2023 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships: Will Mikaela Shiffrin star?
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Mikaela Shiffrin has 11 World Championship medals - including six golds
Will Mikaela Shiffrin make more history, or could Britain's Dave Ryding steal the show? The Alpine World Ski Championships are upon us - and the BBC has extensive coverage.
Courchevel and Meribel will host the event - which runs from 6-19 February - as it returns to the French Alps for the first time since being held in Val d'Isere in 2009.
All eyes will be on Shiffrin, who has recovered in spectacular fashion from a disappointing Winter Olympics, when she failed to finish three of five events and never got close to a medal.
The 27-year-old American has since passed former team-mate Lindsey Vonn's tally of World Cup wins, and has moved within one of the all-time record of 86.
Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott expects Shiffrin to continue that form in Courchevel and Meribel, and is backing her to add to the 11 World Championship medals - including six gold - she has already won.
"This is Shiffrin's first big event since the Olympics but she is skiing with lots of confidence and freedom," said the former British number one. "She has been incredible in the World Cup."
Alcott, a four-time Winter Olympian, is also looking forward to watching Britain's 12-strong squad - the country's biggest at a World Championships in recent history despite a funding cut last year that left athletes with an £800,000 shortfall.
"I think it is really exciting to have such a big squad," she said. "It shows people they are hungry, they want to go against the grain and show they can do it with British grit.
"We have got youth on our side - inexperience that could play into our favour because there is no pressure or expectations - but we have also got some great team leaders and some huge talent."
Among that talent is Ryding. He became the first Briton to win an Alpine skiing World Cup race when he won the slalom in Kitzbuhel, Austria in January 2022. And he goes into this year's World's in decent form, having finished second in Kitzbuhel last month.
Chemmy's ones to watch
All BBC coverage on the Red Button and iPlayer. All times in GMT & subject to change
Men's slalom: Dave Ryding and Henrik Kristoffersen
I am really excited to watch Dave Ryding. I think with the really cold temperatures we have had recently - and the ice we have been able to form - the mountain could very much suit him. But Norway's Kristoffersen, along with Germany's Linus Strasser and Switzerland's Daniel Yule, will be the one to beat. Kristoffersen knows how to handle himself under pressure and will have done a lot of ski testing to get it right.
Brit watch: Billy Major is skiing really well - he has had a couple of second runs already in the World Cup this season. Laurie Taylor just needs to calm it down and get his race head on. We saw him leading the way in the last World Championships in Cortina so we know he can be in the mix.
On the BBC: Sunday, 19 February - run one 08:45-10:35; run two 12:15-13:35.
Dave Ryding's best finish at the World Championships is ninth in the slalom in 2019
Men's giant slalom: Marco Odermatt & Loic Meillard
Odermatt is definitely the big favourite. I think he is looking awesome. I was really impressed by his fellow Swiss Meillard's win in the Schladming night slalom. He is skiing really well.
Brit watch: Charlie Raposo has been really fast in training. To see him transfer those times to the World Championships would not be surprising.
On the BBC: Friday, 17 February - run one 08:45-10:45; run two 12:15-13:45.
Men's Super-G: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Marco Odermatt
The rivalry between these two will continue. I think you need a lot of confidence on this hill, with big jumps and fast turns. So I think that Kilde, from Norway, and Odermatt will be very strong.
Brit watch: Calum Langmuir is going into his first World Championships so will have no pressure on his shoulders.
On the BBC: Thursday, 9 February from 10:15-11:15.
Men's downhill: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Dominik Paris
I think Kilde will be the king. Paris will also be very, very strong for Italy - he has got a lot of experience in big events and he has got great air time so I am excited to watch him.
Brit watch: Roy Steudle is the leader of the British speed team.
On the BBC: Sunday, 12 February from 09:45-11:45.
Women's slalom: Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova
I could pretty much say Shiffrin across the board because she is skiing with so much freedom and confidence. I think the hill is really going to suit her because it is long and steep, but it will also suit Vlhova because it will be icy. The Slovak has been short of her best form in the past few races so will have the bit between her teeth.
Brit watch: I am really excited to see Charlie Guest and Alex Tilley back from injury. It's been a race to the start for them so there will be less expectation, they can just ski freely.
On the BBC: Saturday, 18 February - run one 08:45-10:45 & run two 12:15-13:35.
Women's giant slalom: Mikaela Shiffrin and Tessa Worley
Shiffrin will again be a favourite but I really hope Worley can put it down in her home World Championships. She is coming towards the end of her career but has so much talent. She makes a really short, sharp turn so it is all about her power in her transitions.
On the BBC: Thursday, 16 February - run one 08:45-10:45; run two 12:15-13:45.
Women's Super-G: Elena Curtoni and Lara Gut-Behrami
The Italians are really strong in Super-G. As well as Curtoni, her compatriots Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone are also looking really great, so it could be an Italian 1-2-3, but Gut-Behrami could upset that for Switzerland.
On the BBC: Wednesday, 8 February from 10:15-12:10.
Women's downhill: Sofia Goggia and Ilka Stuhec
You are always going to bet on Goggia - if she finishes she will win. But Slovenia's Stuhec, who is the only female athlete to have won back-to-back downhill titles at the World Championships, is finally back on form.
On the BBC: Saturday, 11 February from 09:45-11:15.
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