PyeongChang 2018: Alpine resumes with super-combined

After a rest day, alpine skiing resumes on Tuesday (13 March) in the Jeongseon Alpine Centre with super-combined, and four athletes could continue their perfect runs at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

France’s Marie Bochet, Germany’s Anna Schaffelhuber and Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova have been unmovable at the top of their respective women’s categories, all having won their downhill and super-G events in PyeongChang. Switzerland’s Theo Gmur can also add to his two Paralympic golds on Tuesday.

Vision impaired

Farkasova and her guide Natalia Subrtova are on a mission to regain the super combined Paralympic gold. The two-time world champion won the event back at Vancouver 2010 but did not complete the event four years ago. Already showcasing her speed in the last two competition days, Farkasova will also have to add the technical element in slalom, which will be the second run.

Great Britain’s 2017 Worlds silver medallist Millie Knight has come in second to Farkasova in every competition so far and would will hope Tuesday is her break. Guided by Brett Wild, Knight is still seeking her first gold in PyeongChang.

After a strong start in PyeongChang with downhill gold, Canada’s Mac Marcoux and guide Jack Leitch suffered a mishap in Sunday’s super-G. Now with a day of recovery, Tuesday is an opportunity for the 2017 Worlds silver medallists from Tarvisio, Italy, to start fresh. Italian 19-year-old world champion Giacomo Bertagnolli, and guide Fabrizio Casal, is hoping for his first Paralympic gold in his debut. But do not count out Slovakian veterans Jakub Krako and guide Branislav Brozman, who celebrated super-G gold on Sunday.

Sitting

Reigning world and Paralympic champion Schaffelhuber knows she cannot give Austrian rival Claudia Loesch an edge. It took a perfect run in the super-G and some luck in the downhill for Schaffelhuber to come away with a pair of PyeongChang golds. But Loesch, silver medallist from Tarvisio 2017, might liken the slalom course better, as the combined times of that and super-G will determine the event’s PyeongChang champion.

Schaffelhuber insisted she is not the favourite in super combined.

"The next two races will be the most difficult for me, Anna-Lena Forster is very strong in the slalom and she will be more of a favourite for the next races than me,” Schaffelhuber said of her fellow German who was third at the 2017 World Championships.

The USA’s Andrew Kurka has been the most consistent top finisher in the men’s sitting. A mistake down the home stretch in the super-G cost him the gold medal. But the 26-year-old said he learned from that mistake – and perhaps another mishap from the 2017 Worlds in which he did not finish the race – to come back on top in PyeongChang. Jeroen Kampschreur boasts the world title, and the 18-year-old Dutchman is looking to finally crack the podium on his Paralympic debut.

Standing

The men’s standing has seen the same order the last two days: Gmur, French teenager Arthur Bauchet and Austrian Markus Salcher. The emergence of Paralympic first-timers Gmur and Bauchet has stopped seasoned skier and Worlds bronze medallist Salcher, 26, from reaching the top. But Tuesday would test Gmur’s technical skills.

Germany’s Andrea Rothfuss came close to upsetting Bochet in the super-G. But the Frenchwoman has been dominating her category since Sochi 2014 and remains tough to beat.

Super combined begins 9:30 am KST with one run of super-G races, followed by one slalom run from 3:00 pm. Every competition can be watched live right here on the International Paralympic Committee’s website. Highlights of each day’s action will also be made available.

Tickets for PyeongChang 2018 can be purchased here.