Everything you need to know about the race opening the Alpine skiing programme at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
The men’s downhill event opens the Alpine skiing competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
The event will take place on the course ‘Rock’ at the Beijing National Ski Centre and was scheduled for Sunday 6 February at 11:00 local time (19:00 PST on Saturday), but it has been postponed to Monday 7 at 12:00 Beijing time (20 PST on Sunday).
The newly built 3,152m-long track was never tested in World Cup because all the events in China were cancelled over the last two years amid the pandemic.
The course in Yanqing is created entirely out of artificial snow and features steep sections with a maximum gradient of 68 percent.
56 competitors started in each of the two training runs held before the race.
The defending champion is Aksel Lund Svindal but the Norwegian won’t be able to retain his title after retiring in 2019.
Since the men’s Olympic downhill was first held in 1948, only two non-Europeans won gold in this event (Americans Bill Johnson at Sarajevo 1984 and Tommy Moe at Lillehammer 1994).
Men’s downhill at Beijing 2022: Stars to watch
Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) : Cortina 2021 world champion, one win this season in Wengen (Switzerland).
Beat Feuz (SUI) : Four-time World cup globe winner, one win and two podiums this season.
Mathias Mayer (AUT) : Olympic gold medallist at Sochi 2014, one win this season in Lake Louise (Canada).
Dominik Paris (ITA) : The active skier with most downhill wins in World cup (16), one victory this season in Bormio (Italy).
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR): Current leader in downhill World Cup standings with three wins this season (Beaver Creek, Wenger, Kitzbuhel).