SuperG disappointment for Azzurri, Von Allmen irrepressible

Those who thought they would see a fulfilled Franjo von Allmen had to think again. After gold in the downhill and in the combined team event, the Swiss, who is going through an exceptional moment of form, pulled off another outstanding performance: he read the Bormio course to perfection, conquered the super-G and in five days put the third medal of the most precious metal around his neck.

The 24-year-old from Bern seemed unstoppable. With this success he also entered history: he equaled the record of three golds in the same edition by Sailer (1965) and Killy (1968), in their case all in individual races, and Kostelic (2002). By contrast, the high point that many expected from Marco Odermatt did not come. The Swiss champion finished third, 28 hundredths behind his compatriot. Silver went around the neck of American Ryan Cochran-Siegle, just 13 hundredths behind the winner. At the foot of the podium was France’s Nils Allegre, fourth at 31 hundredths, who started with bib number 1. Behind him was Austria’s Haaser, fifth at 57 hundredths, and Giovanni Franzoni, sixth with a gap of 63 hundredths.

Bitter SuperG for the Azzurri on the Stelvio: the Italian team leaves without podiums and with more than one regret. The race immediately goes uphill for Dominik Paris. The Azzurro lost a ski on a slight bump just before the entrance into the Carcentina section and ended up on the ground after six gates. An unfortunate episode that immediately extinguishes his ambitions.

Aldo Seghedoni

Giovanni Franzoni finished in 1’25″95. Slipping in the turns right in the Carcentina sector is what weighed him down: there he fails to hold the ideal line and in the next section, up to San Pietro, he leaves the decisive time on the road. Mattia Casse also struggles in the same spot. At the entrance to the Carcentina, before the last corner, he is forced to widen with a small “S” to find more space and get back on track. A choice that costs him speed: at the finish line the delay exceeds two seconds.

Innerhofer, at 41 and in the last Olympics of his career, finishes with a delay of 1″05. He pays for some inaccuracies in the Fontanalonga turns and, in the St. Peter jump, comes off balance. In flight he has to put himself back in trim by spreading his legs, a risky correction that causes him to lose further speed.

“I skied all the sectors well except for the one in the middle section where I took six tenths; it was perhaps necessary to stay a bit’ more closed. I need to learn how to handle the edges; I am not perfect yet. Von Allmen was great; he is a champion. There is only to learn. I am happy with how I am dealing with the races, I felt the pressure, but I started off strong, I pushed, even if it didn”t go the way I wanted it to go there,” said Franzoni.