Peter Forras, Al Guss and Steve Lee: The Intensity of Alpine

Alpine skiing is the ultimate race against gravity, combining blistering speed, technical precision and fearless commitment. 

With brutal courses, icy conditions and enormous pressure, Alpine delivers some of the most dramatic moments of the Winter Olympics. 

We spoke with Australian Olympians Peter Forras (Calgary 1988), Al Guss (Sarajevo 1984) and Steve Lee (Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992) to preview the Milano Cortina venues, key contenders and the storylines to watch.

What makes Alpine unique compared to other Winter Olympic events?

Peter Forras: “The speed, length of run and airtime you get in downhill is unique, thrilling to watch and on the edge. Super G is more technical but in the same vein. Slalom and Giant Slalom are even more technical and all feature racing down the mountain against the clock as fast as you can go through the course setter’s flags.”

Al Guss: “The Euro winter history of our forefathers, how creative they were to develop evolution the technology and equipment used, the ungroomed runs, the development of using the Army to boot-stamp the courses to set the snow (no machine grooming back then), the techniques of The-Turn evolution, the development of the gates we turn around (from bamboo to plastic to rapid-gates bending…plus the toughness those athletes had (e.g. bottom-to-top up sidestep inspections of the Slalom Courses (not side slip down), or the safety netting being then frozen hay-bails or picket fences).”

Steve Lee: “An ever changing playing field, most other Olympic events are on ice which is a consistent surface. When you compete in an Alpine event you're always up against ever changing conditions, temperature changes which affect speed and equipment, wind, sunlight, shade, and maybe the odd animal running across the course!”

What are the key moments in competition where medals are usually won or lost?

Peter Forras: “For those in contention, first the mind. The winner will be the one who doesn’t think he’s going to win but knows it on the day and will be in the flow. Races are generally won by tenths if not 100ths of a second so any error on your journey can cost you that time.”

Al Guss: “The mindset in the build-up and then the laying down of the skills on-course. I recall in my Sarajevo OWG 1984 Downhill, the gold medallist Billy Johnson was running-hot 2-3 weeks before hand and again 1-2 weeks after, so confident at Sarajevo OWG 1984 was he, he had business cards pre-printed ready in the finish line stating: ‘Billy Johnson America, Atomic Skis, Olympic Champion 1984 Downhill’. We use the term: ‘Tickets’ for someone like that, but the key moments for Bill Johnson were these 5-6 weeks of competition when he was running hot and the confidence he carried and ran with. It was unbeatable.”

Steve Lee: “Confidence in your preparation in the lead up, and head space when you're at the top of the course. Mental rehearsal is such an important part of these events, if you're in the start gate not certain you're taking home a medal, you just aren't.” 

How will the Milano Cortina venues and conditions influence Alpine?

Peter Forras: “It is a place of heritage, with the 1956 games being there will be the added nostalgia…it’s also one of the most beautiful parts of the Italian Alps so it will make for a great spectacle.”

Al Guss: “The Alpine events are split about 4.5 hours drive apart for the Men’s (Bormio) and Women’s (Cortina) events.

“The men’s Alpine Bormio downhill course is known as 1 of the 3 toughest technical icy downhill courses in the world event. There are icy round technical fast-speed turns where the more technical downhiller, as opposed to the fast gliding downhiller who lets their skis run, prevails. The feel for the snow, technical aerodynamic stance and ability to make the long downhill skis edge, turn and accelerate through the turn but glide is a feel-full need through strong body core and legs. So I see the more technical downhillers that are also good Giant Slalom skiers prevailing.

“The women’s Alpine Cortina course is a true downhillers course, being glorious, fast, with need for fast speed turns where you need to feel between a perfect turn and a speed-generating turn that is ensuring you maintain your line for the next gate and keep your speed. The perfect race turn is not the perfect technical turn always, it’s where you turn only enough to maintain your line down the course and keep carrying your momentum speed.”

Steve Lee: “Both Men's and Women's speed events are on equally demanding courses for their gender. From my experience racing the downhill there I found it to be incredibly rough terrain so therefore quite physically demanding, there are extreme light and shade variances from top to bottom. The most critical and technical areas are all off camber so there isn't any forgiveness if you make a mistake.” 

Who are the athletes or nations expected to set the standard heading into Milano Cortina?

Peter Forras: “The Swiss, Americans, Austrians, Norwegians and look out for the local Italians who will lift for the games.”

Al Guss: “If you are tracking the lead-up world cup events this season for the Womens and Mens, you will see the nations cup FIS standings. With the Women’s being led by America, with Italy/Austria/Switzerland close behind. The Men’s is a Switzerland team glory season, in Alpine Speed and Alpine technical events winners, however the Norwegians, Italian and French young-guns amassing nations cup points in all disciplines.

“For men that means we are looking at names like: Odermatt, Franzoni, Kilde, Kristoffersen, Meillard, Von Allmen,McGrath, Mayard, Pinheiro Braathen, Haugan, Noel, Feller, plus watch out for Italian veteran Dominic Paris in the Downhill and Super G on home turf.

“For women, that means we are looking at names like: Vonn, Shiffrin, Rast, Aicher, Moltzan, Holdener, Hector, Goggia, plus New Zealand’s Alice Robinson in Giant Slalom and Super G.”

Steve Lee: “The Swiss and Italian downhill teams are incredible. The Italians will be great to watch with the extra incentive to compete well on home snow, that also comes with massive amounts of pressure and expectation which can work for or against an athlete.” 

Are there any rising stars or outsiders who could surprise people at these Games?

Peter Forras: “There will always be one!”

Al Guss: “Yes, Italy has in men’s downhill and Super G Giovanni Franzoni, plus Italy’s Alex Vinatzer in Slalom and Giant Slalom, plus France’s Paco Rassat in Slalom. Then in the women’s, America has Paul Moltzon, Germany has Emma Aicher, Austria has Julia Scheibb, Albania has Lara Coulturi and Italy has Lara Della Mea and Lairs Pirovano, so the technical alpine Slalom & Giant Slalom events to watch.”

Steve Lee: “I'm backing our Australian Team, our guys have shown year after year that we are more than capable of punching above our weight, especially in the freestyle events.” 

What rivalries or storylines should fans keep an eye on?

Peter Forras: “Potentially the Austrians V the Swiss, they take it personally and it’s a national sport covering the back pages of their newspapers much like AFL does in Victoria.”

Al Guss: “In women’s, the unbeatable this season Mikaela Shiffrin, having won now the most ever 108 World Cup events and having won 7 Slaloms of 8…can she remain dominant in the Slalom to win another Olympic medal? Will Swiss Marco Odermatt podium in Downhill, Super G and GS? Will the famous Legend Alex Kilde of Norway return to compete, having returned to the sport after a January 2024 injury that put him out for 2 seasons? Will local Italian legend Dominic Paris again prove himself? 

Steve Lee: “The big European nations will always be fighting for dominance.” 

If everything goes right, what would a “perfect performance” look like in Milano–Cortina?

Peter Forras: “GOLD.”

Al Guss: “The Legends of our sport, cement themselves forever. Plus Australia’s Maddi Hoffman in her return-to-sport on this level after double ACL reconstruction, is again top-30 world ranking in Slalom and Olympian. With Phoebe Heaydon experiencing OWG’s to prove her better than 90th in the world Slalom ranking. Plus Harry Laidlaw of Australia in his back surgery return to the world stage proves himself worthy of a top-30 athlete in the world he is.

Steve Lee: “A smooth, dynamic, flawless run in any event would get you close to perfection.”