# Super-G

Super giant slalom, or super-G, is a racing discipline of alpine skiing. Along with the faster downhill, it is regarded as a "speed" event, in contrast to the technical events giant slalom and slalom. It debuted as an official World Cup event during the 1983 season and was added to the official schedule of the World Championships in 1987 and the Winter Olympics in 1988.
Much like downhill, a super-G course consists of widely set gates that racers must pass through. The course is set so that skiers must turn more than in downhill, though the speeds are still much higher than in giant slalom (hence the name). Each athlete only has one run to clock the best time. In the Olympics, super-G courses are usually set on the same slopes as the downhill, but with a lower starting point.

## History

Super-G was run as a World Cup test event during the 1982 season, with two men's races and a women's race that did not count in the season standings.
Approved by the International Ski Federation (FIS) that summer, it was first officially run at the World Cup level in December 1982 at Val-d'Isère, France; the winner was Peter Müller of Switzerland. The first official women's super-G was run a month later in early January 1983, with consecutive events at Verbier, Switzerland. The first winner was Irene Epple of West Germany, and Cindy Nelson of the United States won the next day on a different course.
These were the only two races for women in super-G during the 1983 season; the men had three. The event was not universally embraced during its early years, which included a boycott by two-time defending overall champion Phil Mahre in December 1982.
For the first three seasons, super-G results were added into the giant slalom discipline for the season standings; it gained separate status for a crystal globe for the 1986 season with five events for both men and women; the first champions were Markus Wasmeier and Marina Kiehl, both of West Germany.
It was added to the World Championships in 1987, held at Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Swiss skiers Pirmin Zurbriggen and Maria Walliser won gold medals to become the first world champions in the event. Super-G made its Olympic debut in 1988 in Calgary, where Franck Piccard of France and Sigrid Wolf of Austria took gold at Nakiska.

## Top racers
### Men

Hermann Maier of Austria (nicknamed 'The Herminator') is widely regarded as the greatest male super-G racer, with 24 World Cup victories and five World Cup titles (1998–2001, 2004). He won the world championship in 1999 and an Olympic gold medal in 1998, three days after a crash in the downhill.
Maier's proficiency in super-G was attributed to his thorough course inspection and his aggressive course tactics; he opted for the most direct and dangerous line down the hill. A serious motorcycle accident in August 2001 nearly resulted in an amputation of his lower right leg and sidelined him for the 2002 season, including the 2002 Olympics. After his return to the World Cup circuit in January 2003, Maier won eight more World Cup super-G events and his fifth season title in 2004.
Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway is second on the list with 17 wins in World Cup super-G races, Kjetil Jansrud third with his 13 wins. Svindal won Olympic gold in 2010 and his fifth season title in 2014
Pirmin Zurbriggen won four consecutive season titles (1987–90) and was the first world champion of this discipline in 1987.
Kjetil André Aamodt of Norway, a triple gold medalist in Olympic super-G races, winning in 1992, 2002 and 2006. Aamodt won five World Cup races and two world championship medals (silver and bronze) in the discipline.
Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, a five-time overall World Cup champion, won nine World Cup super-G events. He won season titles in every discipline except super-G, where he was a runner-up three times. Girardelli was the silver medalist in the super-G at the 1987 World Championships and the 1992 Olympics.

### Women

Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. leads with 28 World Cup victories in super-G and has won five season titles (2009–2012, 2015).
Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland has won 22 World Cup races, five season titles (2014, 2016, 2021, 2023, 2024), and a Gold medal in the event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Katja Seizinger of Germany won five season titles in the 1990s, with 16 World Cup wins in the discipline.
Neither Vonn and Seizinger have won gold in the super-G at the Olympics (both won a bronze) while Gut-Behrami has. However all three of them have won a world title, Vonn in 2009, Gut-Behrami in 2021 and Seizinger in 1993.
Renate Götschl of Austria won 17 World Cup events in super-G, three season titles, and two medals (silver and bronze) in the world championships.

## Course

The vertical drop for a Super-G course must be between 350–650 m (1,150–2,130 ft) for men, 350–600 m (1,150–1,970 ft) for women, and 250–450 m (820–1,480 ft) for children.
In the Olympic Winter Games, FIS World Ski Championships, and FIS World Cups, minimums are raised to 400 m (1,300 ft) for both men and women. Courses are normally at least 30 m (98 ft) in width, but sections with lower widths are permissible if the line and terrain before and after allow it. Higher widths can also be required if deemed necessary. Gates must be between 6 m (20 ft) and 8 m (26 ft) in width for open gates, and between 8 m (26 ft) and 12 m (39 ft) in width for vertical gates. The distance between turning poles of successive gates must be at least 25 m (82 ft). The number of direction changes must be at least 7% of the course drop in meters (6% for Olympic Winter Games, FIS World Ski Championships and FIS World Cups).

