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newfydog

Making fresh tracks
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My bet is that this will be her last season. Final races will be US Nationals at Sun Valley. Race the SG, and do a final "victory lap" run in the closing GS.
Just have a hunch.

My hunch is less graceful. One friend close to the scene said she'll chase Stenmark's record in a wheelchair if she has to. I predict she gets some sort of a medal but not gold, and the press and outsiders treat it as a failure. She then wins a race or two after the games, and decides to go for another season thinking that Lake Louise, where she built up all those wins, is early and easy for her. Trouble is that Shiffrin also has a touch for that hill, precipitating a giant shitstorm between the Vonn entourage and Mikaela's mom. The press posts lots of photos where LV looks like a scowling old bitch rather than Sports Illustrated body painting canvass. Meanwhile, Stenmark watches on in quiet amusement from a beach in Thailand.
 

Muleski

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My hunch is less graceful. One friend close to the scene said she'll chase Stenmark's record in a wheelchair if she has to. I predict she gets some sort of a medal but not gold, and the press and outsiders treat it as a failure. She then wins a race or two after the games, and decides to go for another season thinking that Lake Louise, where she built up all those wins, is early and easy for her. Trouble is that Shiffrin also has a touch for that hill, precipitating a giant shitstorm between the Vonn entourage and Mikaela's mom. The press posts lots of photos where LV looks like a scowling old bitch rather than Sports Illustrated body painting canvass. Meanwhile, Stenmark watches on in quiet amusement from a beach in Thailand.

Could well be! That will be great drama.

Agree on how competitive she is, or has been. I hear that's "turning" and that she is thinking that winning is getting a lot harder. As others enter the picture and also come back from their injuries, at younger ages, the field tightens. Stuhec, a dialed in Gut, Goggia skiing better......tough.

I have also heard that her dad has added a lot of perspective in the last few weeks.

The mainstream press is going to do what they do, as we know. We probably think that any medal of any color would be a great and nice thing. I agree, she will be so hyped by the press that most of this country will think that she's a lock for two golds!

And we never truly know what's going on with her health. That body has had a LOT of wear and tear. I think to a large degree because she has always skied with the hammer down, even when maybe not that wise.

The chatter that I hear is that she likely can podium a lot. The wins? Exponentially harder.

I could see some ugliness between team S and team LV......hope not.
 

newfydog

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Watching Goggia and Stuhec in last spring's WC finals I was pretty sure Stenmark could hang out on that beach until the next tsunami comes along (the last one almost got him). Got to say though, her last two wins were both pretty impressive---no working your way back to form, just show up and win.
 

Muleski

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Agree ^^^^^. Very hard to predict this. Impossible. Lots of variables. including your health, everybody else's. Who's out for the season, who's working back.

When everybody is healthy, and skiing well, it's a pretty deep field.

One thing that LV has shown at least me is that she has taken this season very seriously. Worked her tail off all off season, all fall. Focused. And the talk that she was MORE focused on the future career/brand has slowed way down.

She's just driven, and she continues to be fearless and willing to risk it all. I think, but don't know, that she may be getting some advice on how to manage this season, to do their best to have her healthy and ready to rip in Korea.

She has always skied full gas. I don't see that changing.

I was not big on the social media blitz of the past two years. I've pretty much done a 180 degree turn on that.

She's a fighter.
 

4ster

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My hunch is less graceful. One friend close to the scene said she'll chase Stenmark's record in a wheelchair if she has to. I predict she gets some sort of a medal but not gold, and the press and outsiders treat it as a failure. She then wins a race or two after the games, and decides to go for another season thinking that Lake Louise, where she built up all those wins, is early and easy for her. Trouble is that Shiffrin also has a touch for that hill, precipitating a giant shitstorm between the Vonn entourage and Mikaela's mom. The press posts lots of photos where LV looks like a scowling old bitch rather than Sports Illustrated body painting canvass. Meanwhile, Stenmark watches on in quiet amusement from a beach in Thailand.

