River Radamus, the accomplished American alpine skier from Edwards, demonstrated his technical prowess by securing a podium finish in the final Olympic downhill training session held on the renowned Stelvio slope in Bormio, Italy. Clocking an impressive time of 1 minute and 57.22 seconds on the demanding 3,442-meter course, Radamus finished third, though he confirmed he would not participate in Saturday's official downhill competition. Instead, his sights are firmly set on the super-G event scheduled for February 11, where he believes his giant slalom background will prove advantageous.
The 27-year-old athlete's performance in Friday's training run served as crucial preparation for the technical challenges ahead. Speaking at the finish line, Radamus emphasized that the Stelvio course inherently demands exceptional technical abilities regardless of specific gate placement. "The hill itself is demanding enough that no matter how you set it, it will be technical, so you have to have good technical skills," he explained. "And those are the courses I think I thrive on as a GS skier."
His confidence stems from a strategic assessment of the course characteristics and expected setup. Radamus noted that Italian course setters typically favor high-speed, direct lines in super-G competitions, which could create sections reminiscent of downhill racing. This hybrid nature would require athletes to master both technical precision and pure speed elements. "The word on the street is the Italians are setting the super-G. They tend to set pretty fast, straight courses," Radamus observed. "I could expect a lot of sections to basically mirror what the downhill is doing. So, you're going to need a little bit of a mix."
The training session saw varied participation levels, with many top competitors choosing to conserve energy for the main event. Canadian skier James Crawford posted the fastest time of the day at 1:54.95, showcasing the raw speed required for success on this mountain. American Ryan Cochran-Siegle had previously topped the opening training run on Wednesday, demonstrating the depth of talent on the U.S. team. The second practice session on Thursday was dominated by three Italian skiers, with Kyle Negomir, another Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alumnus, emerging as the highest-placed American in 19th position. This connection to the prestigious Vail ski program highlights the pipeline of talent developing in Colorado's challenging mountain environment and speaks to the quality of American ski development programs.
Sam Morse, who finished just 0.21 seconds behind Radamus in Friday's session, described the atmosphere as relaxed and pressure-free due to the reduced field size. "It felt much more like a training day that's just our own team," Morse commented. "That was fun to ski without a whole lot of expectations." This sentiment highlights the strategic approach many athletes take during final preparations, using training runs to fine-tune technique rather than chase results. The camaraderie among teammates during these sessions provides valuable psychological relief amid the intense pressure of Olympic competition, allowing skiers to focus on process rather than outcome.
The Stelvio course presents a formidable physical and mental challenge, beginning with an intimidating 63-degree pitch that maintains its severity throughout the descent. Morse characterized the terrain as "unrelenting," contrasting it with other classic World Cup venues that offer periodic recovery sections. "The pitch and the angle of it, it really doesn't let up," he detailed. "Kitzbuhel or Wengen, you have these road stretches where it really flattens out. And Bormio is just like that false flat that keeps coming at you, keeps coming at you. And then it's long." This continuous demand on skiers' legs and concentration creates a unique test of endurance rarely matched on the World Cup circuit, requiring exceptional cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.
Radamus echoed these observations, emphasizing how variable snow conditions dramatically affect the skiing experience. "It's a little bit of a different beast when the snow is icier than it is today. Particularly when it's flat light like this, then you're constantly braced. You have no moment to be comfortable," he explained. "Even if the snow is flat, you can't see that it's flat, so you're braced, you're tense and through the sections where it's really bumpy, your legs are burning." These insights reveal the mental fortitude required to compete at the highest level, where visual perception and physical preparation must align perfectly. The psychological burden of skiing blind through icy sections while maintaining world-class speed cannot be overstated.
Among the course's most daunting features is the infamous San Pietro jump, a signature element that tests athletes' courage and control. Competitors approach this precipice at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour before launching approximately 40-50 meters through the air onto a landing zone angled at 50 degrees. The physics involved in such a jump require precise timing, aerodynamic positioning, and the ability to absorb massive impact forces upon landing. When comparing this aerial challenge to the renowned Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek, Morse drew a compelling parallel. "Like OG Birds of Prey," he remarked, noting that recent modifications have softened the Golden Eagle jump at the American venue. "They've been making Golden Eagle a little small the last couple years." This comparison underscores how classic courses evolve and how athletes' perspectives shift based on their experience across different mountains, while also highlighting the raw, unfiltered challenge that Bormio maintains.
