Val Gardena/Gröden delivers an unforgettable World Cup week
Just before Christmas, the world's best ski racers were guests in Val Gardena/Gröden for the 57th time for the speed classic on the Saslong. As usual, two races were on the program: a super-G on Friday and the legendary downhill classic on Saturday.
The training cancellation from the point of view of the international online media
The cancellation of the first training run was reported not only by the Saslong editorial office, but also in numerous online portals. Here is a short excerpt.
First downhill training cancelled
The first training run for the downhill classic on the Saslong had to be cancelled due to fog banks in the middle part of the track.
VIDEO: Peter Runggaldier on the conditions of the Saslong
We will see the World Cup super-G and downhill races on the Saslong again. We are right on the course which is going to be rather soft given the temperatures ahead. They will have to prepare the course accordingly and it will be interesting to see how the athletes will do with conditions that are markedly different from other years.
15 TV stations reporting live from the speed performances in Val Gardena/Gröden
The super-G and the downhill on the Saslong are among the great classics in the Alpine Ski World Cup - the comprehensive live coverage on TV underlines this in an impressive way.
350th race in the World Cup: a milestone for Peter Fill
When Peter Fill catapults himself out of the starting gate on Saturday in the downhill, then this local favorite breaks through a big sound barrier: The two-time winner of the downhill crystal ball is tackling his 350th race in the World Cup as part of the speed classics on the Saslong.
"Must look at it from day to day"
On Tuesday evening, the first team captains’ meeting was on the program in Selva/Wolkenstein. The main topic was the weather, which could provide some disturbances during the race week in Val Gardena/Gröden.
VIDEO: Markus Waldner on the bad weather prospects
Even though the weather forecasts for Friday and Saturday promise little to be happy about, FIS Race Director Markus Waldner remains calm. The FIS official from nearby Bressanone/Brixen wants to assess the situation from day to day with his team - and he has a solution ready even in the event of bad weather.
It’s all coming together in the media center
As in previous years, the press center for the Ski World Cup in Val Gardena/Gröden is once again located in the gymnasium of St. Cristina. The centrally located building acts as the first point of contact for all media people during the race week and is now slowly filling up.
The Saslong editorial team is ready
Everything is ready inVal Gardena/Gröden for the speed classics on the legendary Saslong. While the track is just getting the finishing touches for the upcoming training sessions and races, the Saslong editorial team has also kicked off its work.
Feuz and Mayer come to Val Gardena/Gröden as discipline leaders
If one looks at this year’s results to predict who is going to win on the Saslong, then Beat Feuz and Matthias Mayer will be the ones to beat.
Tuning in to Paris, Feuz, Kilde & Co.
It is a taste of what the ski stars can expect during the 52nd Ski World Cup in Val Gardena/Gröden. There is a lot going on at the bib draw on the Medal Plaza "La Stua" in Selva Gardena/Wolkenstein, on the evening before the two “classics".
Peter Fill: "The Saslong is already in a great condition"
The Italian national speed team trained on Wednesday and Thursday on the downhill course in Val Gardena/Gröden. The "Azzurri" found optimal conditions, as confirmed by Peter Fill.
Experience the Saslong classics in an exclusive atmosphere
For those who are looking for top-class skiing at the speed races in Val Gardena/Gröden as well for comfort, exquisite food and a great atmosphere, the VIP area SasLOUNGE is the place to be.
Claudia Rifesser: "It takes a team to make this happen"
She knows the World Cup in Val Gardena/Gröden like few others. She is the hub where all threads and information come together. She is one of the few people who works year round for one of the biggest winter sport events in Italy and has been Secretary General in Val Gardena/Gröden for one and a half years. An interview with Claudia Rifesser, who has helped shape the classic races on the Saslong for 13 years.
Snow control passed - FIS gives the green light for the classic Saslong races
After the routine snow check on Saturday, it was no surprise that FIS officially confirmed the two World Cup races in Val Gardena/Gröden planned for Friday, 20 December (Super-G) and Saturday, 21 December (downhill) thanks to the heavy snowfalls in mid-November and the cold temperatures over the past few days, which made it possible to produce enough technical snow.
The Saslong shines in winterly splendor
The past few days have seen plenty of snow falling all over South Tyrol. This is also the case in Val Gardena/Gröden, where the legendary Saslong is covered in a layer of more than 2 feet of fresh snow.
