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Precision and speed is needed to win medals in the women's downhill skiing event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Up until six days ago it was unclear if the Olympic champion would be able to defend her downhill crown. Italian Sofia Goggia suffered a horror crash in Cortina just two weeks before the Games. The 29-year-old was unable to fulfil her duty as one of the Italian flagbearers at the opening ceremony and she also skipped the super-G on Friday, but Goggia did manage to complete a training run of the ‘Ice Rock’ course on Tuesday, and although delighted to be back on skis she’s certainly not fully fit. With Goggia’s usual sharpness seemingly blunted the race seems wide open, with Swiss speedster Corinne Suter and her compatriot Lara Gut-Behrami well placed to capitalise. Austria’s Ramona Siebenhofer and Kira Weidle of Germany have both enjoyed World Cup podiums this season, while American Mikaela Shiffrin will bravely attempt to recapture some of her previous best in an event which is far from her strongest.