Alpine skiing’s downhill event measures pure speed on the mountain. Slalom events measure control and efficiency. The super combined (also called the Alpine combined, or just the combined) event gauges both.
Super combined is the Winter Olympics’ mission to find the world’s most well-rounded skier, an athlete who excels in both the frantic tuck-and-go setting of the downhill and the measured, edge-shredding turns of the slalom. The super combined, which pairs the two events and takes the lowest completed time to determine its medalists, was added back to the Olympic schedule in 1988 after a 40-year hiatus and has been one of the games’ most exciting events ever since.
The event allows the sport’s most well-rounded technicians to earn their place on the podium. The downhill event rewards pure speed and risk taking as a race from the top of a mountain to the bottom over a predetermined course. The slalom requires more precision — competitors must make hairpin turns to zigzag their way from gate to gate as they careen downhill. Times in the two events are then combined, and the fastest man and woman on each side get to leave South Korea with a gold medal adorning their neck.
What time and how can I watch?
Men’s final
- Date: Feb. 13, 2018
- Time: 1 a.m. ET
- Location: Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Jeongseon, South Korea
- TV: NBC
- Streaming: NBC Sports
Women’s final
- Date: Feb. 23, 2018
- Time: 12:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Jeongseon, South Korea
- TV: NBC
- Streaming: NBC Sports
You can also live stream NBC, NBCSN, and the Olympic Channel coverage via FuboTV on your computer or mobile devices.
Why should I quit my job and become a lifelong devotee of super combined Alpine skiing?
The super combined event is the best of both worlds. Speed freaks get to watch the world’s best athletes roar down a mountain at 80-plus mph in the downhill. The slalom is the second event, a testament to a skier’s control and technical ability. A small error in the first race could lead to losing a few fractions of a second. A small error in the second could mean missing a gate and facing disqualification.
Combining disciplines to see who’s best is what makes skiing special. You don’t see quarterbacks and cornerbacks switching positions to figure out who the NFL’s best athletes are. There is no showdown where first basemen throw curveballs to Cy Young winners and compare notes. Like swimming’s individual medleys, it’s an event that measures all-around mastery and achievement. The winner stakes his or her claim as the greatest skier in the world.
What are the rules of super combined Alpine skiing?
The rules for the downhill part of the event are simple — stay on the course and get to the finish line as fast as possible. There’s more to worry about in the slalom. Competitors must pass through gates — matched flags on points throughout the course — in a zigzag pattern that tests their ability to make hairpin turns at high speeds. Miss a gate, and you’re out.
In the end, the lowest combined time on the course wins.
What can I talk about to impress the super combined Alpine skiing enthusiast in my life?
Competitors will use two different sets of skis for the event. Downhill skis are longer, allowing for more contact with the snow and a greater top speed for an event that’s a simple race to the bottom of the mountain. Slalom skis are shorter to enhance control.
Whose jersey should I buy?
Mikaela Shiffrin broke out at the 2014 Games in Sochi with a gold medal-winning run in the slalom. She’s a heavy favorite to repeat after world championship performances in 2015 and 2017 and winning 2017’s “Skieur d’Or” award for best Alpine skier. Her mastery of the event should give her a leg up in the super combined -- even if she has only made two downhill runs in official competition before 2018. Expect to see NBC promote her a lot during the games.
What is the sport’s AMERICA RATING?
It’s skiing, which means its a very expensive way to go fast that caters to a limited market of fanatics. Just like NASCAR!
Bode Miller, a man who lived in an RV and was skiing’s answer to Terrell Owens, has a gold medal in this event. But no American woman has ever taken home gold, and while Shiffrin is a favorite to break that streak this February, it’s still skiing, so ...
America rating: Four bald eagles (out of five)
What’s the best GIF I can watch from super combined Alpine skiing?
The proper response to “Hey Mikaela, do you think you’ll add more Olympic hardware to your medal case in Pyeongchang?”