ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - France presents its contenders for Winter Olympics Super-G medals in the mountain venue of Sestriere

Record ID: 331739

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - France presents its contenders for Winter Olympics Super-G medals in the mountain venue of Sestriere
  • Date: 18th February 2006
  • Summary: FRENCH SUPER-G SKIER YANNICK BERTRAND MORE OF JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) ((French) FRENCH SUPER-G SKIER YANNICK BERTRAND SAYING: "No, I find the piste really beautiful, a lot of bumps, a lot of movement. I hope there will be enough speed on Saturday for the Super-G to make a beautiful Super-G" SIGN READING 'CLUB FRANCE PRESSE' (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH SUPER-G SKIER YANNICK BERTRAND TALKING ABOUT AUSTRIANS SAYING: "Of course they have a lot of qualities, they have a lot of skiers who can win, but they are not the only ones. They will have pressure on them, they don't have as many medals as was predicted and they will have to take revenge -- and that may block them a little"
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2006 12:00
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  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7KZH5PYRSDCYRCZIQE2HT5B0N
  • Story Text: France presented its contenders for Winter Olympics Super-G medals in the mountain venue of Sestriere on Thursday (February 16).
    Yannick Bertrand may not be a strong contender against Austrian giants such as Benjamin Raich and Hermann Maier, but there have been a few surprises in the games so far and he is confident that he could break the mould, as his compatriot Antoine Deneriaz did winning downhill gold.
    Bertrand said he liked the piste.
    "I find the piste really beautiful, a lot of bumps, a lot of movement. I hope there will be enough speed on Saturday, for the Super-G, to make a beautiful Super-G," Bertrand said.
    He said Austria was under pressure to perform after failing to get as many medal as expected in the Alpine events.
    The Austrian men are still waiting for their first gold of the Games, so former world and Olympic champion Hermann Maier and Benjamin Raich are eager for action.
    Referring to the Austrians, Bertrand said: "Of course they have a lot of qualities, they have a lot of skiers who can win, but they are not the only ones. They will have pressure on them, they don't have as many medals as was predicted and they will have to take revenge and that may block them a little."
    France gave the games an early surprise with Antoine Deneriaz's gold medal win in the downhill race.
    He said on Thursday that with a gold medal secured, he can afford to take risks in the Super-G.
    "It's true that this downhill win gave me a lot of confidence. I have won my Olympic Games with this downhill title and now it's just pleasure. There's no more pressure, I know that Saturday at the Super-G I will be able to attack without a second thought and take all the risks because if it works it will be even more fantastic.
    "If it doesn't, well I already have a title. So on the one hand it has lifted a huge load, but on the other, I haven't been able, I know, I haven't been able to concentrate as I did on the downhill. I had a lot of things to do, I haven't had as many good nights' sleep as I did with the downhill because I am thinking about the race, I am thinking about everything that is going on now. So for sure, this week has been rather difficult for me at the sporting level -- and the Super-G, well I have been able to prepare for it as well as I could have done," said Deneriaz.
    Asked about his favourites, he said they were the same as everyone else's, but acknowledged there were a lot of excellent outsiders.
    "For me, my favourites are the same as with the downhill. Those who didn't have a medal in the downhill will absolutely want to have one in the Super-G: Hermann Maier, Miller, Rhalves. Beni Raich also be there, so there will be plenty. There will also be plenty of outsiders because it's a one day race. Some will give their all, so it will be an open race," Deneriaz said.
    After walking away empty-handed from two races so far, Alpine skiing showman Bode Miller of the USA hopes to be 'third time lucky' in Saturday's Super-G.
    The laid-back American, world champion in the discipline and billed as one of the big draws of the Turin Games, is not losing too much sleep over his performances, but his compatriots and supporters are getting restless.
    Maier likes Sestriere, having wrapped up the 2004 overall and super-G World Cup here with a race victory.
    Miller will also have team mate Daron Rahlves, the 2001 super-G world champion, to contend with.
    Rahlves is retiring at the end of the season and was a favourite for the downhill. He knows that Saturday represents his best chance of going out with a gold. Norway's focus will be on Kjetil Andre Aamodt -- the defending champion who was forced to miss the combined event after injuring his knee in Sunday's opening downhill -- and up-and-coming Aksel Lund Svindal.
    Before his injury, the race was also Aamodt's best bet of adding to his record haul of 19 medals from Olympics and world championships, since the 34-year-old is no longer a regular slalom racer.
    Aamodt is determined to race, saying he would work out and get treatment on his knee to allow him to be at the start.
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