WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017 SPORTS Olympic downhill designer says tough, faster course awaits ST MORITZ: Stop worrying, downhill racers. The 2018 was set by Johan Clarey of France in Wengen, Innerhofer of Italy, the 2014 silver medalist, who time to adapt both before the Olympics. The women Olympic course will be faster than you think. The new Switzerland, in 2013. called the course in Jeongseon “slow motion.” will compete in World Cup downhill and super-G track in South Korea has been criticized - at a men’s “When you go the first time in a new downhill you In St. Moritz, it was world championship downhill races on March 4-5. “Basically the character will test race last year and at the world championships start from the slow side. You don’t want to kill the silver medalist Erik Guay of Canada who wished for a remain the same (as the men’s),” Russi said of the this week - as being too slow with too many twists guys,” said Russi, the 1972 Olympic champion and sil- faster, tougher test at the Pyeongchang Olympics. women’s downhill track. “Maybe the turns will be a and turns. Not so fast, veteran Olympic course design- ver medalist behind Austrian great Franz Klammer Guay said the test race had too many slowing little bit tighter. Maybe one, two, three, four more er Bernhard Russi told The Associated Press. “It was on four years later. The Swiss veteran is skiing’s master turns, and was similar to a super-G - a pointed remark turns. Maybe the jumps a little less big, less long. purpose to do it like this,” Russi said of last February’s architect, and always planned to learn from last year’s from the 35-year-old Canadian who is the new world Perfect for ladies.” World Cup downhill where race winner Kjetil Jansrud debut race and a scheduled women’s World Cup champion in that discipline. Other factors could also change Olympic race-day of Norway peaked at 113.7 kph (70.6 mph). downhill on the same wide course next month. “I hope that they set it a little differently,” Guay conditions, such as snow quality and humidity in a If that sounds fast, 2014 Olympic champion “Now we know how much faster we can go, and said of the Olympic course. “I think that they should mountain region only 40 kilometers (25 miles) inland. Matthias Mayer hit close to 135 kph (84 mph) on we will. And the jumps will be longer,” Russi said of a make it flow a little bit better. But the slope itself is “If the weather is good I think (the snow) is going Russi’s design in the mountains above Sochi. A record men’s course that launches them airborne four times. great.” The men and women share the Olympic hill, to be rather on the hard side, on the icy side,” Russi speed of 161 kph (100 mph) in World Cup downhills The main Olympic critic one year ago was Christof but not exactly the same terrain. Russi said there is said. “Everything is on track.” — AP OLYMPICS OCA chief backs dual host city awards SAPPORO: Asia’s most powerful sports offi- meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor cial has given tentative support to the Orban to review the bid. notion that the International Olympic If Budapest joined Boston, Rome and Committee (IOC) should award the host Hamburg by pulling out, the IOC would be cities for both the 2024 and 2028 Olympics left with just Paris and Los Angeles. But later this year, an idea which appears to be because both cities presented strong cases, gaining momentum. The idea has not been speculation is mounting that the IOC could formally proposed by the IOC, and with the give the 2024 games to one and the 2028 2024 host set to be decided in September, event to the other. The struggle to find time is running out for what would be a rad- Olympic hosts has been an unexpected ical change. But top-ranking Olympic offi- boon for Asia in recent years. The region is cials, including the IOC president Thomas set to stage the next three Olympics in suc- Bach, have not ruled it out. cession: the 2018 Winter Olympics in The Olympic Council of Asia president Pyeongchang in South Korea, the 2020 Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who also Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2022 holds a key position on soccer’s world gov- Winter Olympics in Beijing. erning body FIFA, gave his views on the And Sheikh Ahmad said Asia would be subject during a press conference yesterday willing to step and host the 2026 Winter at the Asian Winter Games in Japan. Olympics if needed, with Sapporo planning Sheikh Ahmad said he could not com- to bid. “Asia will be