Favorites: Hector and Pertl

The Swedish Sara Hector, Olympic giant champion in 2022 in Beijing, has all the assets to shine in the discipline.

Fifth and fourth in the last two World Cup events, she achieved the second qualifying time on Tuesday, making her one of the favorites.

Among the men, the Austrian Adrian Pertl, vice-world champion in slalom, is used to shining in this kind of format.

By far the best time on the blue course on Tuesday, he showed himself in good form, although the final table will take place in Méribel on a different and shorter track.

The Frenchman: Pinturault

Ideally launched by a superb first week at the Worlds (combined gold, super-G bronze), Alexis Pinturault has a good opportunity with the parallel to fill his trophy cabinet with an eighth individual world medal.

Despite the randomness of the exercise, Pinturault has already shown that he can be comfortable with it: he won the parallel of Lech (Austria) in November 2020, the season of his big crystal globe.

"It was not easy, I had trouble finding my bearings. Tomorrow it will be very different on another track, with a shorter track, I will try to adapt. But I feel pretty good", he said after qualifying on Tuesday.

Austrian Adrian Pertl during the Val-d'Isère World Cup slalom on December 11, 2022 in Val-d'Isère © Jeff PACHOUD / AFP/Archives

In addition to "Pintu", the Blues will have three women's representatives with Coralie Frasse-Sombet, Clara Direz and Marie Lamure.

Direz picked up the only World Cup victory of his career over a parallel giant, in a slightly different format, in January 2020.

"It's a super discipline, telegenic, which I enjoy skiing, even if I would rather see it as a show apart, not in the World Cup. It's pretty, it's good for skiing", explains she.

The supporters: Faivre, Liensberger and Bassino

The Worlds follow each other but are not alike for all skiers: Mathieu Faivre and Katharina Liensberger, both titled in parallel at Cortina in 2021, were out of the qualifications disputed on Tuesday.

Frenchman Alexis Pinturault on the third step of the Super-G podium at the World Ski Championships on February 9, 2023 in Courchevel © Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP/Archives

Not a huge surprise, as the two champions are in difficulty this season.

Bassino, tied with Liensberger in 2021, will be there.

"I have never been for this discipline, I made no secret of it. My title in 2021 has not changed my vision of things. In my opinion, it can be great in exhibition. We have the means to better promote the four basic disciplines (slalom, giant, super-G, downhill) with why not other ancillary disciplines on show", indicated Mathieu Faivre.

© 2023 AFP