Schladming 2013

So officially the World Championships in Schladming start today.
Although the action will only kickoff tomorrow with ladies' Super-G.

From a first glance at the odds avaible, only speed events of the first week, looks like it's going to be  the same: Svindal vs the rest of the world for men, and Vonn vs Maze for women.

I think both Svindal and Vonn worth a lay.
Anyway Svindal, as I was saying in recent posts, worth it even more.
"The viking" has been fighting for the whole season, his target was (is) the World Cup (World Cup NOT = World Championships). He's still in open competition for it, he is about 200 points away from Hirscher, but more races in his calendar. (In World Championships you don't score points for the World Cup Standing, though you score points for the World Cup Startig List. WCSL makes the starting lists, WC Standing gives you the Cups. Just to be punctual, nevermind all this).
Fighting for the World Cup requires a top form all along the season, and this is very difficult to mantain. To my eyes come recent results from austrians like Reichelt and Kroell that at beginning where much below their level and slowly their results got better. I think their season was planned for this event, the Championships in Austria in front of their crowd, and they've now reached the top form.
Reason number two against Svindal is the lack of results in top events like Wengen and Kitzbuehel. Events that worth equal or more than the Championships (this for athletes, not for media... nobody will change a win in Kitzbuehel with any medal at Olympics or Championships).

Vonn, to be honest, worth a smaller lay.
She's had a gap period in late-december/early-january, and although results came also after her come back, she's probably given up the World Cup fight to focus on these events.
Field is strong anyway: Gut (on one of her rare terrific days), Fenninger, Mancuso are strong and able to beat Vonn above all among Super-G's turns, I actually see very little close to zero chances to beat Vonn in Downhill.
Not mentioned above Maze. For her there are the same reasons valid as for Svindal.

Full schedule of these two weeks (all infos on the web-site http://www.schladming2013.at/en/home/):