Alexis Pinturault, the logical continuation
After winning the crystal globe that had been promised him for years in the spring, Alexis Pinturault is undoubtedly applying for a second consecutive coronation. At 30, the Frenchman seems at the top of his game. He continues with the same personalized structure, put in place in 2017, which allowed him to reach the top, and to be the active skier with the most World Cup victories (34 successes, 9th all-time at men's). The versatile champion (giant, slalom, super-G), almost never injured, does not seem satisfied. And maybe will have a little less pressure, after finally reaching the Grail: “I may have a lighter heart, but it's hard to say if there will be less pressure this season. We will see over the winter but in Sölden, for the start of the school year,things are as usual, the competition will remain very difficult, ”he said.
Marco Odermatt, revenge
Early genius of alpine skiing, Marco Odermatt came very close to the big globe in the spring, failing 245 points from Pinturault after frustrating finals (cancellation of the descent and the super-G, which were favorable to him, loss of the giant globe on his last race). At 24, the Swiss ticks all the boxes to dominate the general classification: he climbed last season on nine podiums (giant and super-G) and approached the Top 3 in downhill, a discipline where he is progressing at full speed. . What would make the Nidwalden happy? “A medal at the Games or a globe. These are two big goals, very difficult to achieve, but I'm going to give my all, ”he said, rather cautious in his goals. The Swiss can also count on his friend Loïc Meillard, 4th in the general classification in 2021,in constant progression for five years.
Marco Schwarz, the heir
The retirement in 2019 of eight-time globe winner Marcel Hirscher has left a void in Austria, the country of skiing, which Marco Schwarz may be on the way to filling.
“Blacky” (his nickname, pun on his name which means “black” in German) came of age last winter with a 3rd place in the general classification and the small globe of the slalom, a discipline in which he took part. is shown intractable with seven podiums including two victories in eleven races (at worst 9th).
If he manages to grow his bronze medal obtained on the giant of the Worlds in Cortina d'Ampezzo (he was also titled in combined), he will be a credible candidate for the supreme title.
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the return
Surprise winner of the big globe in 2020, the Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde had to leave the circuit in January, the victim of a rupture of a cruciate ligament in the right knee in training, when he was second in the general classification. This speed specialist, able to also shine as a giant, will return to competition at the age of 29 after a summer preparation spent partly in Colorado with Mikaela Shiffrin, with whom he formalized his relationship on social networks. It is up to him to be inspired by the American, the best skier in the world (3 big globes), also in reconquest this season. But uncertainties remain about his state of form: he chose to skip the inaugural race in Sölden to aim for a comeback in the first speed trials in Lake Louise, Canada,End of november.
