20/01/2013 Ski Sunday

Welcome to Ski Sunday to one of the greatest races of the year, the

Men's Downhill from Vengen. This is one of the biggest sporting events

in Switzerland. With over 30,000 spectators making their way on to

this mountain to watch the fastest skiers in the world. Here is some

trivia. The fastest speed ever recorded in a downhill race, 98

miles per hour was set here on the Labuerhorn by Stefan Thanei. This

is sport at its fastest. Blink and you'll miss it.

But when you are a downhill racer and you stand on stop of the

Labuerhorn, time seems to stand still.

And as you power out of the start gate, the seconds tick just a

little more slowly. Two-and-a-half minutes. For some

racers, this can feel like hours. Downhill racers were not meant to

go so fast for so long. COMMENTATOR: Down he goes.

Only the toughest win in Wengen, the longest downhill course in the

world. COMMENTATOR: Nearly home. Over the years the superstars of

men's downhill become household names. But as we welcome in 2013,

the search begins for the new legend of the slopes. Enter the new

breed of downhill racer, who's already staking their claim for

Alpine immortality. Finding that next name is never

easy but men's downhill in is in desperate need of a new star. With

a few more years of experience this, group of young guns go be up there.

First is Italian Dominik Paris. He shows potential and even won a race

earlier this season. A result that caught everyone out. Even the young

man himself. A little surprised, of course, but I was very concerned in

the last season, also this season, I think I can win the race, but I

didn't believe it. Max Franz of Austria has been dubbed the new

Herman Mayer back home. Lake Louis was an easy beginning

race. We trained very well in the summer and the start of the seasons

with perfect. Canadian Ben Thomsen is majoring NICEly. Several top ten

finishers have underlined his status as one to watch in the

future. It is the fastest event. It is a

fine limit between on the line and in control. You have to find it and

take the risks. But just the fast, nasty speed is what I love the most.

Ryan youngest on the tour. He is World Junior Champion and will be

around for a long time to come. Although the new generation have

created a new stir since bursting on to the scene, they are well

aware that they have a lot to learn before they reach the top and the

Labuerhorn in Wengen will be a key test. It will be a few years yet

before we see these rising stars join the likes of Christof

Innerhofer, Erik Guay among the elite. Over the last couple of

years we've last some of the big names from downhill racing, from

Mayer and Berghoffer. You have shown us the new faces coming in.

Is this a transition period for downhill? Every decade you get is

changing of the guard. The old guys retire and gives room for the young

guns to come through. Most of the guys you spoke to are between 19-24.

Is that the traditional name it make an age for yourself? Some will

race younger, some at 19 will do their jirst downhill World Cup. But

it takes about three years of racing before they get a top ten

result. From that breakthrough point, when do they hit their

prime? Generally prime for a downhill racer is anywhere between

25-35 but last year we had a winner at 38. It seems comparatively late

when you look at other sports? compared it slalom, it takes a whil

for downhill skiers to put on the mussel mass and bulk that you need.

And also you need the experience. Until you get, that you can't

really challenge. Aside from form and the time it takes to get into

it, I will throw this out: do you think downhill skiing or Alpine as

a whole is suffering in popularity to the likes of freestyle skiing?

don't think so. The youngsters starting Alpine racing are still

there. Generally the first thing they do is alspine ski racing. It

is also something in the mind, whether you are a racer or a

freestyleer. Coming back to the race here in

Wengen. Last year we saw a rookie win. You have shown us new faces.

They have a lot of work to do. Do you think it'll be youth or

experience? Last year I said a rookie couldn't win and I was

proved wrong. This year I run the risk of making the same mistake

again. I'm going to go with Claus Kroell. He has the skills to win.

Particularly with the snow conditions as they are, he could be

one who is my tip for the top. you can stake your reputation on it.

Now, we haven't found anyone who can replace him any time soon, so

Graham Bell, the king of the course run is going to take the punishment

again on the mighty Labuerhorn. This course was fast in training

and the weather conditions are much, much warmer today. There is a good

chance, in the race, the races could go over 100 miles per hour.

Let's go have a look at it. At the start, pushing hard, settle in.

Top part of the course, it is just about gliding, trying to be loose.

Carry as much speed as possible through these top turns.

OK. This part of the course is pretty quick. We are approaching

the area now. With the turn in that starts with a big right-hander.

Coming tight on the gate. Pressing hard on the left ski. As you come

around, switch your weight and over the hunch.

I got my tips up there and running low going into the mid-area. As

soon as you have done that, you have got this part to Dell with.

And this is where the race could be won or lost.

