Double victory in skeleton for Germany?

The German Olympic team is still number one in the medal table. They didn’t expect it to go so well, but on Friday they will have to defend their top position and for sure they will need a gold medal, because the competition from Norway, Austria, Sweden, the USA and also from the Netherlands is not sleeping.

Maybe Andre Höflich can surprise in the halfpipe. He himself says that he wants to fight for the medals and does not rule out winning the Olympics. But there should be a sure gold medal for Christopher Grotheer, who is clearly in the lead in skeleton after two of four runs. A lot would have to happen for him to still hold the Olympic victory in his hands.

Austria and Switzerland will mainly rely on the next alpine decision again. In the women’s super-G, our two home nations have good prospects of a medal, even gold doesn’t seem impossible. The Swiss Nati will also be back in action in ice hockey and will have to deal with the team from the Czech Republic.

The biathlon can be quite exciting again. From the German point of view, especially Denise Herrmann hopes for a good result again. However, Vanessa Voigt and Franziska Preuß could also be among the front runners. The Austrians have a strong athlete in Lisa Theresa Hause. All in all, the Olympic programme on Friday shows some interesting decisions again.

The most important decisions of the day

Alpine Skiing – Women’s Super-G

4:00 CET – Yanqing Alpine Ski Centre

The next decision in alpine skiing is on the Olympic programme. For the German athletes, there will probably not be much to harvest in the Super-G. But the Swiss have a very strong team. Lara Gut-Behrami and Corinne Suter are expected to do well early on Friday. The Austrians also have at least two candidates for medals in their team with Cornelia Hütter and Tamara Tippler.

But the big favourites are the ladies from Italy. Federica Brignone and Elena Curtoni certainly have to be on the cards. But the big story is Sofia Goggia. The best speed lady of the winter recently suffered a broken leg in Cortina, but will now make her comeback in the super-G in Yanqing and should definitely have a chance to be among the front runners.

It will also be interesting to see what Mikaela Shiffrin brings to the snow. In the giant slalom and slalom she was eliminated after only a few gates in the first run. In the super-G, she wants to go all out again and finally start winning medals at these Games. She certainly has chances on the podium, but other ladies should be a bit stronger.

Biathlon – Women’s 7.5 km Sprint

from 10:00 CET – Zhangjiakou Biathlon Centre

Friday will also see Denise Herrmann’s first appearance as an Olympic champion. The women’s sprint is on the programme and if she manages to work well at the shooting range again, then the second medal could be in it, because apparently she has found her running skills again in time for the Olympic Games. Moreover, the German skis are excellently prepared up to here in Zhangjiakou.

However, the two Norwegians Marte Olsbu Roeiseland and Tiril Eckhoff are considered to be the big favourites. They were even faster than Denise Herrmann over the 15 kilometres. Especially Roeiseland is usually a bank with the rifle. Therefore, she should have a good chance to finish in front in this Olympic sprint. But that actually applies to many other women as well.

Elvira and Hannah Öberg can be expected as well as the two Belarussians Dzinara Alimbekava and Hanna Sola. In addition, you have to watch out for all the French women and some of the Russians. But the sprint will be exciting in any case, because the times and distances of this race will be the benchmark for the pursuit.

Skeleton – men’s single

from 13:20 CET – Yanqing Sliding Centre

The ice rink at the Yanqing Sliding Centre is firmly in German hands. That was the case for the luge competitions and is also the case in skeleton. The men have already completed the first two runs on Thursday and a lot would have to happen if there wasn’t another German gold medal to cheer for.

Christopher Grotheer is almost uncatchable in the lead. The cushion on second place is already seven tenths on his team mate Axel Jungk. So a German double victory also seems very possible. However, the fight for the other medals is still very close. China’s Yan Wengang has just as much chance as the two Russians Alexander Tretiakov and Evgeniy Rukosuev.

Even the former top favourite and six-time World Champion Martins Dukurs from Latvia can still hope for a medal. This does not apply to Alexander Gassner as the third German, the Austrians Samuel Maier and Alexander Schlinter and the Swiss Basil Sieber. However, a lot can happen in skeleton. The last two runs still have to be completed.

