“Becomes a bit of a parody” – Sport – svenska.yle.fi

Several of the favorites in the speed disciplines took the alpine combination as a warm-up. Alexis Pinturault took the WC gold, but the question is whether he stands as history’s last world champion in the event.

Alexis Pinturault became this year’s first alpine world champion on the men’s side. The Frenchman took the third WC gold of his career when he won the alpine combination in Courchevel.

The big home jump from France led after the morning’s super-G and retained first place in the slalom. After the two Austrians Marco Schwarz and Raphael Haaser had received red plates, it was practically all clear.

Those who were the best in super-G started first in the slalom and when the competition was summed up, the position was unchanged. It was French at the top of the podium and then Austria twice.

For the two Finns Elian Lehto and Jaakko Tapanainen var det motigt. Lehto avbröt i slalomen, Tapanainen tog sig ner men missade hältät och var näst sist av åkarna som päiväde bada åken.

– It can be stated that Lehto gave a pale picture of himself in the WC debut, says Yle Sporten’s commentator Kristian Karlsson about Finland’s positive signs this winter.

“Can question existence”

The question is how many more times a combined world champion will be crowned.

– It is true that many used this as a form of warm-up before the super-G and downhill races later in the week, notes Karlsson.

Ten skiers chose not to start in the afternoon’s slalom – among them speed favorites Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Vincent Kriechmayr. For the men, the super-G is run on Thursday and downhill on Sunday.

– One can question the branch’s existence when so many choose to stand above the combination. One can also question why it is first out at the WC. It gives the chance to come and do a practice ride in super-G.

Not available in the World Cup

The combination is not on the competition program in the World Cup, and in recent years the criticism of the discipline’s existence on the program in the WC and Olympics has been palpable.

The International Ski Federation has discussed removing the combination and a definitive decision could come this spring.

– I think it’s about politics, you want to have a number of branches to hand out medals in. In terms of performance, it will be a bit of a parody. There are only a few skaters who master both speed and technique, and that means that only a few compete for the medals. It is not the right way to show off the alpine sport, says Radio sports expert Tobias Hellman.

The WC in Alpine continues with the super-G for the ladies tomorrow.