Underneath railway tracks and out on to the glide. The snow is

actually really, really gripy. Your edges are biting in quite well.

That means the racers will carry maximum speed down here. It's this

part of the course where they'll go over 100 miles per hour. Out

through here. You have to keep fighting here. Over this jump. Now.

My legs are really starting to burn. That's the Austrian hole. Most

downhill coursers would have finished by now. But we still have

to deal with the finish S. It's really rough and bumpy coming in.

Just made it inside that gate. And tucking down. Oh and across the

line. Wow!

What is the verdict? You know what, it is super-fast. Really gripy and

because the temperature has warmed up, the snow is running really fast.

I'm expecting, hoping a racer to go over 100 miles per hour today. The

first time ever on a downhill course. That is a very big claim.

Now, you catch your breath. Get yourself prepared for analysis.

It's that annual battle, man verses Labuerhorn. Matt Chiltern has the

Labuerhorn. Matt Chiltern has the commentary. This is the 2013 Wengen

downhill. 123450 this is one of the great

images in winter sport. The Labuerhorn in its white winter

glory. Tens of thousands have come from all over the world to marvel

at the fastest bend in the at the start. It's a daunting task

for a racer to be first to tackle winding down the windows but makes

a nice landing. Sweet and soft as he flies over there and makes the

turn mid-air into the Canadian exit speed is key. He needs to be

70 kilometres per hour. It is closer to 8 0. Good speed on the

exit there for Poisson. 156.2 kilometres per hour. There is a

chance that the 100 miles per hour mark might be broken today. We saw

a new record set in the super- combine on Friday. At this stage

every other downhill would be at an end. But Wengen still has a sting

in the tail with this brutal finish. David Poisson of France is home in

Off to an aggressive start. He was still skating by the time he got to

the second of the red control gates. They are all red in this downhill

today. He is way ahead of Poisson. He sweeps in. A long flight there

from Sporn. About the longest jump I have seen from any of them,

including training runs. He is That's fast. -- velocity.

He exists at a speed of 70.7. Not so fast. But the intermediate times

look promising for him. He is still in front. A good run so far from

Andrej Sporn. There is the silver horn jump. Artificially built up to

provide a spectacle. Still in the hunt for first

position here. Drifting dangerously close towards those advertising

banners at the side of the course. He manages to hold on, down to his

final reserves of energy now and first position by 0.07. Sporn takes

the early lead but looked to run out of energy slightly on the

finish and lost a bit of time but still took the lead off Poisson. I

think this run is going to go faster and faster as the big names

marked with flashes of brilliance and months of frustration. Severe

back pain has haunted his skiing and a car crash this summer hasn't

made things easier. The omens are good. He was fasters in the

downhill section of the supercombined yesterday.

Tall and powerful, pushing hard out of the start. He is a good glider.

Should get up a decent amount of speed at the top here. Sporn the

best at this intermedate. That's a really direct line from the Italian.

Beautiful landing. That's how to do it! Makes the turn

mid-air and heads towards the Canadian corner in good shape.

Now the kernen-S. In with good speed.

Slightly high on the exit there but maintained his velocity and exits

at 78. Under the old railway and he is going like an express train.

Miles ahead now! Three quarters of a second faster

than Sporn. Now the silverhorn jump. Reasonable landing from Innerhofer

and he is getting quicker all the time. The final seconds of the

Lauberhorn. Has he the strength and stamina to keep them running here?

Jams that left ski into the snow and sets up for the line. And he

leads in Wengen by 1.35 seconds. That's very, very good indeed.

He really showed everyone how it's done here. Absolutely perfect on

all of those tight turns where you need to carry speed. The kernen-S

was brilliant. Good speed out of there. Didn't break the 100mph mark,

but again perfect on the finish and that's a big lead for Innerhofer.

Romed Bauman. Needs a good result here to give himself a chance of

being selected for the Austrian team at the forthcoming alpine ski

World Championships where only four guys per nation can race in each

discipline. Steady in flight, that was easy. Very good timing. Takes a

low line, close to the safety netting to the skier's left.

As he heads towards the railway he still has good speed. 75.3. Bauman

is up there on speed. He is just over a second down. He needs to be

nice and light and controlled on his edges through the final few

turns. His reserves of energy will be

severely depleted and he might be in with a chance of pushing for a

provisional top three here. Last couple of turns for Baumann of

Austria. He can see the finishing line. He tucks in and it's second

for Baumann. Reichelt for Austria. High line

there. Reichelt has set his own course at the top here. Interesting

direction, but it's paying off for him now. Can he match Innerhofer's

line? What a jump. That is as smooth as silk. Jammed the skis on,

on the landing and he is slightly low into the Canadian corner.

