by theorist » Fri Dec 26, 2014 6:56 pm
I was watching Hirscher's 2nd run at Madonna di Campiglio, and was struck by how little he was CAing in many of his turns -- like he wasn't even trying. And it showed both in his control over the skis, and his time (1.11 secs off the fastest 2nd run, by Muffat-Jeandet). Given how grooved his neuromuscular memory should be, I'm surprised to see him ski like this. His added mass and strength seems to have improved his GS. But I'm wondering if it's hurting his slalom -- or at least his consistency in his slalom. I'm also wondering if the added muscle mass, and the training he did to get it, has compromised his flexibility. Even if his full ROM is still there, the added bulk might make that ROM harder to access.