Beijing Olympics, Bassino-Brignone the pink avalanche to confirm again giant

A night to dream, to amaze, to show the world that we are still the ones to beat. The giant opens the Olympics of the blue ski. Last year, on the eve of the World Championships in Cortina, this was the specialty on which they bet the most, that of the “safe medal” according to predictions that seem to have been made on purpose to be disregarded. This year the pressure is less and perhaps it is better this way, because starting as favorites is never easy, especially at an Olympics. “Sara Hector succeeds in everything in this period -but Marta Bassino with an almost relieved tone-. Yes, she is going through a moment of grace similar to the one I experienced last season”.

Pressure

–

Last year Marta turned everything she touched into gold. First in Soelden, first in Courchevel, twice before in Kranjska Gora. She gave style lessons to everyone, so light on skis and yet she was so incisive, stable, present, technically flawless. Then the shape curve flattened and Marta began to feel the pressure, a bit of tiredness arrived and at the World Cup it did not reach what everyone expected, even if the gold in parallel consoled her. The new season started with some more doubts, every now and then we saw that sort of fear in attacking that seemed to be overcome. The third places in Courchevel and Kranjska Gora restored her confidence and Marta welcomed them with joy. And now comes the highlight of the season, the race that can be worth a career. “To tell the truth as a child I did not follow the Olympics – attacks the Piedmontese -, for example I have no images of Turin 2006. Of Vancouver 2010 I have the faint memory of Lindsey Vonn beating Julia Mancuso in the downhill and of” Razzo “who wins the slalom. At the time of Sochi 2014 I was competing in the European Cup and I was focused on what I was doing. For me the Games started with my first participation, in PyeongChang. It was a good experience, apart from the cold of the first days and the place a bit absurd we were in. Then I faced the races with serenity “. She was fifth in giant, in combined tenth, in slalom she came out in the first heat. Then it was at the beginning of her, one could expect from her an Olympics lived with serenity. Four years later the pressure will inevitably be greater. “It will depend a lot on how I am – continues Marta -. You can’t control your emotions, I just hope to be calm. Cortina had a similar impact on the whole, in giant I went badly but still I won gold in the parallel”. Arrived on Wednesday, Marta had the opportunity to test the Yanqing track. “The first impressions are beautiful, with very aggressive snow to which we gradually got used to it. The first part is steep, nice leaning on the whole a track that seems to be quite short”. “Marta is fine – considers the head of the elite, Gianluca Rulfi – and she is skiing hard. She is a winner and she has shown it, she just has to be calm. Compared to last year she has a different performance, but there are cycles for everyone. Sara Hector waited seven years before returning to win. There is only one Shiffrin around. “

Expectations

–

In addition to Bassino, Italy ranks Federica Brignone and Elena Curtoni. The Valtellinese has been coming for troubled days, the proximity by plane with a person who later tested positive forced her to the status of “close contact”, with a series of hassles not just. Yesterday at least she got to be able to use the cable car to go up to the track, because in the previous days she had had to organize a transport by car. “In the village I always find a person outside the room waiting for me and following me during my travels for a couple of more days. I try to isolate myself and think only of skiing, I will use the giant to break the ice and cancel these days of voltage”. A fourth bib would have been available, that of Sofia Goggia, but it was decided not to risk a Marsaglia that has long been missing from the giant.

Foindamenta

–

Federica Brignone for years has been a reference in the giant at an international level. Among the wide doors she presented herself to the world – silver at the 2011 World Championships in Garmisch, at the age of twenty – and won her Olympic medal, the bronze at PyeongChang 2018. Among the wide doors she obtained most of her podiums and has laid the foundation for the overall World Cup (two wins). Her last season was her annus horribilis, crushed by tension, by the desire to prove that they deserve a World Cup to those who (wrongly) have belittled the one won in 2019-20. On the one hand, her super-G was reborn on one side of her, and on the other the fact that she broke away from the elite team to train with her brother Davide. As a giant she started the season struggling, but lately she has been unlucky: fourth in Lienz, fourth in Plan de Corones. Tonight’s race will be just the first of a long journey, which could lead her to do all the races. “It will be a very narrow giant – says the Valle d’Aosta -, there is a lot of difference in height and the doors will be close, with little distance between one and the other. Who will be less in the curve will make the difference. I’m enjoying myself, the sensations they are good and I like skiing. I will use the slalom on Wednesday to train for the combined, the super-G will certainly be the appointment to which I will look more carefully, but first of all you must not overdo it, manage your strength in the best possible way, take advantage of the ‘experience”. “Sharp teeth will be needed – concludes Rulfi -. The track is steep, demanding. The adaptation to this snow will count.” Terms of comparison? Killington, with such aggressive snow. They look like the conditions of when Marta won, in December 2019 “. And where Federica triumphed a year earlier, in 2018. We hope it is a good omen.