Sure Luge Gold for Germany?
It will be an exciting day of competition in Beijing. The Olympic programme has some interesting decisions up its sleeve and it could well be a day for the German team. Several gold medals seem possible. A total of ten sets of medals will be awarded and the schedule is packed to the brim. From 5:00 a.m. at the latest, it will be one after the other.
At the beginning of the Olympic day, the Swiss women are first in line for a medal in the Big Air. Mathilde Gremaud and Sarah Höfflin have convinced in the qualification. A medal would be a surprise, but not impossible. Afterwards, the alpinists will get their money’s worth again. In the men’s super-G it could be successful for the teams from Austria and Switzerland. The German skiers probably don’t stand a chance.
At breakfast time, it continues with the sprints in cross-country skiing, although there should be no medal chances for the German-speaking athletes there. It’s a different story in the women’s and men’s parallel giant slalom on the snowboard. In both competitions there are numerous medal chances for our home region. Stefan Baumeister, in particular, is flirting with an Olympic victory.
Olympics 2022 – Current medal table
After Denis Herrmann’s surprising gold, the German biathletes also go into the 20 kilometre competition with a tailwind. The technicians have done a great job and maybe the men will benefit as well. At the end of the day, Germany could well win two medals in the women’s luge. All three German participants were promising in the field before Julia Taubitz fell and probably lost all chances.
The most important decisions of the day
Alpine Skiing – Men’s Super-G
5:00 CET – Yanqing Alpine Skiing Centre Speed
The first decision in the men’s race has just been made. The downhill has been postponed from Sunday to Monday and so Beat Feuz could celebrate two Olympic victories within 24 hours if he also triumphs in the super-G. However, the Swiss is not the top favourite for the gold medal in this discipline.
Actually, a duel between Marco Odermatt and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde can be expected, as these two racers won all the Super-Gs of the current winter together. If everything goes normally, these two racers should decide gold and silver between them. However, the Austrians in particular want to get into the fight for the medals.
Matthias Mayer, Vincent Kriechmayr and Raphael Haaser have already been on the podium this winter. Especially Mayer, who is always strong at the Olympic Games, will be able to ski freely after his bronze medal in the downhill. In addition, the Swiss Stefan Rogentin will perhaps have to be kept an eye on.
Snowboard – Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom
from 8;43am CET – Genting Snowpark
The snowboard is not one of the classic sports at the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, there will be a highlight from the German point of view at Genting Snowpark on Tuesday, because they can definitely hope for a gold medal in the parallel giant slalom. Stefan Baumeister is the World Cup leader in this discipline and has been on the podium in four out of five World Cup races this winter.
The German won twice and is therefore one of the favourites at the gates of Beijing. The Russian Dimitrii Loginov, however, is rated even stronger by the bookmakers. Although he has only won one race this winter, he took the gold medal in this discipline at each of the last two World Championships.
The South Korean Lee Sang-ho should also be taken into account. He also won a World Cup this season. Switzerland’s Nevin Galmarini, the reigning Olympic champion, is also in the field and Austria is sending Benjamin Karl, a veteran who has already won everything except Olympic gold, onto the slopes.
Biathlon – Men’s Individual
from 9:30am CET – Zhangjiakou Biathlon Centre
Biathlon is one of the most popular sports at the Olympics. On Tuesday, the longest race in the ski hunters is on the Olympic programme. After the triumph in the mixed relay, where the Boe brothers performed strongly, the Norwegians are the big favourites. With Sturla Holm Laegreid, another very strong athlete from the Elks will be competing.
You always have to watch out for the French and the Swedes in the biathlon. Basically, the entire French team can run into the medal range. Emilien Jacquelin and Quentin Fillon Maillet probably have the best chances, though. For the Swedes, Sebastian Samuelsson and Martin Ponsiluoma should fight for precious metal.
The German men have shown an upward trend lately and if things go well at the shooting range, a surprise might be possible. Especially Benedikt Doll has shown a clear improvement in form lately. The Eastern Europeans are traditionally strong over the 20 kilometres. Especially Alexander Loginov is highly rated, because he is usually a bank with the rifle, which is worth more in the individual than in the other disciplines.
Luge – women’s singles
from 12:50 CET – Yanqing Sliding Centre
You don’t win an Olympic gold medal in luge in one run, but you can very well lose it. With Austria’s Madeleine Egle and Germany’s Julia Taubitz, the two best women of the winter have already withdrawn from the race for the medals. Taubitz was still in the lead after the first run with a track record, but crashed in the second run and had to bury all hopes at her Olympic premiere.
