Fast snow, long jumps and a track in very good condition: The Saslong presented itself from its best side during the training run for the downhill on Saturday. Here is what the racers had to say.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (2nd place)
The training run was fine, different than what we are used to. There is more moisture in the snow so it was a little faster but it’s good to get a training done. Hopefully the weather will hold, I’m ready for the weekend. It’s hard to say what the best starting number will be as it all depends on the weather.

Johan Clarey (3rd place)
The course is not so easy. It’s very fast and the jumps are really long, even a little dangerous. In fact, something has to be done to make them less long. It was ok for me. I didn‘t push to my maximum. The snow is much faster than last year, when it was -15 C, even if the temperatures are much warmer now. But maybe it will be slower this weekend on the race day. I hope to be fast and on the podium for the races.

Dominik Paris (4th place)
My run was pretty good, I'm very happy. The track, which is once again full of waves and jumps, is also in good condition. The fact that the jumps went further than expected is mainly due to the fast snow and the perhaps not quite perfect visibility. But on the whole the course is excellently prepared. During the races I try to find the best in me - we'll see what I’ll find.

Bryce Bennett (5th place)
First training was good. North America for me didn‘t go so well. In Beaver Creek I was focused too much on the result. But now we are back in Val Gardena, which is my favorite downhill of the year. I love this place, the people, the mountains, and this DH is just so much fun. I’m very excited to be on it. There are a few things where i was pushing the line and it didn‘t work out but I will reel it in by race day. Generally, it’s just tough weather with the rain and the not so cold temperatures. But the snow froze today and it was really good. Sure hope the weather will hold and that this wasn’t my only run. This morning there were clouds overhead and no sun and we raced earlier in the day. I’m not used to skiing Val Gardena in the dark. The generally tough conditions and fast snow made all skiers nervous.

Christof Innerhofer (48th place)
I am happy to have crossed the finish line, faced the first test, broken the ice, stuck my poles outside the starting gate and put my breastplate back on. This situation was new to me, I had so many questions in my head because I certainly had not experienced conditions like these before. The long jumps and many bumps are certainly not an easy thing to manage. I tried to push a little bit in the sections where I felt safe. In the parts where I didn't, my head made me put on the breaks, even though I didn’t intent to. So you have to regain your confidence day by day and also week by week to be able to return to ski faster again. But the most important thing is to get back into the groove. When the feeling’s right, you do good things.