Portugal ends participation with Brancal’s 39th place in the slalom
Covilhanense, 25 years old, finished the first heat in 46th position and improved his time in the second.
The skier Ricardo Brancal ended this Wednesday the Portuguese participation in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics with the 39th place in the slalom event, among 88 participants.
In the second competition, which took place at the National Alpine Ski Center, in Yanquing, the 25-year-old from Covilha finished the first, more demanding heat, in 46th position, and improved his time on the descent, with a more direct and fastest, staying 22.22 seconds from the new Olympic champion, Frenchman Clement Noel, who finished as two manga in 1.44.09.
The Austrian Strolz together with the gold Johannes Alpine in combined in the Beijing sla and the world champion, the Norwegian Sebastian Foss-Solevaag silver, a bronze medal.
On the Ice River track, Ricardo Brancal was the 82nd athlete to enter the event that 43 skiers did not finish, including the leader of the world ranking, the Norwegian Lucas Braathen, the Austrian Manuel Feller or the Swede Henrik Kristoffersen, the athlete in competition in slalom best resume.
The Timorese Yohan Gonçalves was the last place, in 45th.
Ricardo Brancal, who has competed with Portuguese colors for the first time at the Olympic Games since he was 13 years old, made his debut in Beijing ‘2022 in the giant slalom, with a 37th place in the giant slalom event, 28.05 seconds from the winner. , Swiss Marco Odermatt, and achieved the goal of improving Arthur Hanse’s 66th place in the discipline at PeyongChang’2018, 38th in the slalom.
On a day with adverse conditions, and in which 42 athletes did not finish the race, Ricardo Brancal was cautious in the giant slalom, but in the competition in which he has preference, little anticipated that of “risking one more”, as it happened, establishing the time for the leader.
“In the giant there were two strategic descents to reach the end. Agoraslalom risked a little more things went well, have gone wrong, but luckily it was solid”, said Ricardo Brancal, in statements to the Lusa agency.
After a first heat that was physically demanding, and which ended “exhausted, in the second it was a matter of greater effort in certain sectors and being more careful in others”.
Despite having many superior athletes in the second and being “satisfied with the result”, the skier from Covilhã defined himself as his own “critical” and said he felt that he could “have done one or two seconds, which would change one two decisions in the classification”.
“I did my best, but I always think there’s something missing,” said the athlete, who is no longer thinking about the future, after a year and a half of preparation.
Ricardo Brancal, who, before leaving for Beijing, considers a top 50 an excellent result, given the competitive level, and aimed to surpass Arthur Hanse’s best place, 38th in the slalom and 66th in the giant slalom in PeyongChang’2018 , said he returned to Portugal with results he did not expect, as a result of his “dedication” and “a work ethic that has borne fruit”.
“The 37th place in giant and the 39th in slalom were results I was not expecting. They were good surprises and, in my Olympic debut, I take two great results home and for our country”, emphasized the Portuguese skier, in statements to the Lusa agency.
At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which take place between February 4th and 20th, in China, Portugal was also represented in alpine skiing by Vanina Oliveira, 43rd in the giant slalom and disqualified in the slalom, and by José Cabeça, who finished in 88 . th place in the 15 km classic style cross-country skiing.