The natural beauty of Cortina d’Ampezzo will take center stage when the skiing world championships open next week. Organizers are hoping that the images from the slopes beamed around the world to TV viewers will make up for the lack of fans amid the coronavirus pandemic. American standout Mikaela Shiffrin and Swiss rival Lara Gut-Behrami are among the medal favorites. The men’s downhill could be a duel between Austrian and Swiss skiers in Matthias Mayer and Beat Feuz. The championships are a big test run for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
