Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy) (AFP)

The Italian Dominik Paris will carry on Sunday in the descent all the hopes of a team still empty-handed after three home races at the World Alpine Skiing in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

- The defending champion: Kjetil Jansrud -

The veteran (35) leads a decimated Norwegian men's team in all disciplines: the big-globe holder Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Adrian Smiseth Sejersted are injured, as are the two technical event hopefuls Atle Lie McGrath and Lucas Braathen.

But Jansrud has not been on a downhill podium since March 2019 and only has a top 3 this winter in the World Cup, at the super-G of Val Gardena, the historically favorite resort of the Norwegians.

- The favorite: Dominik Paris -

The Italian can be the big star of these Worlds at home.

Vice-world champion in downhill in 2013, world champion in super-G in 2019, he is the current skier most often victorious in the discipline (15 World Cup successes).

But Paris (31) ruptured a cruciate ligament in her right knee in January 2020, an injury after which sensations can take a long time to return.

His victory last week in the downhill of Garmisch (Germany) showed he was ready.

It would be better for Italy, still fanny after three races.

"Domme" will have a lot to do with the competition of Swiss Beat Feuz, triple holder of the small downhill globe, and Austrians Matthias Mayer and Vincent Kriechmayr.

- The big odds: Matthieu Bailet -

The young Frenchman (24 years old) has no World Cup podiums, but more and more regularly wins the top 10, including two in Kitzbühel (Austria) in January.

The Niçois remains on two capital performances with high numbers in super-G (8th in Kitzbühel, 7th in the Worlds on Thursday).

If he channels his ardor, he can create surprise.

- The statement:

"Fortunately they changed the layout. Apart from the middle part where you feel they don't really know how fast to get us to this jump which can throw very hard, it's a nice track. is magnificent here, there is a crazy panorama, "said Frenchman Maxence Muzaton after the second practice.

Criticized the day before for a too slow and too technical approach to the key passage of the race, the organizers revised their copy on Saturday to satisfy the skiers.

Sunday February 14: men's descent at 11:00 a.m.

© 2021 AFP