(ATR) Neglected but not forgotten, ski racing's traditional alpine combined event struggles to receive adequate recognition on the FIS World Cup circuit.
Frenchman Alexis Pinturault won a World Cup alpine combined event in Santa Catarina, Italy on Thursday, one of just two races in the discipline this season. The longstanding Olympic event – which combines downhill or super-G and slalom – receives mixed reviews from racers.
"It’s difficult to answer," Pinturault said, asked by Around the Rings if there should be more combined races added to the schedule. "If there is not a lot of interest in it, maybe the programs can be improved. If FIS is doing it, it’s for a reason."
Pinturault’s fourth career combined win was also his 18th World Cup victory, equaling legend Jean-Claude Killy for the most ever by a French skier. Overall World Cup leader Marcel Hirscher padded his lead, finishing second behind the 25-year-old Frenchman.
"I think it is not serious to have just two events – if we’re going to do it, let’s do it right," Hirscher said, unsure if a crystal globe is being awarded in the discipline this season. "It is a fun event, but if we are going to award a globe, then we should have at least four races."
A crystal globe was not awarded by FIS to the season’s best racer in alpine combined from 2013 to 2015 with only two races held each season. The IOC has warned FIS to place more emphasis on the event since its addition to the Olympic program at Calgary 1988. The combined event was also featured at the 1936 and 1948 Winter Games.
French downhill specialist Adrien Theaux believes that combined should always include ski racing’s most thrilling discipline – the downhill, as opposed to a super-G, which was held on Friday. Olympic combined events are always downhill and slalom.
The second and final alpine combined race of the World Cup is scheduled in two weeks in Wengen, Switzerland. The event is also on the program at the FIS World Championships in St. Moritz in February.
"It’s a long day and it seems like a lot of combines are favoring slalom skiers now," said U.S. skier Jared Goldberg. "I think two is fine – the next one in Wengen is a lot of fun, but if you have too many, it’s too much."
Alpine ski racing’s other four disciplines are contested between six and ten times per season. Combined has been run just two or three times over each of the past four seasons.
Combined Veteran Critical of FIS
Croatian veteran Ivica Kostelic, 37, has won silver medals at each of the last three Olympics in the combined discipline. The four-time Olympian has battled for the event throughout his career, professing that the combination of downhill and slalom is a pure test of the sport.
"I will still fight for it – we have two races now and it’s a shame," Kostelic told ATR. "There have been so many steps in the wrong direction and the combined is one of those.
"We have an avalanche of so many new sports and I’m guessing snowballing is going to be next at the Olympics," the Croatian skier continued.
"And for skiing instead of building on this image of traditional, tough sport, they’ve just destroyed it. I don’t get it."
Ivica’s sister Janica has also been a dominant combined skier, having won gold medals in the event at both the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.
Uncooperative Weather Prevents Full Schedule in Santa Caterina
Three races were scheduled at the Italian World Cup venue between the Christmas holiday and New Years, however only two were held.
Strong winds forced the cancellation of Wednesday’s signature downhill event. Following two start delays, the winds wouldn’t let up and the forecast didn’t improve causing organizers to cancel the race.
With two cancellations already this season (Lake Louise rescheduled in Kvitfjell and Beaver Creek rescheduled in Val d’Isère) and a very tight World Cup calendar, the Santa Caterina downhill will not be replaced on the calendar. As a result, the 2016/17 season will have eight downhills instead of nine.
The men’s tour continues with a night slalom event in Zagreb, Croatia on Jan. 5.
Written by Brian Pinelli in Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy
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