Downhill has air, rollers, edging. Last season half the women blew out their knees. In fact, during the first training run for the women s race at Lake Louise, Anastasija Chaikovskaja of Russia crashed into the safety netting on the Fallaway section and Kerstin Reisenhofer of Austria crashed on the upper portion, injuring a knee. Both women were evacuated by helicopter. But the women seem to take the risks in stride.
Men have more biomass to anchor and press themselves through the turns.
Women need to make more turns and ride shorter skis. The women start lower on the downhill course, about six seconds lower. Maine's Kirsten Clark said that the USA team's training this past summer had been strong. We all worked hard against ourselves. There is great chemistry between all of us.