Home Money & Business Business Women’s World Cup skiers prepare for first competition on challenging Birds of Prey downhill track.

Women’s World Cup skiers prepare for first competition on challenging Birds of Prey downhill track.

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Women’s World Cup skiers prepare for first competition on challenging Birds of Prey downhill track.


BEAVER CREEK, Colo. — American ski racer Bella Wright came down the Birds of Prey downhill course after an exhilarating training run, joyfully exclaiming, “Woo-hoo!”

“It was just a spontaneous reaction,” she admitted. “I realized I finally got to experience a course I’ve always dreamed of skiing.”

While this course might be a dream for some, it poses a significant challenge for others as the women’s World Cup makes its debut on the demanding Birds of Prey downhill for the first time this Saturday. Competitors have been working hard all week to acclimate to the technical turns, steep sections, and fast-paced parts of the track during their training sessions.

Initially, the course can feel quite daunting. “The first impression can be quite intimidating,” remarked American skier Jacqueline Wiles regarding the downhill course, which will be followed by a super-G event on Sunday. “However, once you actually get on it, it becomes clear that it’s manageable and not as terrifying as it initially appears.”

The men have been navigating the Birds of Prey downhill for many years on the World Cup circuit, but this will be the women’s first encounter with the full downhill layout.

While they did ski some of the terrain during a re-scheduled super-G in 2011 — a race won by Lindsey Vonn, who is making her return to the sport at the age of 40 this weekend — the full downhill course has remained unchallenged by female competitors until now. In preparation for the 2015 World Championships hosted in Beaver Creek, a separate course named Raptor was developed exclusively for the women. They have had successes there in 2013, where Swiss racer Lara Gut-Behrami claimed victory in both the super-G and downhill events.

Gut-Behrami appreciates the unique snowy conditions at Beaver Creek, having also seized a bronze in the downhill at the 2015 world championships. “It’s challenging to balance letting loose while maintaining control on the edges,” she explained of her experience on the Birds of Prey course. “The track is aggressive and demands a lot.”

One aspect that stands out about the Birds of Prey course is its speed. During the final training session on Friday, Sofia Goggia of Italy clocked an impressive time that saw her reaching nearly 79 mph (126.72 kph) at one point. The day before, Norwegian Kajsa Vickhoff Lie surpassed 80 mph (129.87 kph). “It’s a blast,” she shared.

Measuring approximately 1.4 miles (2,304 meters) in length, the course features a vertical drop of 2,313 feet (705 meters) and includes jumps, bumps, and challenging technical sections.

“I love how dynamic it is – busy in a good sense,” said Lauren Macuga, who was the runner-up in Friday’s training session, finishing just 1.10 seconds behind Goggia. “There’s always something happening in each turn, leaving no time to relax.”

As exhilarating as the course can be, it has also been the site of some serious spills. In 2007, renowned Norwegian athlete Aksel Lund Svindal incurred a severe laceration to his abdomen after losing control on a jump during a training run and ending up in the safety netting. His story took a positive turn when he returned to the same venue and achieved multiple victories afterward.

Similarly, Bode Miller experienced a crash during the super-G at the 2015 world championships on the Birds of Prey course, which resulted in surgery to repair a torn hamstring tendon. However, there have also been recent success stories, such as Swiss racer Justin Murisier, who clinched his first World Cup win in the Beaver Creek downhill just a week ago, with his teammate Marco Odermatt finishing close behind in second place.

Gut-Behrami plans to familiarize herself with the course without relying on others’ strategies. “We have a scheduled inspection, and it’s essential for us to develop our own feel for the course,” she expressed.

Contrarily, Lie took a more collaborative approach, inspecting the course on Thursday with fellow Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Despite being sidelined by injury, Kilde has significant experience at the Birds of Prey, having secured two World Cup downhill and two super-G victories at the venue.

“I won’t disclose any secrets,” Lie joked when asked about Kilde’s advice. “But he shared key points and insights that have helped me mentally prepare. It’s a fresh experience for everyone; I like that we all have to start from the same place, and it ultimately comes down to skill on the day of the race.”