## Equipment

In an attempt to increase safety, the 2004 season saw the FIS impose minimum ski lengths for the super-G for the first time: to 205 cm (80.7 in) for men and 200 cm (78.7 in) for women. The minimum turning radius was increased to 45 m (148 ft) for the 2014 season.

## World Cup podiums

Men
The following table contains the men's Super-G (from 2007 Super combined) World Cup podiums since the first edition in 1986.
| Season | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1986 | Markus Wasmeier | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Marc Girardelli |
| 1987 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Marc Girardelli | Markus Wasmeier |
| 1988 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Markus Wasmeier | Franck Piccard |
| 1989 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Lars-Börje Eriksson | Franck Piccard |
| 1990 | Pirmin Zurbriggen | Günther Mader | Lars-Börje Eriksson |
| 1991 | Franz Heinzer | Stephan Eberharter | Atle Skårdal |
| 1992 | Paul Accola | Marc Girardelli | Günther Mader |
| 1993 | Kjetil André Aamodt | Günther Mader | Franz Heinzer |
| 1994 | Jan Einar Thorsen | Marc Girardelli | Tommy Moe |
| 1995 | Peter Runggaldier | Günther Mader | Werner Perathoner |
| 1996 | Atle Skårdal | Hans Knauß | Lasse Kjus |
| 1997 | Luc Alphand | Josef Strobl | Andreas Schifferer |
| 1998 | Hermann Maier | Hans Knauß | Stephan Eberharter |
| 1999 | Hermann Maier | Stephan Eberharter | Andreas Schifferer |
| 2000 | Hermann Maier | Werner Franz | Fritz Strobl |
| 2001 | Hermann Maier | Christoph Gruber | Josef Strobl |
| 2002 | Stephan Eberharter | Didier Cuche | Fritz Strobl |
| 2003 | Stephan Eberharter | Marco Büchel | Didier Cuche |
| 2004 | Hermann Maier | Daron Rahlves | Stephan Eberharter |
| 2005 | Bode Miller | Hermann Maier | Daron Rahlves |
| 2006 | Aksel Lund Svindal | Hermann Maier | Daron Rahlves |
| 2007 | Bode Miller | Didier Cuche | John Kucera |
| 2008 | Hannes Reichelt | Didier Cuche | Benjamin Raich |
| 2009 | Aksel Lund Svindal | Werner Heel | Didier Défago |
| 2010 | Erik Guay | Michael Walchhofer | Aksel Lund Svindal |
| 2011 | Didier Cuche | Georg Streitberger | Ivica Kostelić |
| 2012 | Aksel Lund Svindal | Didier Cuche | Beat Feuz |
| 2013 | Aksel Lund Svindal | Matteo Marsaglia | Matthias Mayer |
| 2014 | Aksel Lund Svindal | Kjetil Jansrud | Patrick Küng |
| 2015 | Kjetil Jansrud | Dominik Paris | Matthias Mayer |
| 2016 | Aleksander Aamodt Kilde | Kjetil Jansrud | Aksel Lund Svindal |
| 2017 | Kjetil Jansrud | Hannes Reichelt | Aleksander Aamodt Kilde |
| 2018 | Kjetil Jansrud | Vincent Kriechmayr | Aksel Lund Svindal |
| 2019 | Dominik Paris | Vincent Kriechmayr | Mauro Caviezel |
| 2020 | Mauro Caviezel | Vincent Kriechmayr | Aleksander Aamodt Kilde |
