The speed competitions on the Saslong attract numerous ski fans to Val Gardena/Gröden year after year. Among the guests, there are also many prominent guests from the world of sports and politics - and this year's Saslong Classic is no different. 

Among the spectators is FIS Secretary General Michel Vion. The Frenchman is an avowed fan of the Val Gardena race week and is a welcome guest at the foot of the Sassolungo/Langkofel. The organizers of several other World Cup stops, with whom the Saslong Classic Club maintains a close and friendly relationship, are also represented at the event. The President of the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI), Flavio Roda, is also in South Tyrol to follow the races up close.

Several legends of the Alpine ski circus are also regular guests in Val Gardena. Examples of this are Kristian Ghedina and Franz Klammer, who have each won four times on the Saslong going down in history as record winners. Four-time overall World Cup winner Gustav Thöni and long-standing local ski ambassadors Peter Runggaldier and Werner Perathoner are also in attendance – Runggaldier and Perathoner are even actively involved in the World Cup as team members.

In addition, former Italian ski aces Paolo De Chiesa, Helmuth Schmalzl and Piero Gros are expected in Val Gardena/Gröden. Schmalzl and Gros were part of the legendary “Valanga Azzurra”, which made skiing history with a historic quintuple victory on January 7, 1974 in Berchtesgaden.

Local politics is also prominently represented at the speed races. Daniel Alfreider, Provincial Councilor for Ladin Education and Culture, Infrastructure and Mobility, is on hand, as is Governor Arno Kompatscher, who has announced his attendance at the downhill classic on Saturday. Both politicians are long-standing members of the Saslong Classic's honorary committee and have been following the races live on site for years.