Ester Ledecká took 11th place in the first training session for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The day after fifth place in the super-giant slalom, she was 1.47 seconds behind the fastest time of the Swiss Priska Nuferová.
Tiny flakes fell on the Rock piste in Yenqing during training. Ledecká drove with nine. She led 1: 34.94 minutes after the finish, but then dropped ten places.
For the first time since a knee injury, the best downhill skier of the season, the Italian Sofia Goggia, introduced herself and finished eight hundredths behind Ledecka.
A question mark hung over Goggia’s start after falling in the super-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo in January, during which she damaged her cruciate ligament and tibia. That’s why she missed Friday’s super-giant slalom at the Olympics, but she has already started the downhill training. She managed the ride and raised her hands over her head triumphantly after the finish.
“It hurts a little here and there, but the Olympics are everything to me and I would do anything to start here,” said the Pyongyang Congress winner.
The Czech skier Tereza Nová completed the first training with respect and took the 41st place six and a half seconds behind the winner.
“I have mixed feelings. Contrary to what I expected, it was more cool. I know I can go into more and I don’t have to worry about it,” Nova said. Barbora Nováková did not start the first training due to ankle problems.
There are two more trainings on the show on Sunday and Monday. The race is scheduled for Tuesday, February 15.
XXIV. Beijing Winter Olympics:
Downhill skiing – women, first downhill training:
1. Nuferová (Šv.) 1: 33,47, 2. Weidleová (Něm.) -0,44, 3. Scheyerová (Rak.) -0.67,… 11. Ledecká -1,47, 41. New (both CR) -6.53.
