Written by: Theodore, Reporter in ISFM
Fog, snow, chaos and a masterpiece, all in one race; the women’s Super-G.
Fog & Snow, Low-Visibility & Soft Snow
The conditions were set, as if luck itself wished for utter and total chaos: fog made visibility impossible, further backed by snowfall and *flat light, where shadows became non-existent. Furthermore, as the race concluded, the snow turned from the hard-packed ideal snow to a softer texture, making mistakes more consequential.
*flat light is when overcast skies and fog make low contrast, minimalist shadow and uniform light
The Italian National Championship
Frederica Brignone had undergone two surgeries after a crash during the Italian National Championship, suffering a double fracture in her leg and a torn ACL. During her second run, she hit a gate at high speeds resulting in her legs entangling and causing her to fall. Because of this, she lost the ability to walk for three months, and returned only three months before the Olympic Games. Therefore, she was doubted to even partake in the event or make a notable difference.
The Super-G:
The U.S’s performance
Out of 43 participants, 17 fell due to the horrible conditions as shown in Fog & Snow, Low-Visibility & Soft Snow and the inability to do a practice run. Jacky Whiles, who had won fourth in downhill previously, finished 13th, surprisingly the U.S.’s top finish. Breezy Johnson, the main U.S. Star, while being unable to finish, had her engagement right after. She had caught her pole on a gate and landed in the orange fencing unscathed. Keely Cashman finished 15th and Mary Bocock, the last U.S.’s representative was unable to finish but didn’t get engaged like Breezy Johnson.
An enormous lead
While most others fell, misted turns, made major mistakes (resulting in a bad time) or crashed, Frederica Birgnone raced downhill, her lead beginning to enlarge, reaching a massive 0.76 second lead at the finish line. At the end of the competition, she still had an enormous lead (0.41 seconds), in front of Romane Miradoli, who won silver for France. The 10th place skier ended 1.24 seconds behind Frederica Brignone, which can be considered as a high gap. Although not too uncommon, most typical Super-Gs have less than a one second gap between 1st and 10th place. After this, you still need to factor in the conditions and the track itself which was highly difficult, but nonetheless, Frederica Brignone’s run was a masterpiece. In a press conference, she admitted went beyond anything she thought she could possibly do. “Without a doubt this is a masterpiece, but it’s more a masterpiece of the mind, of perseverance, of going beyond what I thought was possible.”
Written by: Theodore, Reporter in ISFM
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