For Olympic skiers such as Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn, how is the starting order determined for the first runs ?

I’m pretty sure that they pay careful attention to the results from the World Cup circuit prior to the Olympics, and then also to training runs. Then I think they rank the top 20 skiers, and those skiers draw for a random position in the top 20. At least, it used to work that way.

Okay, a little more info after a bit of research. The skiers are ranked using a complex formula based on prior (relatively recent) results. After the ranking is done, the skiers determine their own position (where they want to start) with the top ranked skier choosing first, 2nd ranked choosing next, etc. For instance, Lindsey Vonn actually chose to start 16th. In fact, the top 7 women skiers for the downhill chose to run in order from 16 to 22, as starting first is generally not where the skier wants to be. Hope that answers your question!

Great, thanks, LURVE to you. Kelly