Conditions look light with 1m/s vertical climb rates. At this time of the evening thermals will be light – athletes must work for every meter of altitude. The three leading athletes climbed out in a thermal to about 1700m before they split up – Maurer  (SUI1) heading off on track. Durogati (ITA1) and Guschlbauer (AUT1) heading back to the hill. Make no mistake, they will all be watching each other like hawks. Whoever gets the better lift can expect the others to join them quickly.