Italian Mattia Casse has special memories of Val Gardena/Gröden. In 2022, the now 34-year-old celebrated his first World Cup podium here, followed by his first—and so far only—World Cup victory in the super-G last year. On a day off from training, we spoke with the Azzurro about the three home races on the Saslong.

Mattia, in March you suffered a complicated elbow fracture during downhill training in Kvitfjell and had to end your season early. How has your preparation for this winter gone—are you back to 100 percent?
“Even though it was ‘only’ my elbow, the recovery phase after the injury took a long time and wasn’t easy. I was in a lot of pain, and I still feel that I’m not quite back to 100 percent. But since the injury is limited to my upper body, I’m hardly restricted on the slopes. Overall, my preparation was very good—we worked intensively in Chile in particular and laid a solid foundation for the winter.”

Bei den ersten drei Speed-Rennen in Übersee bist du jeweils zwischen Rang 20 und 30 gelandet. In the first three speed races overseas, you finished between 20th and 30th place. Were you secretly hoping for more?
“I’ve always had my difficulties in America—perhaps even more so this year than usual. When I look at my training performances, the results certainly don’t fully reflect what I’m currently capable of. That makes me all the happier to be here in Val Gardena/Gröden and to race in front of a home crowd. Home races always have their own dynamic—the cards get reshuffled here.”

Speaking of home races: you celebrated your first World Cup podium here in 2022 and even your first victory last year. What are your expectations going into the three races?
“The Saslong is a course that suits me, so my expectations are correspondingly high. I’m skiing well in training—sometimes even very well—and I feel very comfortable on my skis. I’m going to go all out. Now it’s time to translate my training performances into results.”

There are several favorites in Val Gardena/Gröden, with Marco Odermatt certainly the top favorite. Do you think anyone from the Italian team could spring a surprise?
“Dominik Paris is currently in very good form within our team and has started the season with strong results. He’s capable of anything here—he proved that with his downhill victory two years ago, if not before. Marco Odermatt seems to be fast on every surface at the moment and is gaining time even on supposedly easier sections of the course. However, Val Gardena/Gröden is known for its surprises—even outsiders can finish in a top position here.”

This World Cup winter is certainly special because of the upcoming Olympic Games at home. Does that thought in the back of your mind change the way you approach the races?
“Anyone who thinks too much before the start or tries to ski particularly cautiously is already at a disadvantage. In the World Cup, it’s all about pushing yourself to the limit and attacking fully in every race—you have to block out everything else. The Olympic Games are still a long way off, so for now I’m thinking race by race. It’s only toward the end of January that the focus will shift entirely to the Olympics.”