| 2021 | Vincent Kriechmayr | Marco Odermatt | Matthias Mayer |
| 2022 | Aleksander Aamodt Kilde | Marco Odermatt | Vincent Kriechmayr |
| 2023 | Marco Odermatt | Aleksander Aamodt Kilde | Vincent Kriechmayr |
| 2024 | Marco Odermatt | Vincent Kriechmayr | Raphael Haaser |
Women
| Season | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1986 | Marina Kiehl | Liisa Savijarvi | Michaela Marzola |
| 1987 | Maria Walliser | Catherine Quittet | Marina Kiehl |
| 1988 | Michela Figini | Sylvia Eder | Regine Mösenlechner Blanca Fernández Ochoa |
| 1989 | Carole Merle | Sigrid Wolf | Anita Wachter |
| 1990 | Carole Merle | Michaela Gerg-Leitner | Sigrid Wolf |
| 1991 | Carole Merle | Petra Kronberger | Michaela Gerg-Leitner |
| 1992 | Carole Merle | Merete Fjeldavlie | Katja Seizinger |
| 1993 | Katja Seizinger | Ulrike Maier | Carole Merle |
| 1994 | Katja Seizinger | Bibiana Perez | Hilde Gerg |
| 1995 | Katja Seizinger | Heidi Zeller-Bähler | Heidi Zurbriggen |
| 1996 | Katja Seizinger | Alexandra Meissnitzer | Martina Ertl |
| 1997 | Hilde Gerg | Katja Seizinger | Pernilla Wiberg |
| 1998 | Katja Seizinger | Renate Götschl | Isolde Kostner |
| 1999 | Alexandra Meissnitzer | Michaela Dorfmeister | Martina Ertl |
| 2000 | Renate Götschl | Mélanie Turgeon | Mojca Suhadolc |
| 2001 | Régine Cavagnoud | Renate Götschl | Carole Montillet |
| 2002 | Hilde Gerg | Alexandra Meissnitzer | Michaela Dorfmeister |
| 2003 | Carole Montillet | Renate Götschl | Karen Putzer |
| 2004 | Renate Götschl | Carole Montillet | Michaela Dorfmeister |
| 2005 | Michaela Dorfmeister | Renate Götschl | Lindsey Kildow |
| 2006 | Michaela Dorfmeister | Alexandra Meissnitzer | Nadia Styger |
| 2007 | Renate Götschl | Nicole Hosp | Lindsey Kildow |
| 2008 | Maria Riesch | Elisabeth Görgl | Fabienne Suter |
| 2009 | Lindsey Vonn | Nadia Fanchini | Fabienne Suter |
| 2010 | Lindsey Vonn | Elisabeth Görgl | Nadia Styger |
| 2011 | Lindsey Vonn | Maria Riesch | Julia Mancuso |
| 2012 | Lindsey Vonn | Julia Mancuso | Anna Fenninger |
| 2013 | Tina Maze | Julia Mancuso | Anna Fenninger |
| 2014 | Lara Gut | Anna Fenninger | Tina Weirather |
| 2015 | Lindsey Vonn | Anna Fenninger | Tina Maze |
| 2016 | Lara Gut | Tina Weirather | Lindsey Vonn |
| 2017 | Tina Weirather | Ilka Štuhec | Lara Gut |
| 2018 | Tina Weirather | Lara Gut | Anna Veith |
| 2019 | Mikaela Shiffrin | Nicole Schmidhofer | Tina Weirather |
| 2020 | Corinne Suter | Federica Brignone | Nicole Schmidhofer |
| 2021 | Lara Gut-Behrami | Federica Brignone | Corinne Suter |
| 2022 | Federica Brignone | Elena Curtoni | Mikaela Shiffrin |
| 2023 | Lara Gut-Behrami | Federica Brignone | Ragnhild Mowinckel |
| 2024 | Lara Gut-Behrami | Federica Brignone | Cornelia Huetter |