Important Olympic ice hockey matches tonight

Men – Denmark vs. Russia

5:10 a.m. CET – Preliminary Round – Beijing National Indoor Stadium

Denmark vs Russia, this is a clash between an Olympic newcomer and the Olympic champion. Both teams won their opening match. The Danes kept the upper hand in a great defensive battle against the Czech Republic with 2-1. However, this victory was quite lucky after a Czech goal against the post in the last second.

The Russians also showed themselves to be very stable, especially in defence, and managed a clean sweep directly in the first game. The Sbornaja won 1:0 against Switzerland, but for long stretches they were not as confident as one would expect from the defending champions. Nevertheless, there should be another Russian victory on Friday.

Men – Czech Republic vs. Switzerland

9:40 am CET – Preliminary Round – Beijing National Indoor Stadium

It was clear in advance that the ice comrades from Switzerland would not shoot their opponents out of the arena in their opening match against Russia. Overall, however, the Swiss made life very difficult for the defending champions. In the end, the Nati had to admit defeat with 0:1, but could take a lot of positives from this match into the second game.

On Friday, Switzerland will face the Czech Republic. The Czechs were surprisingly beaten 1:2 by the newcomer from Denmark. Especially their attack lacked creativity. However, both losers of the first matchday do not have to fear being kicked out of the tournament after the preliminary round, because all twelve teams will definitely continue in the playoffs.

Team Germany to watch in Beijing

Even in the middle of the night, the supposed highlights of the German Olympic team get underway. According to the schedule, the first two runs in the women’s skeleton will be held as early as 2:30 am. Tina Hermann and Jacqueline Lölling in particular have a good chance of placing at the top. Andre Höflich is also hoping for this in the halfpipe with the snowboard.

For Kira Weidle it is a race for acclimatisation before there should be better chances for top rankings in the downhill. For breakfast there will hardly be anything to get in the men’s cross-country and speed skating.

However, the last two decisions of the day could again be the German competitions. Denise Herrmann hopes to deliver another perfect race in the biathlon sprint. The Olympic champion in the 15 kilometres is one of the favourites. In the men’s skeleton there should be a safe gold for Germany at the end of the day. Christopher Grotheer’s lead before the last two runs is already enormous.

Team Austria to watch in Beijing

It probably won’t be a very exciting day for the Austrian athletes. In the women’s skeleton Janine Flock is only a big outsider. The training has shown that she can hardly expect to place in the front field. Directly afterwards, however, there is the highlight from Team Austria’s point of view and that is, unsurprisingly, in alpine skiing again.

In the women’s super-G the Austrians are not the top favourites, but the ÖSV athletes have shone in the decisions so far. Cornelia Hütter and Tamara Tippler in particular now want to build on this in this discipline. Mirjam Puchner and Ariane Rädler are two other women who also have a chance of winning a medal.

Apart from that, there is really only the women’s biathlon sprint to look out for. Lisa Theresa Hauser has what it takes to make it into the top ranks, although a medal should not be expected after the last impressions. In cross-country skiing and skeleton, on the other hand, there will certainly be nothing to win. However, if the aces are in, it could be a good day for Austria.

Team Switzerland to watch at Olympia 2022

There are several highlights for the Swiss on Friday. The Swiss are extremely active in the team competitions. As many as three games are on the programme in curling. The aim is to get into a good position for the next sessions. Then there is the second game of the men’s ice hockey team, which has to prove itself against the Czech Republic.

In the halfpipe, Patrick Burgener and Jan Scherrer certainly have outside chances with the snowboard and maybe things will go better than expected in the Genting Snowpark. The absolute highlight of the day is the women’s Super-G. Lara Gut-Behrami in particular is considered to be one of the favourites. Jasmine Fleury, Michelle Gisin and Corinne Suter could also end up on the podium.

There is probably little to be gained for that from the early morning onwards. However, in the men’s cross-country it is important to keep an eye on the old champion Dario Cologna. Maybe he can put one last exclamation mark on his career. In the women’s biathlon or skeleton, the Swiss athletes will not reap anything.