The Albany Gazette - Relax, eat well, don't fall!: Kilde eyes pre-Olympic Kitzbuehel boost

The in-form Kilde has followed up on his breakthrough season with more impressive displays this year, making up for the absence of multiple medal-winning 'Attacking Viking' teammates Aksel Lund Svindal (retired) and Kjetil Jansrud (injured).

December saw Kilde win the Beaver Creek super-G and downhill as well as tasting success in Italy with victories in the Val Gardena super-G and Bormio downhill.

Last week, the 29-year-old finished second in the Wengen super-G before rebounding to take the downhill win.

He was beaten to victory in Wengen by Swiss rival Marco Odermatt, who also leads the current World Cup overall standings.

Kilde, one half of alpine skiing's golden couple with his girlfriend, US star Mikaela Shiffrin, remains upbeat about his approach to skiing.

"Relax, eat well and stay on my skis!" Kilde said of his run-in to the February 4-20 Beijing Olympics.

"It's been an incredible season, I just hope to bring that into the Olympics and focus on having fun."

His previous best at an Olympics was 13th in the super-G in both the 2014 Sochi Games and four years later in Pyeongchang.

At each outing Kilde was usurped by Svindal, Olympic downhill champion in Pyeongchang in a race in which he finished 15th, and Jansrud, super-G winner in Sochi and downhill silver medallist in 2018.

"I remember that downhill being such an amazing day for the team," said Kilde, who came in 39th in Thursday's training run in the Austrian resort where Covid-19 restrictions means crowds have been cut from the normal tens of thousands to just 1,000.

- Veterans to the fore -

Italy's Christof Innerhofer, who has two previous podium finishes in the super-G in Kitzbuehel, topped training with 1min 10.45sec down a shortened Streif course.

As snow fell, the veteran Italian was followed by 41-year-old Frenchman Johan Clarey, the elder statesman of the World Cup circuit, and Switzerland's Niels Hintermann.

"Kitzbuehel is always special, it's pretty challenging," Kilde said.

"It's going to be a tight race. I hope the weather is stable for a fair race. I'm ready for what's coming."

A forecast of heavy snow has already seen the slalom advanced from its usual Sunday spot to Saturday, with the two downhills now to be held on Friday and Sunday.

"It's very tough, also with the weather," Odermatt said of the notoriously testing Streif course on Kitzbuehel's Hahnenkamm mountain.

Steps have been taken this year to reduce the risk around the Hausberg jump, forcing racers into a more uniform line with a wider radius, marginally cutting speed and the size of the exit jump.

It has not sat well with all skiers, who delight in managing their personal risk management on a course that has been the scene of many gruesome crashes over the years.

"For the public to see the risk factor is important," contended American veteran Steve Nyman.

(L.Kaufmann--BBZ)