Women
11:15Calendar
- Piste
- Piste Mont Lachaux
- Medals
- 18:30, Medal Plaza, Ycoor
- Bib draw the evening before
- Wed 3 February, 18:30, Medal Plaza
- Slope-side area open
- 2006 area, on the slope
SG · Speed
Super-G
SG · Speed
The speed of the downhill and the turns of the giant slalom, in a single run, with no training on the course.
25m
650m
0training runs
1987
In motion
In 2027 in Crans-Montana
Men
11:15Calendar
- Piste
- Piste Nationale
- Medals
- 18:30, Medal Plaza, Ycoor
- Bib draw the evening before
- Thu 4 February, 18:45, Medal Plaza
- Slope-side area open
- Houlès area, on the slope
How it works
- 01
One run. The fastest wins.
- 02
At the World Championships the course drops 400 to 650 m for men, 400 to 600 m for women.
- 03
Gates of four poles and two panels, alternately red and blue, with at least 25 m between two turning poles.
- 04
The course mixes long and medium turns; it may not run straight down the fall line. Jumps are allowed.
- 05
No timed training: athletes see the course only at the morning inspection, beside the gates, without skiing them as turns.
For this discipline
- Start interval
- 60 s as a rule, never under 40 s
- Direction changes
- At least 6% of the vertical drop at the Worlds (600 m drop: at least 36)
The vertical drop, to scale
The gates from above, to scale
Why it is worth watching
You memorise a line in a single inspection, then ski it at close to downhill speed. A gate read too late before a jump costs a lot, and the margins are tiny: in 2018 the Olympic title was decided by one hundredth.
A little history
The super-G is the youngest of the four classic disciplines. It joined the World Championships in 1987, in Crans-Montana, and the Olympic Games the following year, in Calgary in 1988.
Great moments
- 1987
Crans-Montana. The first World Championship super-G: Pirmin Zurbriggen ahead of Marc Girardelli; for the women, Maria Walliser ahead of Michela Figini.
- 1998
Nagano. Hermann Maier crashes heavily in the downhill, then wins the super-G three days later, and the giant slalom after that.
- 2012
Crans-Montana. Didier Cuche, 37, wins the super-G, his last race on home snow.
- 2018
PyeongChang. Ester Ledecká, a snowboarder, wins the Olympic super-G by one hundredth over Anna Veith.
In 1987 in Crans-Montana
Women
- 1Maria Walliser1:19.17
- 2Michela Figini+1.01
- 3Mateja Svet+1.06
Men
- 1Pirmin Zurbriggen1:19.93
- 2Marc Girardelli+0.87
- 3Markus Wasmeier+1.15
Saalbach 2025
Defending champions
The reigning world champions, crowned in Saalbach in February 2025. Names and codes as the FIS results database writes them.
Women
- 1VENIER Stephanie1:20.47
- 2BRIGNONE Federica+0.10
- 3MACUGA Lauren+0.24
- 3LIE Kajsa Vickhoff+0.24
Men
- 1ODERMATT Marco1:24.57
- 2HAASER Raphael+1.00
- 3SEJERSTED Adrian Smiseth+1.15
What to watch for
- 01
The evening before, the bib draw at the Medal Plaza in Ycoor is free: 3 February at 18:30 for the women, 4 February at 18:45 for the men.
- 02
In the morning, from the side of the course, you see athletes slide slowly, stop, and trace the line with their hands. That is the inspection.
- 03
The first starters ride the course blind; the next ones watch them. Look at the turn entries before the jumps: that is where the best gain time.
- 04
2006 area on 4 February (women's super-G), Houlès area on 5 February (men's super-G).
Super-G
The quiz
Five questions, every answer is on this page.
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Do all eight quizzes to earn the Spectator's diploma.
Photo credits
- 01
- 02