JEONGSEON, South Korea (AP) — No super-steep gradients, no rock-hard ice, no death-defying speeds.
It’s not what Christof Innerhofer had in mind for the downhill course for the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics. The Italian skier prefers only the toughest challenges and the Jeongseon piste — the first downhill developed in South Korea — is much tamer than what World Cup racers are accustomed to.
“Downhill is [called] downhill because you must go 130-160kph [80-100mph],” the 2014 Olympic downhill silver medalist said. “When you see the speed and you see 96 kph [60 mph] a lot of people will say, ‘What is this for downhill?