Natalie Geisenberger did her stuff though. The two-time individual Olympic champion is in the lead after two runs ahead of her teammate Anna Berreiter. A lot can happen on the track in Yanqing, but under normal circumstances it should be enough for gold for Geisenberger and silver for Berreiter. But it will be really exciting in the fight for bronze, because there are several contenders.
Tatiana Ivanova from Russia’s Olympic team currently has the best chances, as she is in third place. Hanna Prock and Lisa Schulte also have a chance. Maybe Eliza Tiruma from Latvia can still surprise. It would be a happy ending if Madeleine Egle could close the gap to third place, but the competition will have to be defeated for that to happen.
Important Olympic hockey matches tonight
Women – USA vs. Canada
5:10 a.m. CET – Preliminary Round – Wukesong Arena
The North American duel in women’s ice hockey is the last game in the preliminary round. It is safe to assume that it will not be the last meeting of these two teams in Beijing, however, because if everything goes normally, this pairing will be played out again in the final. The Canadians fared slightly better in the group stage, but only in terms of goal difference.
Both teams have three wins under their belts and it’s just a matter of who finishes first and who finishes second going into the quarter-finals. It’s more likely that both teams will try something to avoid putting all their cards on the table yet, because the big game, if everything goes normally, is yet to come between these two women’s ice hockey greats.
Women – Japan vs. Czech Republic
9:40am CET – Preliminary Round – Wukesong Arena
The last matchday is also on the agenda in the weak group. The Japanese have already made it to the quarter-finals and can no longer be ousted from one of the top three places. It would be important to win the group in order to avoid the two superior teams from the USA and Canada in the play-offs.
For that, the Czech Republic would need a win. However, the Czech women surprisingly lost to Denmark and desperately need success on Tuesday to push past the Japanese women. Based on their performance so far, the players from the Far East should be slightly favoured. If they want to have any hope of winning a medal, they will have to win the group in this pool.
Team Germany to watch in Beijing
It could be a successful German day. In snowboarding, the women and men could be in contention for the medals. Especially the men around the World Cup leader Stefan Baumeister have good chances for precious metal. In the men’s super-G, they should be aiming for seventh to tenth place. More should not be possible for the German team.
The men’s and women’s cross-country sprint definitely has its appeal. For the women, the semi-final should be the highest of feelings, but only if everything goes right. In the men’s event, it would already be a success if one could achieve a place among the best 30 in the qualification. Surprisingly, the men’s 1500 metres in speed skating will take place without German participation.
More highlights are coming at later hours Chinese local time. In the men’s biathlon, anything is possible. The last races have shown that they are in the mix in terms of running and if things work out at the shooting range, then a lot is possible. At the end of the schedule is the women’s single-seater luge. It would be a surprise if there is not the next gold for Germany in the sliding centre. There seems to be no way around the title hat-trick for Natalie Geisenberger.
Team Austria to watch in Beijing
Austrian winter sports fans should switch on the TV in the early hours of the morning. The men’s Super-G is certainly the highlight of the day, even if you can also count on something in the women’s and men’s snowboard. After that, however, there will be a bigger gap in the medal hopes in Team Austria.
In the morning there won’t be much to be gained. In the women’s and men’s cross-country skiing there is probably nothing in it. Even in the biathlon it would be very surprising if Simon Eder and Co. were able to compete for the top places. For the Austrians, too, it is important to stay clear with the rifle, because the Austrian athletes will not be able to keep up in the cross-country.
There could still be a medal in the women’s luge. However, Madeleine Egle disappointed on the first day and will have nothing to do with the outcome of this decision.
Team Switzerland to watch at Olympia 2022
It is the first day that no Swiss team will be on the ice, neither in women’s ice hockey nor in curling. Instead, Lukas Britschgi will perform his short programme in figure skating in the early hours of the morning. Of course, the Swiss has no chance of winning a medal. The situation will be different in the big air final in ski freestyle. Maybe Mathilde Gremaud and Sarah Höfflin can surprise.
The Swiss are also hoping for the mountains in the course of the early morning. In the men’s Super-G, Beat Feuz and Marco Odermatt are medal contenders. Perhaps the Swiss can also be among the front runners on the snowboard. After all, Nevil Galmarini, the reigning Olympic champion, is competing in the men’s event. A total of seven snowboarders from Switzerland are in the running.
Nadine Fähndrich could perhaps cause a surprise in the cross-country sprint. In the men’s biathlon, however, the Swiss are only big outsiders. Only Benjamin Weger could perhaps be placed among the front runners in a perfect race. In the women’s luge, a place in the top 10 for Natalie Maag would be a great thing.
