SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Lindsey Vonn races in the downhill at the Alpine skiing world championships on Saturday. Here’s a guide that tells you everything you need to know about the biggest skiing event outside of the Olympics: how to watch, what the schedule is and more.
What are the Alpine skiing world championships?
Known as the skiing “worlds,” the championships are held every other year at different Alpine resorts. This year’s 13-day competition is being held in Saalbach-Hinterglemm in the Austrian state of Salzburg.
There are 11 medal events this year: the four traditional events of super-G, downhill, giant slalom and slalom for both women and men; a team parallel race; and new team combined events for women and men.
Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in each event.
The competition is being held exactly a year before the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Who are the big names competing?
Vonn has returned after nearly six years of retirement with a new titanium knee.
Mikaela Shiffrin has also just returned from a severe puncture wound following a crash in late November and will compete in the giant slalom and slalom on Feb. 13 and 15, respectively.
The top men's racer is Swiss standout Marco Odermatt. He won gold in super-G on Friday.
How to watch the skiing worlds?
In the U.S., races can be streamed on skiandsnowboard.live both live and on demand. Weekend events will also be shown on tape delay on NBC. The full U.S. schedule is here.
In Canada, races are streamed live on CBC. The full Canada schedule is here.
In Europe, races are shown live on Eurosport and a variety of national broadcasters.
The full race schedule is here.
What's the difference between the World Cup and the world championships?
The World Cup is skiing's “regular season” that lasts from October to March with races across the Alps and in the U.S.
The World Cup goes on break during the world championships and Olympics, which are the biggest events in skiing.
Can Shiffrin get to win No. 100 at worlds?
No. Shiffrin has a record 99 World Cup wins but she can't get to No. 100 at worlds. That's because races at worlds are considered a different competition and do not count toward World Cup statistics.
Shiffrin's next chance to get to No. 100 will come at her next World Cup stop in Sestriere, Italy, from Feb. 21-23.
What do I need to know about skiing and the world championships?
Get caught up:
— Goggia narrowly avoids disaster during awkward landing of jump. Vonn back for downhill training
— Swiss ski star Marco Odermatt says ‘everything was perfect’ in dominant super-G victory at worlds
— Lindsey Vonn hooks a gate with her arm and doesn’t finish her opening race at skiing worlds
— US skier Lauren Macuga shows off her ‘weird dance moves’ to celebrate bronze in worlds debut
— Austrian gold at the skiing worlds in Austria finally pumps up the host nation
— Mikaela Shiffrin won’t team up with Lindsey Vonn in skiing dream team at Alpine worlds
— Italy’s Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia are the women to beat at the skiing world championships
— Italy edges Switzerland to win team parallel event at skiing worlds; US finishes 4th
— Snowboarding, skiing and now windsurfing? Ester Ledecka might have a 3rd Olympic sport
— Lindsey Vonn faces more criticism for competing at age 40 than Tom Brady, Lewis Hamilton
— Switzerland 11, Austria 0: Rival powerhouses enter ski worlds with contrasting win rates
— Lindsey Vonn thinks her new titanium knee could start a trend in skiing. And pro sports in general
— Mikaela Shiffrin prioritizes recovery over chasing World Cup win No. 100 in return from ski crash
— Mikaela Shiffrin finishes 10th in World Cup slalom on her injury comeback as Ljutic wins
— AP Exclusive: Lindsey Vonn plans to retire again after racing at the Olympics in 2026
— Mikaela Shiffrin healed from puncture wound suffered in ski crash, will race next week in France
— Lindsey Vonn is enjoying a break from American politics while she competes in Europe
___
AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
The Associated Press
