By Simon Evans
YANQING, China – Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde has a swift chance to make up for his Olympic downhill disappointment when he returns to the slopes in the men’s super-G on Tuesday. Kilde, the pre-Games favourite, finished fifth in the marquee race won by Switzerland’s Beat Feuz and as leader in the World Cup super-G standings he will be desperate to avoid missing out on the podium once again. “I had high expectations (in the downhill) for sure. It’s been a great season and in the Olympics, when you stand there as a favourite you want to deliver,” he said. “The Olympics are not over yet so I just have to keep on going,” he added. The super-G is the second speed event in the Games and takes place on the downhill slope but from a lower start and with gates set up so that the skiers must turn more. Kilde has won three of the five super-G races on the World Cup circuit this season — with the other two being clinched by Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, who finished seventh in downhill on his Olympic debut. Austria’s Matthias Mayer, who took bronze in the downhill, is the defending Olympic super-G champion and should contend for gold again with his vast experience and habit of rising to the big occasion. Mayer could become the first man to win golds in three straight Olympic Games and the first skier of either gender to win speed events in three consecutive Olympics. Feuz, though, will be hoping for double gold glory before heading back to Switzerland. “I will start the super-G and then in 40 hours I’m looking forward to being at home and having my family back in my arms,” he said.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
