Independently of the Sochi Predictions thread.

[Matt]

12 of the 30 best skiers in the world did not make the course and several other were close
FIS officials had to move some of the gates because the were outside of FIS regulations. This is very uncommon.
It is up to the country that wins the setting lottery to select the setter. I suppose they have no one else. I would guess that Costelic will quit now and then Croatia will not be ranked high enough to get a lottery ticket.
Almost every athlete I heard complained about the course and several WC coaches as well.

I agree though that the choice of word "unsportsmanlike" was not optimal.

I think the big problem here is publicity. FIS is already struggling with mainstream popularity in the classical event, and a course like this is simply not fun to watch.

[arnokamphuis]

Why is it not fun to watch? I liked it very much. All the courses should be set similarly. The best technical skiers ended up either high in the results or went out (mostly not due to the course setting, but due to mistakes e.g. Neureuther). This would hopefully make the trainers set these types of courses during the training. These courses are not trained, this was admitted by many athletes. They train 'nice' and 'rhythmic' courses. Why?? If you like to ski in a rhythm why do you need gates? The skiers should be challenged, they are the best in the world.

[Matt]

It was known more than two weeks in advance that Ante would set the second run so everyone trained for his kind of sets, but this was a level beyond even what he normally sets.

How fun was it for the first skiers? The last skiers had the advantage of seeing their mistakes to avoid them.

I like to see beautiful skiing and this was pretty ugly at times.

There is a general rule of thumb that in a good course everyone should make it but the best skier should win.
16 of the top 30 SL skiers in the world did not make it. A bit rich imo.
1 MYHRER Andre
6 THALER Patrick
7 NEUREUTHER Felix
10 PINTURAULT Alexis
11 HERBST Reinfried
12 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste
13 RAICH Benjamin
15 MOELGG Manfred
16 LIGETY Ted
18 MISSILLIER Steve
19 YUASA Naoki
20 CHODOUNSKY David
21 AERNI Luca
22 RAZZOLI Giuliano
23 SWEBAECK Axel
29 SUIYULE Daniel

[arnokamphuis]

But why did they go out? That is the question. I believe it is not the course setting, but the pressure. Most of them went out because they took too much risk to reach the time of the skiers before them. They just were not good enough. This has nothing to do with the setting of the course. If the gates are set according to the rules, you have to be able to ski them. If you fail, you're not good enough and you don't deserve to win. If this kind of course is not wanted the FIS has to change the rules of what a slalom is.

[cheesehead]

Matt was the only one I saw who wasn't leaning in the turns, he kept his upper body upright. I know nothing about course setting, but I imagine the course was set to eliminate those who were leaning. It did look like a very tough course, and the snow conditions looked horrible. I have no idea if the gold medalist is really the "best" slalom skier in the world, but I would guess that he is at least one of the best. If a poor skier had been the winner, then it would be easier to complain.

[Matt]

802.1.3 The Slalom should permit the rapid completion of all turns. The course
should not require acrobatics incompatible with normal ski technique. It
should be a technically clever composition of figures suited to the terrain,
linked by single and multiple gates, allowing a fluent run, but testing the
widest variety of ski technique, including changes of direction with very
different radii. Gates should never be set only down the fall-line, but so
that some full turns are required, interspersed with traverses.

803.4.2 Gates, which impose too sudden sharp braking on competitors, should be
avoided, as they spoil the fluency of the run without increasing the
difficulties a modern Slalom should have.

803.4.3 It is advisable before difficult combinations of gates to set at least one
gate which allows the competitor to ski through the difficult combination
under control.

Gate distances are allowed to be 6-13 meters. Normal is 10.5. Ante about 7.

[arothafel]

Holy cow... that thread on FaceBook is the most comments I've ever seen.

I LMAO when I saw this, though:

[HeluvaSkier]

Quoted because it is awesome!

[Max_501]

Junior racers have to ski courses with ruts that make those look like microscopic chatter marks. Sure the course was challenging but these are the best guys in the world. Shouldn't they be able to handle any legal set?

[arothafel]

I may need to change my avatar...

[arnokamphuis]

Neureuther went out with a straddle, he was on a good run. This had also nothing to do with the course setting.

And, when looking at the run from Matt, Hirscher and Kristofferson, this was a very fluent course setting. They kept their speed, had fluent motions and did not have to perform weird movements to complete the course. Perfectly in line with the regulations.

[arnokamphuis]

Great words, well said!

[nugget]

I felt for Ted initially (and the others) but the rippers ripped and gained the podium. Thanks for your insights. Well drafted.