PyeongChang 2018 ladies' downhill preview
Aug 31, 2018·Alpine Skiing
PYEONGCHANG – Lindsey VONN (USA) and Lara GUT (SUI) are eyeing their second Olympic medals in the ladies' downhill, which will be held on Wednesday 21 February at Jeongseon Alpine Centre. Check local listings for broadcast date and time in your home nation.
At the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Tina MAZE (SLO) and Dominique GISIN (SUI) shared the win in the ladies' downhill, the first time two athletes tied for the gold Olympic medal in any alpine skiing event.
Both MAZE and GISIN have since retired from the sport, leaving VONN (2010) as the only previous gold medallist in this event to participate.
VONN could join Katja SEIZINGER (GER, 1994-1998) as the only women with multiple Olympic gold medals in the ladies' downhill.
VONN and GUT (bronze in 2014) can join seven other women with multiple medals in this discipline at the Olympic Winter Games.
VONN, 33, could break the record for oldest female medallist in alpine skiing at the Winter Games, set by Michaela DORFMEISTER (AUT) at 32 years and 332 days when she won the ladies' super-G in 2006.
VONN also won two world titles in the speed events as she won the downhill and super-G in 2009. She could equal DORFMEISTER on a ladies' record four titles in the speed events at World Championships and Olympic Games combined.
Tina WEIRATHER (LIE) won bronze in the ladies' super-G on Saturday 17 February. Only four women have won medals in both speed events at the same Winter Games: Karen PERCY (CAN, 1988), Isolde KOSTNER (ITA, 1994), DORFMEISTER (2006) and VONN (2010).
WEIRATHER could join her mother Hanni WENZEL (LIE, four) and her uncle Andreas WENZEL (LIE, two) as the only multiple medallists for Liechtenstein at the Olympic Games or Olympic Winter Games.
Hanni WENZEL is the only Olympic gold medallist from Liechtenstein in any summer or winter sport as she won the ladies' slalom and giant slalom in 1980.
WEIRATHER could join her mother Hanni WENZEL (silver in 1980) as the only alpine skiers from Liechtenstein, male or female, to claim a medal in the downhill.
Michelle GISIN (SUI) hopes to win a medal in the same event her older sister Dominique GISIN won a gold medal in at Sochi 2014. The only other sisters to win an Olympic medal in the same alpine skiing event are Marielle GOITSCHEL and Christine GOITSCHEL (FRA), who both won medals in the ladies' slalom and giant slalom.
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