If the past few weeks are any indication of the excitement level for alpine skiing's White Circus, hang on tight! A lot could happen this weekend as the Bulgarian resort of Bansko hosts its first Audi FIS World Cup races.
On tap are back-to-back women's downhills Friday and Saturday followed by a super G on Sunday. If World Champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) skis anything like she has the past three weeks, her second consecutive World Cup downhill title could be a lock.
Here's a quick Vonn recap, CNN style: Feb. 1 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – super G victory…Feb. 3 – Val d'Isere, France – super G World Champion…Feb. 9 – Val d'Isere, France – downhill World Champion…Feb. 20 – Tarvisio, Italy – super combined 2nd…Feb. 21 – Taravisio, Italy – downhill 2nd…Feb. 22 – Tarvisio, Italy – super G victory.
Her super G win last Sunday was Vonn's 19th World Cup win, officially securing her status as the most successful female ski racer in American history, surpassing U.S. great Tamara McKinney for the honor.
Vonn has been on every downhill podium this season and currently leads the standings by 58 points over Swiss surprise Dominique Gisin. She is also in the hunt for the super G title, just 39 points behind Nadia Fanchini of Italy. Her overall lead is currently 299 points over Maria Riesch of Germany.
Standing in the way of every racer is a super technical downhill course tattooed with tricky turn after tricky turn. As U.S. Ski Team women's Head Coach Jim Tracy describes, "you can ski three turns right, but if you're not thinking about the next three turns, you're low, late and slow.
"It's a puzzle all the athletes are going to have to figure out," said Tracy. "It's icy, it's bumpy and it's not going to feel good, but the racer who fights the hardest will win – they all ski the same course. It's not going to take magic to be fast, it's going to take intensity and flat out solid skiing."
"It's a very bumpy course with lots of high-speed turns and you're really tired at the end," said Vonn, who has a sore back following a crash in the second training run. "You have to fight the whole time, but we've been really lucky with weather. Sunshine has covered the entire course both days, hopefully that stays. This hill would be even tougher with flat light conditions."
Tucked near the Greek border, Bansko is the largest resort in Bulgaria and sits a full 10 kilometers over the medieval town featuring cobbled streets and houses of over 100 years old. In many ways the houses look like monasteries with high stonewalls and small shuttered windows.
A 2.5-mile gondola carries skiers from town to the finish area. The downhill start is another two lifts above.
"I'm pretty sure it's the longest gondola I've ever been on," said Tracy, "But they've done a good job with this event so far. It's their first time around and everyone has been super friendly and eager to help. It should be a good weekend."
The U.S. Ski Team will start six women with Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA), Stacey Cook (Mammoth, CA), Chelsea Marshall (Pittsfield, VT), Keely Kelleher (Big Sky, MT) and Kaylin Richardson (Edina, MN) joining Vonn in on the start list.
Action opens Friday with a downhill rescheduled for Bansko from the St. Moritz, Switzerland cancellation. Universal Sports will have live coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m. ET on
Universal Sports. Action will also be available later that day on the Universal Sports' 24-hour TV network, now available in 45 million homes across the U.S.
White Circus Comes to Bulgaria
White Circus Comes to Bulgaria