The Olympic downhill race is scheduled to commence Saturday at 3:30 a.m. MST, featuring a full field of competitors tackling the Stelvio's legendary challenges. While Radamus won't be among them, his training performance has provided valuable insights and momentum for his super-G campaign. The technical sections that favor his giant slalom expertise, combined with his ability to handle high-speed segments, position him as a legitimate contender for the super-G podium. His decision to skip the downhill reflects a common strategic choice among multi-discipline skiers who must manage their energy and focus across a compressed Olympic schedule where multiple events demand peak performance within days.
The Bormio venue has long been celebrated as one of alpine skiing's most demanding tests, combining extreme steepness, sustained pitch, and technical complexity. Its reputation attracts the world's best skiers who seek to prove their versatility across disciplines. For Radamus, the opportunity to train on such a challenging track offers invaluable preparation that transcends simple gate training. The mountain's character forces athletes to develop a holistic understanding of speed management, line selection, and risk assessment that applies directly to super-G racing, where gates are set with minimal direction changes but maximum speed retention in mind.
As the Olympic competition unfolds, Radamus's strategic focus on super-G reflects a calculated approach to maximizing medal opportunities. His third-place training finish validates his technical capabilities on one of the world's most intimidating slopes. The American ski team will be watching closely as he translates this training success into competitive performance on February 11, hoping his GS background and downhill training experience combine for a breakthrough Olympic result. The pressure to perform for Team USA adds another layer of motivation for the Colorado native, who represents the next generation of American technical skiers.
The intersection of technical precision and raw speed required at Bormio exemplifies modern alpine skiing's evolution, where athletes must master multiple disciplines to succeed. Radamus's preparation strategy demonstrates this reality, using downhill training to sharpen skills for a super-G event that promises to be equally demanding. As the Olympic spotlight intensifies, his performance will be measured not just against the clock, but against the mountain's legendary difficulty. The mental and physical preparation required for such a challenge represents years of dedication and specialized training, often beginning in childhood and refined through countless hours on snow.
In the broader context of Olympic alpine skiing, Bormio's Stelvio course stands as a monument to the sport's heritage. Its inclusion in the Olympic program ensures that champions must demonstrate complete mastery of their craft, not just specialized proficiency in a single discipline. For Radamus and his competitors, the mountain represents both adversary and proving ground, a place where careers are defined and legends are forged. The upcoming super-G competition will test whether his strategic preparation and training insights translate into Olympic glory, potentially marking a watershed moment in his career trajectory.
The significance of Radamus's Vail connection cannot be overlooked, as the Ski and Snowboard Club Vail has produced numerous Olympic and World Cup athletes. This developmental pathway emphasizes technical fundamentals from an early age, creating skiers comfortable on the most demanding terrain. The club's influence is evident in Radamus's analytical approach to course inspection and his ability to articulate technical concepts clearly. This educational foundation, combined with natural talent and years of elite-level experience, creates a competitor capable of adapting to any mountain's unique challenges.
Weather and snow conditions will play a crucial role in the super-G competition, as Bormio's elevation and north-facing aspects can create unpredictable racing surfaces. The flat light conditions Radamus mentioned can transform a familiar course into an entirely new challenge, requiring athletes to rely on muscle memory and instinct rather than visual cues. This element of unpredictability adds excitement for spectators but demands extraordinary adaptability from competitors. The ability to adjust tactics mid-run separates good skiers from Olympic medalists.
Training philosophy in modern alpine skiing increasingly emphasizes versatility, with athletes like Radamus using downhill sessions to build confidence at extreme speeds. This cross-training approach develops different muscle groups and mental frameworks than traditional giant slalom preparation. The super-G discipline sits at this intersection, rewarding skiers who can maintain downhill velocity while executing giant slalom turns. Radamus's third-place training result suggests he has found this critical balance, potentially giving him an edge over specialists from either extreme.
The Olympic stage amplifies every performance, with training results scrutinized for clues about medal favorites. While Radamus downplayed the significance of his podium finish, the timing and confidence gained cannot be discounted. In a sport where milliseconds separate glory from disappointment, any psychological advantage proves valuable. His ability to perform under the watchful eyes of coaches, competitors, and media during training suggests composure that will serve him well when the super-G gates finally drop.
As February 11 approaches, Radamus's preparation enters its final critical phase. The lessons learned from Bormio's unforgiving slopes will be distilled into race-day strategy, equipment tuning, and mental visualization. Every training run, every conversation with coaches, every analysis of snow conditions contributes to the complex puzzle of Olympic success. For now, the American skier can take satisfaction in knowing he has tamed one of skiing's most formidable mountains in practice, leaving only the final test of competition remaining.