ready to host the ment on the prospects of such a change in Olympic Winter Games again,” he said. “If the Olympics but it had happened with oth- there is a lot who bid (for 2026), we will er sporting events. “The IOC executive have to evaluate the situation, but if not, board have to decide and until they put it then we have a good chance. on the table we won’t comment,” he said. “We are ready to host a third Olympic “But as OCA president, we practised this Winter Games.” The OCA president also for (the) 2022 and 2026 Asian Games. At flagged the possibility that Oceania nations FIFA we also practised to have two World including Australia could be allowed to Championships: Russia in 2018 and Qatar in compete in the Asian summer Games from 2022.” The spiralling cost of hosting the 2022. Australia and New Zealand both Olympics has seen a reduction in the num- accepted invitations to compete at the SAPPORO: Gold medalist Wu Dajing, center, of China is flanked by silver medalist Seo Yi-ra, left, of South Korea and Park Se-yeong, of South ber of cities bidding to host it. There are just Asian Winter Games, but on condition they Korea during the victory ceremony of the men’s 500 meters of short track speed skating competition at the Asian Winter Games at Makomanai three candidates in the running for 2024, would not be allowed to win medals. Indoor Skating Rink in Sapporo, northern Japan, yesterday. — AP Paris, Los Angeles and Budapest. The next Asian Games will be held in There are growing concerns about Indonesia in 2018 but Sheikh Ahmad said WINTER GAMES Budapest’s bid after the city mayor mayor 2022 was a more likely starting date for Istvan Tarlos announced last week that he Oceania participation. — AFP Japan wins 4 gold in speed skating at Asian Winter Games SAPPORO: Japan claimed four gold medals in women’s 1,500. The Japanese team of Misaki jeong of South Korea third after her compatriot speed skating and China won two on the short Oshigiri, Nana Takagi, and Ayano Sato cruised to Shim Suk-hee got tangled up on the final lap track at the Asian Winter Games yesterday. victory in the women’s team pursuit. South with Fan Kexin of China and both were disquali- Nao Kodaira of Japan earned her second gold Korea was second, and China third. Wu Dajing, fied. In cross-country skiing, Japan also won the of the Sapporo Games by beating two-time the silver medalist in the men’s 1,500 meters on women’s 10-kilometer free through Yuki Olympic champion Lee Sang-hwa of South Monday, won gold in the 500, edging Seo Yi-ra Kobayashi. Lee Chae-won of South Korea was Korea in the women’s 500 on the long track. of South Korea by .078 seconds. Park Se-yeong, second, 24.4 seconds back, and Yelena Kolomina Kodaira is unbeaten in six World Cups this also of South Korea, was third. of Kazakhstan was third. season, and the winner of the 1,000 on Monday. “The race was quite difficult,” said Wu, a two- Rinat Mukhim won Kazakhstan’s first gold of “I wasn’t at my best today, maybe 80 percent of time world champion in the 500. “The South the games by winning the men’s 15-kilometer full fitness,” Kodaira said. “But I wanted to race Koreans gave us pressure over the final two laps free, 4.5 seconds ahead of Naoto Baba of Japan. against a strong sprinter and it was good prepa- and I almost lost my balance in the final lap.” Akira Lenting, also of Japan, was their best. ration (for the 2018 Winter Olympics).” Takuro Zang Yize of China won the women’s 500. Elsewhere, the men’s ski jumping event was can- Oda won the men’s 1,000, and Miho Takagi the Ayuko Ito of Japan was second, and Choi Min- celled to due to high winds. — AP Asian Winter Games will be an ideal stage for athletes SAPPORO: With the Winter Olympics just a year With an automatic berth in the Pyeongchang track skater Deanna Lockett and Ben Sim, a and a short distance away, the Asian Winter Games, Paek’s team is in Japan aiming to boost Vancouver Olympian in cross country skiing. The Games will be the ideal stage for the continent’s its competitiveness. games have not been without controversy stem- leading winter athletes to fine tune for ming from recent and older geopolitical tensions. Pyeongchang 2018. CONTROVERSY Organizers were forced to ensure a book denying The eighth Asian Winter Games will open Chinese short track speed skaters, who cap- the 1937 Nanjing Massacre will be removed from Sunday in Sapporo, on Japan’s northern island of tured six gold medals at the last two Winter guest rooms at a hotel to be used as a dormitory Hokkaido, and run through Feb.