The “home track”, the challenging one Stelvio di Bormiogave the first two medals of the Italian Olympic expedition in the downhill: a splendid one silver for Giovanni Franzoni – at his first Olympics – and a bronze for the veteran Dominik Parisbehind only the Swiss Franjo Von Allmen. A dream start in the queen discipline of alpine skiing.
In just a few minutes the athletes tackle steep and technical slopes overcoming the 130 km/hjumping for tens of meters and absorbing forces that put muscles and joints under stress. But what allows a skier to stay stable at these speeds? And how do you prepare the body – and above all the mind – to handle such an extreme effort? From aerodynamics to mental preparation, passing through records, G forces and off-the-scale muscle power, downhill is much more than just a speed race.
Numbers and records of the fastest discipline in alpine skiing
Downhill is the most adrenaline-filled race in alpine skiing. In World Cup competitions, athletes regularly reach speeds of between 120 and 140 km/h, with even higher peaks on particularly steep slopes such as Kitzbühel Streif. The absolute speed record belongs to Johan Clareywhich in 2023 reached 161.9 km/h during a test on the Wengen slope, thanks to a particularly favorable section and very compact snow conditions.
But speed is not the only impressive fact: in downhill i jump they are an integral part of the route. Skiers even get to overtake it in flight 50 meters in length, like the famous jump of “Mausefalle” in Kitzbühel, trying to absorb the impact of the landing, immediately returning to position so as not to lose smoothness once contact with the snow was regained.
Also contributing to this extreme stability is the equipment: the downhill skiing they are very different from those of other disciplines. I am longer — with minimum measurements of 218 cm for men and 210 cm for women — and have a more rigid structure and a very large curve radius, designed to guarantee control at very high speeds, sacrificing the typical handling of slalom and giant slalom.
The physics of descent: aerodynamics and G forces
From a physical point of view, downhill skiing is a continuous struggle against air resistance and the force of gravity. At such high speeds, the air becomes the main “adversary”: beyond the80% of speed losses is due to aerodynamic resistance. This is why athletes hire the famous egg positionwith a low torso, curved back, gathered arms and head aligned with the body. This allows the front surface to be reduced even slightly, which can mean gaining precious tenths.
Trajectories don’t simply follow the shortest line, but the smoothest one. Skiers are looking wide curveswhich allow you to maintain as much speed as possible while limiting decelerations. In compressions the body experiences enormous forces: peaks of 3 Gequivalent to three times your body weight. It means that, for a fraction of a second, a 90 kg athlete perceives a weight of over 270 kg. Managing these forces without losing control requires a unique combination of muscle strength and ski feel.
Mental simulation: the visualization technique
Have you ever noticed what skiers do for a few moments before exiting the starting gate? Eyes closed, hands drawing trajectories in the air, small body movements as if they were already descending. Before you even put on your helmet and launch yourself down the slope, a descent is “skied” dozens of times in your head.
There mental visualization it is a fundamental component of preparation. Athletes study the track during reconnaissance, memorizing every bump, blind curve or change in gradient. Then, in the minutes before the race, they mentally retrace the entire route, imagining speed, lines and sensations.
From a neuroscientific point of view, this practice activates areas of the brain similar to those involved in real movement. In other words, the brain trains without the body moving. In a sport where the time to react is minimal — at 130 km/h you travel 36 meters every second — mentally anticipating what will happen is essential. Visualization therefore helps to reduce uncertainty, improve concentration and react automatically to unexpected events.
The muscle barrier to prevent injuries
Downhill is also one of the toughest disciplines from a physical point of view. The knees they are among the most stressed joints: they must absorb continuous vibrationsviolent compressions and landings from jumps tens of meters long. Not surprisingly, knee injuries — such as ruptured anterior cruciate ligament — are among the most feared.
To support these loads, skiers develop extraordinary muscular strength. Alexander Kilde comes to do sessions squats until 220kg. But it’s not just a question of maximum strength: in downhill the intensity of the movement often remains high for over a minute and a half, with the heart working close to maximum beats and the muscles under continuous strain. This means having to sustain muscle contraction even as lactic acid accumulates and fatigue increases, requiring endurance, neuromuscular control and precision to maintain line and speed until the finish.
