In exactly one month, the Alpine Ski circuit will be back on the prestigious Saslong downhill course in Val Gardena/Gröden. Top international stars such as overall World Cup winner Marco Odermatt (Switzerland), local favorite Dominik Paris and Vincent Kriechmayr (Austria) will compete for victory in a super-G and a downhill on the last weekend before Christmas.

World Cup races in the fast disciplines have become an integral part of Val Gardena/Gröden. Since 1969, the international ski elite has been coming to the foot of the Sassolungo/Langkofel mountain every year. The first Alpine Ski World Championships were held here in 1970 and the next prize competitions are already being planned and will take place in February 2031. Like few other organizers around the globe, Val Gardena/Gröden stands for tradition, quality, professionalism and reliability. These are values that the dedicated organizing committee, led by President Rainer Senoner, will also demonstrate at the 57th Saslong Classic on Friday, 20 December and Saturday, 21 December 2024.

The sporting program this year once again includes two World Cup races. The first of these, the super-G on Friday, 20 December, is where the day's victory and valuable World Cup points are at stake. The Saslong Classic will traditionally conclude on Saturday, 21 December with the classic downhill race. The races will start at 11:45 a.m., which is one of the best TV time slots during the winter months. The speed week will kick off on Tuesday, 17 December with the first of three training runs. The other two training sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, 18 December and Thursday, 19 December 2024.

Will Dominik Paris turn the finish stadium into a madhouse again this year?
As the title defenders, Vincent Kriechmayr (Austria), local hero Dominik Paris from Ulten and US-Boy Bryce Bennett will travel to the South Tyrolean ski resort. Kriechmayr won the super-G last year, Paris won the downhill to the delight of over 10,000 enthusiastic ski fans cheering at the top of their lungs, and Bennett was ahead in the sprint downhill, which was one of the downhill races from Zermatt-Cervinia that was canceled and rescheduled on the Sassing.

But Val Gardena/Gröden is not only focused on international ski stars. The development of young ski talents is also a major concern for the organizing committee. “For this reason, the Saslong Classic Club, in collaboration with numerous stakeholders, is organizing the so-called Speed Clinic at the end of November, where young female athletes born in 2007 and 2008 will be gently introduced to the fast disciplines with their own training sessions at Piz Sella. Immediately afterwards, a total of eight FIS races in downhill and super-G for men and women will take place here at the beginning of December, where the talented skiers can collect important FIS points at a very early stage in the still young season,” says Rainer Senoner.

The Saslong Classic Club has organized over 100 such FIS races in the past ten years – a figure that impressively underscores its efforts in promoting local, national and international young skiers. And who knows, maybe this year there will be one or two talented skiers among them who will be among the protagonists at the 2031 World Championships in Val Gardena/Gröden.

Program 57th Saslong Classic

• Tuesday, December 17, 2024
  11:45 am: Downhill training (Saslong slope)
  
  
• Wednesday, December 18, 2024
  11:45 am: Downhill training (Saslong slope)
  
  
• Thursday, December 19, 2024
  11:45 am: Downhill training (Saslong slope)
  
  
• Friday, December 20th
  11:45: Super-G (Saslong slope)
  18:00: Super-G award ceremony and bib draw for the downhill (Ortisei)
  
  
• Saturday, December 21st
  11:45: Downhill (Saslong slope)
  followed by: Flower Ceremony and award ceremony for the downhill (Saslong finish stadium)