### Super G at the major competitions

Men
| Competition | Course setter | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1987 WCH | | | | |
| 1988 WOG | | Franck Piccard | Helmut Mayer | Lars-Borje Eriksson |
| 1989 WCH | | | | |
| 1991 WCH | | | | |
| 1992 WOG | | Kjetil André Aamodt | Marc Girardelli | Jan Einar Thorsen |
| 1993 WCH | | | | |
| 1994 WOG | | Markus Wasmeier | Tommy Moe | Kjetil André Aamodt |
| 1996 WCH | | | | |
| 1997 WCH | | Atle Skårdal | Lasse Kjus | Günther Mader |
| 1998 WOG | | Hermann Maier | Didier Cuche | Hans Knauß |
| 1999 WCH | | Lasse Kjus Hermann Maier | None awarded | Hans Knauß |
| 2001 WCH | | Daron Rahlves | Stephan Eberharter | Hermann Maier |
| 2002 WOG | F. Zueger | Kjetil André Aamodt | Stephan Eberharter | Andreas Schifferer |
| 2003 WCH | M. Arnesen | Stephan Eberharter | Bode Miller | Hermann Maier |
| 2005 WCH | M. Arnesen | Bode Miller | Michael Walchhofer | Benjamin Raich |
| 2006 WOG | A. Evers | Kjetil André Aamodt | Hermann Maier | Ambrosi Hoffmann |
| 2007 WCH | H. Flatscher | Patrick Staudacher | Fritz Strobl | Bruno Kernen |
| 2009 WCH | G. L. Rulfi | Didier Cuche | Peter Fill | Aksel Lund Svindal |
| 2010 WOG | G. L. Rulfi | Aksel Lund Svindal | Bode Miller | Andrew Weibrecht |
| 2011 WCH | H. Flatscher | Christof Innerhofer | Hannes Reichelt | Ivica Kostelić |
| 2013 WCH | T. Moger | Ted Ligety | Gauthier de Tessières | Aksel Lund Svindal |
| 2014 WOG | P. Morisod | Kjetil Jansrud | Andrew Weibrecht | Bode Miller |
| 2015 WCH | F. Winkler | Hannes Reichelt | Dustin Cook | Adrien Théaux |
| 2017 WCH | A. Ghidoni | Erik Guay | Kjetil Jansrud | Manuel Osborne-Paradis |
| 2018 WOG | A. Ghidoni | Matthias Mayer | Beat Feuz | Kjetil Jansrud |
| 2019 WCH | | Dominik Paris | Johan Clarey Vincent Kriechmayr | None awarded |
| 2021 WCH | | Vincent Kriechmayr | Romed Baumann | Alexis Pinturault |
| 2022 WOG | | Matthias Mayer | Ryan Cochran-Siegle | Aleksander Aamodt Kilde |
Women
| Competition | Course setter | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1987 WCH | | | | |
| 1988 WOG | | Sigrid Wolf | Michela Figini | Karen Percy |
| 1989 WCH | | | | |
| 1991 WCH | | | | |
| 1992 WOG | | Deborah Compagnoni | Carole Merle | Katja Seizinger |
| 1993 WCH | | | | |
| 1994 WOG | | Diann Roffe Steinrotter | Svetlana Gladysheva | Isolde Kostner |
| 1996 WCH | | | | |
| 1997 WCH | | Isolde Kostner | Katja Seizinger | Hilde Gerg |
| 1998 WOG | | Picabo Street | Michaela Dorfmeister | Alexandra Meissnitzer |
| 1999 WCH | | Alexandra Meissnitzer | Renate Götschl | Michaela Dorfmeister |
| 2001 WCH | | Régine Cavagnoud | Isolde Kostner | Hilde Gerg |
| 2002 WOG | P. Endrass | Daniela Ceccarelli | Janica Kostelić | Karen Putzer |
| 2003 WCH | B. Zobel | Michaela Dorfmeister | Kristen Clark | Jonna Mendes |
| 2005 WCH | X. Fournier | Anja Pärson | Lucia Recchia | Julia Mancuso |
| 2006 WOG | J. Graller | Michaela Dorfmeister | Janica Kostelić | Alexandra Meissnitzer |
| 2007 WCH | J. Graller | Anja Pärson | Lindsey Vonn | Renate Götschl |
| 2009 WCH | U. Emilsson | Lindsey Vonn | Marie Marchand-Arvier | Andrea Fischbacher |
| 2010 WOG | J. Kriechbaum | Andrea Fischbacher | Tina Maze | Lindsey Vonn |
| 2011 WCH | J. Kriechbaum | Elisabeth Görgl | Julia Mancuso | Maria Riesch |
| 2013 WCH | D. Petrini | Tina Maze | Lara Gut | Julia Mancuso |
| 2014 WOG | F. Winkler | Anna Fenninger | Maria Hoefl-Riesch | Nicole Hosp |
| 2015 WCH | R. Assinger | Anna Fenninger | Tina Maze | Lindsey Vonn |
| 2017 WCH | A. Ghezze | Nicole Schmidhofer | Tina Weirather | Lara Gut |
| 2018 WOG | M. Tatschl | Ester Ledecká | Anna Veith | Tina Weirather |
| 2019 WCH | | Mikaela Shiffrin | Sofia Goggia | Corinne Suter |
| 2021 WCH | | Lara Gut | Corinne Suter | Mikaela Shiffrin |
| 2022 WOG | | Lara Gut | Mirjam Puchner | Michelle Gisin |
WOG - Winter Olympic Games, WCH - FIS World Ski Championships