 Poster: A snowHead
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World Cup overall champion Bode Miller has attacked the International Ski Federation policy of allocating start numbers for ski racing. After a final training run for the Lake Louise downhill this weekend he called the system "lunacy". His criticism came after a number of racers reportedly tried to slow down to achieve high start numbers.
This report from Reuters.
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With an uncertain weather forecast adding to the confusion, the final training session was turned into a lottery, with skiers breaking [sic] as they entered the final stretch in an effort to secure a more favorable start position.
With 200 meters left in his run, Miller stood up and twisted his way across the finish line hoping for a start number from 11-15 but miscalculated to finish with the fifth best time and will start 26th. |
Any comments?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'd take the order from the last training run and let the skiers pick their start number. It'd stop the shenanigans as they are at the moment but still let let the racers have the choice of an early/late run depending on conditions.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The usual farce prevailed for day 3's practice run. FIS rules for the start order for the race proper are based on the final practice day's results only. Days 1 and 2 are meaningless. As a consequence chaos takes over, with racers slamming on the brakes if they feel they've been going too fast - otherwise they risk having a poor bib number for the Downhill itself. Why? Because the top 30 in final practice start in reverse order.
I witnessed this myself in the final days practice for the women's Downhill at Val d'Isère last year. Brit Chemmy Alcott appeared at the top of the final run in, attempting to zigzag her way down the hill, with almost disastrous results! Most embarassed she was too in the finish area, commenting that the spectators must have been wondering what on earth she was doing...
Bode made a deliberately lazy start, 40th fastest, but then, despite himself, his time between splits 1 and 2 was 7th best. This pushed him up to 13th fastest on aggregate by split 2, and then he was really motoring. Between splits 2 and 3 he had the fastest time of 33"63, and was up to 4th on the day by split 3. He carried his speed between splits 3 and 4, yet again the fastest, and by the final split time he was 2nd overall. He then slams on the brakes, covering the final split to the finish in 13"10, 67th, nearly the slowest of the run. But by no means enough to drop him back down the order by more than three places, going from 2nd overall at split 4 to 5th at the finish.
He wasn't alone by any means in trying this risky tactic yesterday in Lake Louise.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The problem with letting skiers pick their start number is that it will then take longer to sort out who goes where. I mean, how far down the order do they get to choose? Is it just the top 30 who can decide their spot? Where do the rest fit in?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Wear The Fox Hat, and then what's the market price for trading start numbers...............................
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wear The Fox Hat, racer chose their bibs a few years ago. The best-ranked 15 (so not the fastest from the final training run) could pick, in order of their ranking, any number between 1 and 30. The racers ranked between 16 and 30 were then drawn out of a hat for what was left. Then the 31st-ranked racer started 31, etc,etc. It seemed to work OK and could be adapted to use the final training run order.
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why not draw the top 30 out randomly? stick 30 balls in a bag numbered 1 to 30. Fastest in practive gets the number on the first ball drawn, second fastest gets ball 2 etc etc
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nbt, That method should work quite well, there are even stadiums up and down the country dedicated to covering the event. There's even one down the road from me, called Mecca or Gala or something 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I suppose you could get Easyjet to organise it?
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