Comes towards the end of this track. Then to the kernen-S. Not bad. The

exit speed is more important. That's very good indeed. 78.5. He

is within just over a second of the lead of Innerhofer. Hits the tree

line now. Off the silverhorn jump. Slightly off to skier's left, but

no matter, he is in touch. If he can find a couple of - he will push

Innerhofer close here. On the final stages. His legs are on fire and

Reichelt is second for Austria. surely does have the legs because

he picked up a lot of time on Innerhofer on that last finish S,

let it run as much as he possibly could and that's why he picked up,

there is a big gap between first and second. It's 43 years since

France had a downhill hero in Wengen but the whole of the French

team have been flying here. Clarey was fastest in practice and his

team-mate won Friday's supercombined. With With Johan

complete an extraordinary double? Johan Clarey for France. Very

talented. Capable of reaching the top level in World Cup ski racing

and he likes this course, he was really fast in training earlier in

the week. Clarey's right Thrupp with Innerhofer at the first

intermediate. Clarey tucks in to the last possible moment at the

Hundschopf. He is really leaving everyone on the mountain here this

afternoon. A risky run. Chance to refuel and relax slightly before he

approaches and exits the Kernen-S and the inspeed was OK. The exit

speed 74. Would have hoped for maybe a speed closer to 78. But the

speed through the gun there is 161.9. That's more than 100mph. A

new record. A speed record for Johan Clarey. He won't win but he

will have something to enjoy from his downhill run today.

Remarkable speed across the snow from the Frenchman. He is spent now.

He is out of steam and Clarey is third for the moment. Excellent run.

Fabulous speed. Clarey comes in third. 1.17 down. Really good in

the mid part of the course, able to carry good speed through the

Kernen-S and broke that 100mph barrier down down. Svindal is ready

to go. He got his first pair of skis for his third birthday. Until

last weekend he was leading the overall standings and winning that

title for a third time is his main driving force. Can the bookies'

favourite claim the points here? Escapable of winning today, more

than capable of winning. Hits that first control gate like a speed

skater. Wearing the red bib as the leader in the standings for this

season. He is the man to beat and might be the man to beat today.

Hits the Hundschopf. He is in trouble and he is in the net! My

word. I think he is OK. He is fine. So that's a big shock. If you look

back at the crash, it didn't do anything wrong. He maybe didn't

have quite enough pressure on the outside ski but it did look like

his right ski just plain released. The safety bindings are designed to

come off if you fall, but you don't want them to fall off if you are

skiing normally. That's a very scary thing to happen.

The Canadian Erik Guay. Off he goes. Looking for good speed at the top

of the course. Following his run via the helicopter shot here. Look

at them all, in their thousands watching this part of the course

the Hundschopf, an iconic section of ski racing worldwide. Everyone

knows this jump. He is winding down the windows slightly as arrives at

the Minsch-Kante. Into the Kernen-S. Can he maintain that speed as he

heads towards the railway bridge? He is marginally slower than he

would have liked. It suggests he will be close to Innerhofer's time.

Off into the forest. Sweeping left and right turns before he plunges

down the fastest part of the course where we have seen the 100mph

barrier broken by Johan Clarey. . Guay is within three quarters of

a second of Innerhofer's time. If he can hold it together, if he can

keep them running through these final few turns, Guay has a chance

of pushing for a top three position. Still to come Klaus Kroell of

Austria. Guay plunges towards the finish line. How close can he go?

It's third for Erik Guay. Very fast on the part gliding part of the

course. Where he lost the time is going through the Kernen-S. Lost

pressure and didn't carry that acceleration that Innerhofer had

through that section. When you make a mistake there you pay for it

along that middle gliding section. Still not bad, third for the

Canadian. The World Cup downhiller is next to go. When Klaus isn't

steering his way to World Cup victories he competes in motocross.

A crash in April left him with a broken foot but he managed to make

the podium this season. Can the Austrian triumph again on Swiss

snow? Klaus Croell of Austria. Can he

make an impact on this race? Good glider.

A man of unmatched experience in these mountains. What a start for

Klaus Kroell. Heading for the Hundschopf. Great jump. Cleverly

done. Kroell is moving beautifully down the mountain here in Wengen.

The Kernen-S. Glides softly across the relatively soft snow. Often

this course is icier. Now he dives down. Within half a second of

Innerhofer's time. The Italian is watching carefully at the bottom of

the hill. He closes the gap even further. Very tight. He can still

win this. Good line there. Left-footed turn.

