Favorite: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde
Even if he dreamed of gold on the super G, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde had to settle for a silver medal which could however bring him big.
In terms of confidence in particular, since the Norwegian had never before been on the podium at the World Championships.
An incongruity in his prize list – which still includes a large crystal globe clinched in 2020 as well as three small crystal globes (two in super G in 2016 and 2022 and one in downhill 2022) – now fixed, which could act as a click for the 30-year-old skier.
At the top of his game, what's more, downhill this season with five victories in eight contested events.
“
I have a great opportunity with the downhill.
I feel confident and ready to strike
“, he assured Thursday, despite a hand injury he has been dragging since mid-January.
Title holder: Vincent Kriechmayr
Double world champion in 2021 (downhill and super-G in Cortina), Vincent Kriechmayr missed his super-G in Courchevel (12th) last Thursday.
But this son of cattle breeders from Mühlviertel (Upper Austria, near Linz) knows how to sublimate himself at the right time, as proven by his victory during the first descent of Kitzbühel in January.
He won three of the eight winter downhills.
The Frenchman: Johan Clarey
At 42, the Frenchman never stops looking younger and impressing everyone.
As during the last descent of Kitzbühel, on January 21, where he won 2nd place.
A habit for him on the legendary Austrian track.
But on the trail of the Courchevel Eclipse, Johan Clarey, who announced that he was "
99% certain
" that this would be his last season, dreams of a first career victory which stubbornly avoids him.
"
It's not the ideal track for me
," he said after setting the 10th fastest time in the second practice.
"
But I've been successful on every track in the world with top 5s so there's no reason it shouldn't work here either.
The feeling is quite good, there is no place that I hate, I am comfortable on a lot of things, if I ski with a big heart, it will be a good race
”.
French world champions
Go to slideshow (13)
The number: 1
Surprisingly, while they largely dominate the discipline this season, Kilde (5 wins and a 3rd place) and Kriechmayr (3 wins) have only been on the podium once together in eight races.
It was the event contested in Bormio on December 28, won by the Austrian while the Norwegian had to settle for the third step of the podium, behind a certain James Crawford, the Canadian who rightly deprived him of the title. in super G on Thursday for an unfortunate hundredth.
The program
The descent will start at 11 a.m. on the Eclipse slope in Courchevel.
The first to start will be the Italian Florian Schieder.
The first big favorite to take action will be the Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr (bib 6), ahead of Johan Clarey (number 8), Marco Odermatt (number 10), James Crawford (number 12) and finally Aleksander Kilde (number 15).
Three other French people will compete in this event: Adrien Théaux (bib 22), Maxence Muzaton (bib 24) and Nils Allegre (bib 30).