QFT!
Especially the part about anything less than gold being a failure :nono: .


After today, I would also place Anna Veith right in the mix. (I am still quietly watching Stephanie Brunner as a 3 event skier).
 

Muleski

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After today, I would also place Anna Veith right in the mix.

That was great to see. Very emotional. The general, average ski fan has NO clue about how devastating her injury was. I'm not quite there yet, as this was a VERY gentle GS, a short one, with a very technical set. I'm so happy so see Anna on the podium, let alone on the top step. I seriously think for her, this is just enormous, as there are many. many in the sport who felt it was impossible. Knowledgable people.

If she works her self into be a consistent podium challenger, it will be tremendous. Just a huge comeback. I have always loved to watch her ski.
 

4ster

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If she can be healthy & ski without pain, IMO her (Veith) technique is second to none in GS & superG. Gotta throw Rebensberg & Weirather in there too.
Wow, this field is getting deep!
 

Muleski

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If she can be healthy & ski without pain, IMO her (Veith) technique is second to none in GS & superG. Gotta throw Rebensberg & Weirather in there too.
Wow, this field is getting deep!

The women's field is very, very deep when all are healthy. No doubt. Much less so in SL, though.

I would suggest that the folks who I know, closer to this than me, still use a lot of past tense with Anna V. The injury was devastating, and there has been zero assumption that she'd return to the skier she was. She's skiing very well, incredibly well, and it was a great day. Not going to get ahead of myself, though. I,mnot sure if it's just being healthy. For all intents and purposes, she has a different knee.

She was the best technical skier, regardless of gender at the time that she won the overall. Incredible.

Waiting to hear about the extent of TW's shoulder and hand injuries. Fingers crossed there.

Rebensburg is such a solid, consistent skier. Great to see.

Going to be a vert interesting next couple of months. Stay healthy, ladies!
 

Tricia

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And she was happy. Lots of tears. Don't underestimate the pluses of having her dad there. That's been an incredibly strained relationship for a long, long time. And seems rock solid now.
All the training in the world can fall apart if you're feeling "off" emotionally. Its good to see that her dad's presence helped center her.
 

Utahski

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People spend too much time speculating.....idle chatter.. What will happen will happen. Love watching her ski and want to see her win. I don't like her politics but you realize that question was a setup. If I were a world class skier going to the olympics, and barack or (God forbid) hillary were president, and some reporter had asked me that question, I'd have answered it "No" the same way she answered it.. And it would've been as much of a mistake as the one she made.
 

crgildart

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BUMP! To give thanks to the greatest US Ski racer in history. I was hoping she didn't DQ in the SL run of the combined, but how cool is it that final official downhill run of her career (albeit a combined event downhill run) she finished in first place there?
 

Muleski

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BUMP! To give thanks to the greatest US Ski racer in history. I was hoping she didn't DQ in the SL run of the combined, but how cool is it that final official downhill run of her career (albeit a combined event downhill run) she finished in first place there?

Final DH run in her final Olympic combined. She has a whole lot of DH to race to chase down that Stenmark record. Six more wins to break it is going to take some work, some luck and a ton of determination.

Two years ago, in the year that she broke her arm, I said "no chance" will this ever happen. Now, I've changed my tune. She's chasing that record even if she becomes broken down and has just fumes in the tank. Right now, neither is the case. Bring it on.
 
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Muleski

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I'll also add than Anna Veith's comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. Not all the way back, but so much further than many expected. It's great to see. She seems very happy.

The only downside, for me, of Ester's miracle SG gold medal run was her beating Veith by .01 second. That's the length of a boot.

Chapeau, Anna!
 
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Karen_skier2.0

AKA - RX2SKI
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Anyone know which events she's committed to for the end of the season?

2018-02-27 19_12_56-Calendar.png
 

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