Numbers games: Who benefits most from Hirscher's resignation?

The big question now is who will follow in Hirscher's footsteps; Who benefits most from the end of the Salzburg player's career? Is it the “eternal second” Henrik Kristoffersen? Is it Alexis Pinturault, who finished second behind Hirscher in the overall World Cup last winter? SportNews picked out some number games.

Marcel Hirscher, season 2018/19: The Salzburger celebrated 9 World Cup victories last winter, that's 900 points. Hirscher celebrated all of his season victories in the disciplines of slalom and giant slalom as well as in parallel giant slalom. So if we take Hirscher in the slalom from last year's result lists, then Alexis Pinturault would have won in Zagreb and Schladming. In the giant slalom, world champion Henrik Kristoffersen would have been at the top of the podium in Val d'Isere and Adelboden, and the Norwegian would also have triumphed in the slalom in Levi. A total of 6 athletes would share the 9 Hirscher victories. Most 2nd places behind Hirscher went to France in 2019/20, with Thomas Fanara (Alta Badia GS), Thibaut Favrot (Alta Badia PGS), Alexis Pinturault (Zagreb SL, Schladming SL) and Clement Noel (Adelboden, SL).

Overall World Cup promises high excitement Without Hirscher, Pinturault would have at least 40 more points in the overall World Cup (100 for victory, instead of 80 for second place), i.e. 2 instead of 1185. Kristoffersen would have 1145 instead of 1107. The decision in the overall World Cup would therefore be extremely close and the winner would probably only be determined in the last race of the season. For comparison: Hirscher was already declared the overall World Cup winner in Kranjska Gora. For the speed specialists like Dominik Paris or Vincent Kriechmayr, practically nothing changes - on the contrary: in the overall ranking, the Ultimo and the Austrian were 1047 and 97 points behind Kristoffersen, respectively. This gap would be significantly greater without Hirscher, because Kristoffersen and Pinturault would have scored more points. Question mark combination Last winter, Marcel Hirscher only competed in one combination; in Bansko, the Salzburg man came second behind Pinturault. Next winter, the new starting rule will apply (the leader after the descent will go into the slalom round with start number 2), which means that the combination will be suitable for speed Specialists become more attractive. Three combinations are on the program for the 1/2019 season, in Bormio, Wengen and Hinterstoder. Pinturault is considered an excellent combiner and also has an eye on individual starts in speed races: “It will be like in previous years, giant slalom and slalom will remain my main races. And if there are a few Super-Gs, then those on the technical side.” The world champion defends his victory in the combination, and he also has the parallel races in his program. Surprises and dangerous outsiders What is certain is that with the resignation of the great dominator Marcel Hirscher and the resignations of Felix Neureuther and Aksel Lund Svindal, 3 top drivers have left the field and there is now room for new people. The young Frenchman was already among the world's best last winter Clement Noel . The 22-year-old celebrated 3 victories in the slalom and came 2nd behind Hirscher in Adelboden. Noel finished the slalom ranking in second place and is considered one of the favorites for the small ball. The slalom specialist is not (yet) enough for the overall World Cup.

Also only 22 years old Marco Odermatt , the Swiss is an all-rounder, last winter he reached the podium twice in the giant slalom and was in the top 2 in the super-G. What is missing from the overall World Cup? Big points in another discipline, the four-time junior world champion in 10 only made it into the points once in the downhill.

Many experts see it too dominik paris as a possible candidate for the overall World Cup, which is rather unlikely but not impossible. The Ultner can look back on a dream season with 7 wins, which probably won't be possible every year. In addition, Paris only scores in downhill and super-G. Although the 30-year-old competes in the giant slalom in Sölden, he only got enough World Cup points in this discipline in 2017 at the season finale in Aspen.

Returned to the old supplier Atomic Aleksander Aamodt Kilde , the Norwegian is considered a downhill and super-G specialist, but he also regularly scores points in giant slalom, combined and parallel races. If the 27-year-old reduces his high failure rate, then he can compete for the overall World Cup. Favorites Pinturault and Kristoffersen On paper, Alexis Pinturault and Henrik Kristoffersen are the hot contenders for the 2019/20 overall World Cup. Pinturault remains calm before the start of the new season: “The big change is that there is no change. For me everything has remained the same: I have to win races if I want to be at the front at the end,” said the French ski racer at a media event before the start of the World Cup in Sölden. The ski company Rossignol approaches the issue completely differently: The oldest ski manufacturer (since 1907) is intensifying its efforts for Henrik Kristoffersen, the Norwegian now has two service people at his disposal. The effort should be worth it as quickly as possible. The last overall World Cup winner for Rossignol was Alberto Tomba in 2. Conclusion In recent years Marcel Hirscher has always been the top favorite for the big crystal ball, but with the end of Hirscher's career the circle of favorites has probably expanded to half a dozen. We will know who will ultimately be Marcel Hirscher's successor after the season finale from March 16th to 22nd in Cortina.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Numbers games: Who benefits most from Hirscher's resignation?

A new era begins in the men's Ski World Cup on Sunday with the giant slalom in Sölden (10 a.m./13 p.m.). Marcel Hirscher, the overall World Cup winner for the last 8 years, ended his career in the summer and the search for the heir to the throne is underway.

Suggestions

Comments (0)