Italian Sofia Goggia and Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde were the Downhill winners in the Alpine Ski World Cup 2022-2023.
Sofia Goggia claims the 2022-2023 Downhill Crystal Globe. She also won the discipline Globe in 2017-2018, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022. She is the first woman to win the Downhill Globe in three successive seasons since Vonn won six in a row between 2007-2008 and 2012-2013.
Goggia joins the five women group to have won the Downhill Globe at least four times: Lindsey Vonn (8), Annemarie Moser-Pröll (7), Renate Götschl (5), Michela Figini (4) and Katja Seizinger (4).
The 30-year-old Italian speed Queen has won five of the nine women's Downhill World Cup races this season (Lake Louise I and II, St. Moritz, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Crans Montana). She is the first woman to win at least five in a single season since Lindsey Vonn achieved that in 2015-2016.
Goggia was on the podium eight times, with five wins and three-second places. The only time she did not finish in the Top-3 was in the second Downhill held in Cortina d'Ampezzo where she did not finish the race (DNF).
After winning the two first Downhill races of the season in Lake Louise Sofia Goggia finished in second place in the first Downhill held in St.Moritz. In her run, she hit a gate and injured her left hand. Post-race scans revealed she suffered a fracture of the second and third metacarpals of her hand and she underwent immediate surgery in Milan to be able to race in the second Downhill. The Italian raced the day after with a plate and nine screws inserted in the swollen left hand. Despite the physical handicap the 30-year-old skied a typically aggressive Goggia's style run on the full-length Corviglia course and won the race.
With 22 wins, 17 of them in the Downhill, Sofia Goggia is the Italian skier with the most victories in the World Cup. In Women's World Cup Downhill events, only Lindsey Vonn (43), Annemarie Moser-Pröll (36), Renate Götschl (24), and Michela Figini (17) have celebrated as many victories as Goggia.
Sofia Goggia was disqualified (DSQ) in the Downhill at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel-Méribel after straddling a gate. The wait for a World Championship medal in Downhill continues for the dominator of the discipline in the last seasons.
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde was the winner of the 2022-2023 Downhill Crystal Globe.
The 30-year-old Attacking Viking won six of the ten Men's World Cup Downhill races in the 2022-2023 season (Lake Louise, Beaver Creek, Val Gardena, Wengen, Kitzbühel, and Aspen). He is the first man to have won six World Cup Downhill events in a single season since Stephan Eberharter in 2002-2003 (6). The only skiers to win more than six World Cup Downhill events in a single season were Annemarie Moser-Pröll (8 in 1972-1973), and Franz Klammer (8 in 1974-1975).
The Norwegian who had won a shortened Downhill in Wengen last year, proved once again that he feels right at home on the Lauberhorn racecourse. January's victory gave Kilde the Wengen double after winning the Super-G on Friday. He was the first one to achieve the double win in Wengen since Marc Girardelli in 1985.
On January 22, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde claimed, under challenging conditions, his second career win on the Streif. Now two-time winner in Kitzbühel, Kilde is one of four Norwegian skiers to have won the World Cup Downhill event on the Streif. The other three are Lasse Kjus (1999 and 2004), Atle Skårdal (1990) and Kjetil Jansrud (2015).
With 21 World Cup wins, 12 of them in the Downhill, Kilde is second among Norwegian men for most World Cup Downhill wins, only behind Aksel Lund Svindal (14).
Vincent Kriechmayr was the only man besides Aleksander Aamodt Kilde to win a World Cup Downhill event this season.
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde finished in second place behind Marco Odermatt in the Downhill at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel-Méribel.