Sawt Falasteen - Men's super-G at world championships - three racers to watch

Odermatt won the downhill and giant slalom titles in Courchevel/Meribel and has established himself as leader of a strong Swiss team.

But competition will be rude in what could well be one of the closest races to call in the Austrian resort of Saalbach.

AFP Sports looks at three racers to watch:

- Crawford: defending champion -

The Canadian shocked the field by winning in Courchevel in 2023.

But the 27-year-old from Toronto has built on that success and touched down in Saalbach buoyed by a storming victory at the prestigious World Cup downhill in Kitzbuehel last month.

That involved a night of partying and a day of recovery, James Crawford joked.

"It wasn't like we were going crazier than anybody else. It's just one fun night!"

Crawford believes the field is very open for the super-G, saying: "When any of the top guys have a chance at any venue, so long as the skiing is good and you make the right choices and analyse it properly day to day, it's anybody's game.

"When it comes to each race, you have got to figure out how well you're skiing and what's realistic, and I think if I'm skiing my best, I definitely can compete for the top spot."

- Odermatt: out for gold -

Odermatt tops the super-G standings in the World Cup ahead of Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr.

The Swiss racer, 27, has grown into his role as leader, something he said he had "been used to for a few years now".

"I manage this pressure well and if I take some pressure off the other athletes with that, that's good, too."

Indeed, Odermatt faces some stiff competition from within his own team, with the likes of Stefan Rogentin, Franjo von Allmen and Alexis Monney all in good form.

"If you want to win as an athlete, you simply have to beat everyone who is on the starting line," was Odermatt's simple take on ski racing.

"At the moment, it's almost my Swiss teammates," the reigning Olympic giant slalom champion said. "But it's better for the team, for the fans, if two or three Swiss can race for the win."

Personal pressure, Odermatt added, had come in Courchevel where he'd arrived as a big favourite having misfired in the previous world champs in Cortina in 2021.

"Now, here, I can really come very relaxed. I have two gold medals at home. It would be nice if there was another one, but if it doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world."

- Kriechmayr: home hope, but outsider -

Kriechmayr, who was 2021 world champion in both the downhill and super-G, sat out Thursday's second downhill training having taken part in the first one 24 hours earlier.

The Austrian tweaked his right knee in the downhill in Wengen last month, raising fears from his home fans that he might miss the Saalbach worlds.

But the 33-year-old called his opening training run, effectively a stress test for his knee, "very positive".

"I didn't notice anything during the run. My goal was to push as hard as possible to test my knee. That worked out very well."

Kriechmayr will be teamed up with Stefan Babinsky and Daniel Hemetsberger as Austria aim for a medalling start to a world championships on home snow.

N.Awad--SF-PST