PyeongChang 2018 men's super-G preview
Aug 31, 2018·Alpine Skiing
PYEONGCHANG – Norway is hoping to win the men's super-G for the fifth Olympic Winter Games in a row. The competition will be held on Friday 16 February at Jeongseon Alpine Centre. Check your local listings for the broadcast date and time in your home nation.
Five of the eight previous men's super-G races at the Olympic Winter Games were won by Norwegian skiers, including each of the last four.
Kjetil Andre AAMODT (NOR) won in 1992, 2002 and 2006, Aksel Lund SVINDAL (NOR) in 2010 and Kjetil JANSRUD (NOR) in 2014.
Norway can become the first NOC to win a specific men's or women's alpine skiing event at five consecutive Olympic Winter Games. The NOC now shares the record of four with Austria, which did so in the men's slalom (1952 to 1964).
Norway has won only one specific event at the Olympic Winter Games on at least five successive editions: the ski jumping men's large hill individual at six Winter Games in a row from 1924 to 1952.
JANSRUD could join AAMODT (2002-2006) as the only alpine skiers, male or female, to successfully defend an Olympic super-G title.
JANSRUD and SVINDAL can join AAMODT (three) as the only men to win the Olympic super-G gold medal more than once.
SVINDAL won the men's downhill on Thursday 15 February and can become the second alpine skier, male or female, to win both speed events, the downhill and super-G, at the same Olympic Winter Games, after Michaela DORFMEISTER (AUT) in 2006.
SVINDAL has won two Olympic gold medals and can become the fifth man to win at least three gold medals in this sport, after AAMODT (four), Alberto TOMBA (ITA, three), Jean-Claude KILLY (FRA, three) and Toni SAILER (AUT, three).
JANSRUD (four total medals) and SVINDAL (four) could equal TOMBA (five) and Lasse KJUS (NOR, five) in third place among men with most alpine skiing medals, behind only AAMODT (eight) and Bode MILLER (USA, six).
The last 11 global titles in the men's super-G – World Championships or Olympic Winter Games – were won by 11 different skiers (2003-2017).
Hannes REICHELT (AUT, 2015), Ted LIGETY (USA, 2013) and Christof INNERHOFER (ITA, 2011) are in a position to add an Olympic gold medal to their world title in this event. Hermann MAIER (AUT) is the only man to have won the super-G at both global championships: he won the Olympic gold medal in 1998 and the world title in 1999.
REICHELT will be 37 years and 225 days old on the day of the super-G race. The record for oldest Olympic medallist in alpine skiing belongs to Bode MILLER (USA) who won bronze in the men's super-G in 2014 at 36 years and 127 days.
At age 35, SVINDAL is the oldest alpine skier to win Olympic gold. He broke Mario MATT's (AUT) record on Thursday 15 February, who was 34 years and 319 days old when he won the men's slalom in 2014.
The United States has yet to win its first Olympic gold medal in the men's super-G, making it the only men's alpine skiing event in which the NOC lacks an Olympic title.
Statistics provided by Gracenote Sports
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