Kroell is second for Austria. That was close! So if he looks back on

his run he will look to that one turn, that right-hander going into

the Kernen-S where his left ski washed away slightly, that cost him

half a second and cost him the victory here in Wengen because he

picked up speed after that mistake never take all risk because I was

afraid to do something wrong. Now I say hey, risk all, you win or you

go out. So I am really happy. It was an electric performance from

the young guns, the best was Dominic Paris. Ben Thompson just

missed out on the 100mph club recording 99.3mph and finished 12th.

Max Franz was 14th. They couldn't keep the pace of the seniors. These

unlucky racers couldn't keep up at all. 12 failed to control their

speed on the Lauberhorn. Once again Lauberhorn lives up to

the hype. Certainly does. A fantastic race. Innerhofer skied to

near perfection and a speed for men's downhill. Congratulations to

Innerhofer. Cast your minds back three years to the last winter

Olympics where the star of the Games was Amy Williams. Her gold

was Britain's first individual gold medal at the winter Olympics in

over 30 years. Everybody's hoping we won't have to wait quite that

long for the next one, and moving to Sochi next year a lot of hopes

are are pinned on Elysee Christie. Having retired a if you months ago,

today I'm going to give another ice sport a go. It's just as fast,

furious a few crashes, but just a little bit flatter.

Speed, grace, aggression, drama. Short-track speed-skate something

compulsive viewing. Reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. It's a

rare winter sport in which Team GB have a real Olympic pedigree.

win the men's 500. And a bronze. years on, there is a new generation

of potential British medal winners. Speed-skaters start early. At the

rink by 7.00am for their first session on the ice. It's good it

see you are all doing your own preparation. We skreed it, because

it'll freeze and leave bumps. learning tips. Short track is one

of the few winter sports that still has Lottery funding. It means the

British squad can train full-time at a permanent home in Nottingham.

It is a big reason for their recent success. Despite having won Olympic

gold on ice, I've ever actually put on a pair of skates before. This is

the first session of the morning for these guys. It's amazing

watching them. They move around so much faster than I thought. And I'm

having a go later on. A little bit nervous at the moment. It's just

unbelievable. You can see the precision of them changing the

blades over. I'm trying to watch them in the corners how many times

they push and move over. I fear I'm not going to get to that point. I

think I'll be lucky if I can stand on the skates. Nottingham might be

a permanent base but the skaters aren't the only ones who use the

ice and not everyone needs a crash barrier.

In between sessions, while the ice dancer took over, I caught up with

one of the sport's brightest medal hopes. Elise, how did you yourself

get into it? Did you do figure skating first? I was a figure

skater. I always had my heart set on being a figure skater and making

it to the top. I thought I would do speed-skating to have extra ice and

have fun. I skaited the British and did well and they asked me to come

down. And I was like - oh, so it's time to stop figure skating and

start speed-skating, I guess. I'm glad I ZI do think it is a much

better sport. -- I'm glad I did. She is the best female short-track

speed-skater over 100m in Britain. She has finished on the podium and

has won in Japan last month. It is a nais feeling. You do all the hard

training day-in and day-out. -- nice feeling. I think it is a bit

easier to get there than it is to stay there. Now you have everyone

chasing you. Do you feel any more pressure now knowing you are in the

number one spot? I guess you know that feeling well. Especially going

into the last race day. Going in as number one in Vancouver, I can't

imagine how that felt and being the only British person. I remember

watching it and thinking - wow. I think I do feel some. I mean I

don't get that much media attention, so it is not so bad, really. But

you want to make them proud more than anything, I guess. I just

don't want to let people down and drop that number one spot. I want

the people who have supported me to see I can do it for them in a way.

So you do feel a bit of external pressure in that sense. We have had

the success of London and now back into Sochi. How does that make you

feel, you know the change from the summer and winter and the success

and medal hopes, I guess? I do think, touch wood, but this is

probably going to be the most successful Winter Olympics ever,

probably for Britain. I guess watching you would have helped

thinking - people can do it. You have to see it to believe it, I

guess. With the skeleton, it is still doing well. There are results

coming in and speed-skating has results coming in and a few other

sports. The good thing now is that there's more people. I think that's

such a good thing to be part of. I do think, hopefully, fingers

crossed, that it'll all work out in Sochi. I'm hoping Elise is as good

a coach as she is a skater. It is my turn to take to the ice and find

out how tricky her sport is. way you put your laces in. It is

different. I like the way you put your laces. In I don't want them

dangling around. Safety conscious. It is good. When was the last time

you saw a prr first-timer in ice- skating? -- proper. Well she was

three. As opposed to 30. Just getting on to the ice was a

challenge. OK, the first few laps. Interesting.

