-confidence based on his recent experience.
Showdown between Odermatt and Kilde
However, the favorites for the top spots remain others. A special focus is on the duel between Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Marco Odermatt. The Swiss won World Championship gold in Courchevel in the downhill and wants to win the World Cup in this discipline for the first time in Aspen. However, Kilde was up there in five of eight races this season, so the Norwegian is starting with four outstanding downhill races with a large lead in the discipline ranking.
Apart from Kilde, only Vincent Kriechmayr has so far been able to celebrate as the downhill winner. The Austrian was the fastest man three times, but he himself doubts that he will be able to do that in Aspen.”Of course I hope that I can present myself better than at the World Cup. But it’s not that easy at the moment, I wouldn’t count myself among the big favourites. I have to make sure that I can ski better again“said Kriechmayr, who only finished eleventh in Courchevel.