I haven't fallen over. It's a really nice feeling. I can see why

these guys love what they do. She has learnt very quickly and

enjoyed herself which is amazing. She has determination.

Despite my nerves, the competitor in me took over.

I can't stop. I like it. This is a great sport. I can get why they

like going fast. It's smooth. I'm out of breath. There's a thrill of

when you can feel the wind going and I'm going slow compared to

those guys. Yeah, it's like a buzz. I'm buzzing. I love it. I'm going

to come back for my second lesson. Elise has started 2013 in fantastic

storm. At the European Championships in Sweden she's

already picked up gold in the 1500 m and she is going into her

favourite event, the 1,000 m today. We haven't had an Olympic medal

contender on skis for quite a few years but for Sochi things are

looking up. We have high hopes in a freestyle skier from Sheffield.

My name is James Woods. I'm 20. I do freestyle skiing slopestyle. I

did a lot of rollerblading. I went up and gave this a go. The cheapest

way to carry on was to join the ski club. I Zfreestyle skiing is the

coolest thing you have ever, ever seen. There's lots of spinning

around and going upside down and rail slides and loads of stuff you

have never seen bfrplt the routine is to do something no-one has ever

done before. 2014, winter Olympic Games. Massive. I didn't have as

much of a opinion after I went to London 2012 this year. Now I get

some serious goosebumps. Towering above the skiers on the

Labuerhorn, are three of the great mountains of the Swiss Alps, the

munch, the Yungfr ouand the eager. -- the Jungfrau.

The North face of the eager is a sheer ice wall that Franz fixes

anyone who stands under it. For 150 years people have been captivated

by it. Tried to climb it. And in many tragic cases, have died on it.

Eiger, translates as ogre. The North Face is known as the Wall of

Dead. And in German as the murder wall. In 19 35 the race to be the

first up the wall had begun. Munich mountainers attempted the climb.

The weather changed quickly on the face and they became trapped. A few

days litter, when the storm cleared, their bodies were found. They'd

frozen to death. Disaster followed disaster. In 1936

a team of four climbers were swept off the wald by an avalanche. Three

were were killed instantly but one was left dangling and still alive.

Mountain rescue teams tried to save him and the awful drama could be

seen by the crowds gathered below. I said, "I will give you a knife

and you have to cut the rope above you because I'm so good here, we

are all good. We are 100% and you don't fall more than five metres to

us and we will hold you. Cut the rope and you will be safe." After

the third day Tom Kurts lost his battle with the rope. His death

caused outrage. Climbing was banned in Switzerland. The Alpine journal

Ed for called it an obsession for the mentally deranged. In 1938, the

climb was attempted again by a German-Austrian party.

We understated the whole thing. The height, the difficulties and the

snows, the storms, the difficulty to find a place, for instance. You

English have a wonderful saying - have a plan and stick to it. We did.

On July - in July they finally hit the spot. Hitler and others

revelled. That perhaps should have been that but the obsession with

the wald continued to challenge. Graveyard as it is, the climbing

world still look and wonder whether there is another route, a direct

route, a new line, straight for the summit over every over-hang, up

every ice pass. And the wald claimed yet more lives. In 1961 an

engishman died and his companion rescued. A year later, Chris

Bonning ton became the first Briton to ascend the wall. The infatuation

with the wall was incomprehensible to outsiders.

You have done one route up the North Face, why on earth are you

going up again, risking your neck. I don't like that tefrplt we have

taken trouble and time thinking about this route and have planned

it. We are prepared always to turn back. We are certainly not taking

unjustified risks. To this day people take on new challenges. In

2008 a solo climber took just two hours, 47 minutes and 33 seconds.

And climbers are going up faster and faster, base jumpers fling

themself off it, speed riders fly down it. The obsession continues.

It may seem over time that the Eiger has become more benign, but

you can never underestimate it. I have seen first hand what a storm

can do on the Eiger and its notoriety will never aby the, but

neither will the obsession of climbers, to test themselves

against it. I'm pleased to say we will not be throwing ourselves off

any part of the Eiger this year. We are saving ourselves from St Moritz

where we naively take on Amy Williams in the bob track. Next

week we are in Austria for the most terrifying race of them all,

Kitzbuhel. The only race that sends him into a cold sweat. You can

watch the Kitzbuhel slalom live on the red button on Sunday morning.

Ed is travelling to Lake Tahoe, California, to meet one of his

idols, a legend of snowboarding. Mr Tom Burt. Straight after the

show you can watch more ski racing on the red button and keep up with

us on Twitter using the hashtag skeetweeth. Dump