Important investments on the Saslong
As a World Cup organizer, the Saslong Classic Club puts great emphasis on professional organization. As far as technical innovation is concerned, the Val Gardena/Gröden Organizing Committee tries to keep up with the times and can rely on an excellent cooperation with its partners.
Celebrate the Val Gardena/Gröden World Cup heroes of 1970 with us!
Five decades ago, they wrote ski history in Val Gardena/Gröden. Ski legends Bernhard Russi, Patrick Russel, Michèle Jacot, Ingrid Lafforgue, Annerösli Zryd, Annemarie Moser Pröll and Florence Steurer-Penz not only provided an extraordinary spectacle but also contributed to the reputation of the Val Gardena/Gröden slopes and the whole valley with their outstanding sporting performances on the Saslong, the Cir, track 3 of the Ciampinoi and the Ronce slope.
Val Gardena/Gröden date confirmed, new start time for super-G
This year's Ski World Cup races in Val Gardena/Gröden will take place as planned on Friday, 20 (super-G) and Saturday, 21 December (downhill). The International Ski Federation FIS confirmed the two dates recently at the FIS Autumn Meeting in Zurich. At the same time, it was decided that the super-G will start on Friday at 11:45 am just like the downhill on Saturday.
Innovative security solutions: Studies have begun
Safety has always played a central role for the Saslong Classic Club. For decades, the organizers of the World Cup in Val Gardena/Gröden have been investing financial and human resources with great conviction to make the speed races on the Saslong even safer. An effort in which they are actively supported by the International Ski Federation FIS, Club 5, Dolomiti Superski and most recently the South Tyrolean NOI Techpark.
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde redeems his Südtirol Ski Trophy prize
A special star dish named after him, a wooden bust of the winner, a short holiday in South Tyrol and prize money of Euros 20,000: This is the package of prizes awarded to Norwegian ski star Aleksander Aamodt Kilde as the winner of the 2018 Südtirol Ski Trophy. The 26-year-old Scandinavian recently visited Val Gardena/Gröden where he was able to contribute to the creation of two dishes with star chefs Anna Matscher and Gerhard Wieser. Kilde also won the Südtirol Ski Trophy in 2017. The initiative was organized by IDM South Tyrol.
FIS Race Directors Waldner and Trinkl inspect the Saslong in midsummer
It is a set date which is an indispensable part of the Val Gardena/Gröden World Cup calendar: the annual midsummer inspection of the race track. Today, Monday, the time had come again. The FIS racing management, OC president Rainer Senoner and course manager Horst Demetz reviewed the past season and also discussed the relocation of the Super-G start. A move that was finally given the go-ahead.
The Saslong Classic Club looks back on an eventful year
Four instead of two traditional speed races on the Saslong; a serious accident with a happy ending thanks to a perfectly executed emergency rescue protocol; and a business year with positive end results: on Wednesday evening, the Saslong Classic Club reviewed a turbulent 2018/19 sports year as part of its traditional annual general meeting.
Secure your 2019 Saslong ticket
The legendary speed extravaganza returns to Val Gardena/Gröden in the coming winter. On Friday, 20 December, a Super-G will be held on one of the most renowned race tracks of the Ski World Cup, while Saturday, 21 December, will be dedicated to downhill skiing.
Val Gardena/Gröden re-confirmed in the FIS World Cup calendar
Dubrovnik, 31 May 2019 - In recent days, the International Ski Federation FIS held the traditional calendar conference. This time, the many sub-committees and working groups met in Dubrovnik, Croatia - with a more than satisfactory result for the organizers of the speed races on the Saslong.
Marc Gisin: "You saved my life"
Marc Gisin crashed on 15 December 2018 during the World Cup downhill on the Saslong and was seriously injured. About five months later, the Swiss returned to Val Gardena/Gröden last weekend to personally thank the organizer and the medevac rescue team Aiut Alpin for the formidable rescue and first aid.
VIST dresses the Val Gardena/Gröden World Cup
A special partnership was introduced today at the trade fair in Bolzano/Bozen. The Saslong Classic Club and the winter sports supplier VIST presented their cooperation at the Prowinter fair. Among other things, VIST will provide the Val Gardena/Gröden OC with the official equipment for the next two years. This was announced by Paolo Chiarino, CEO of VIST, and Rainer Senoner, OC President.
Val Gardena/Gröden's World Cup-OC celebrates a job well done
Final reports are filed and feedback is gathered from all sides which is reason enough for the World Cup OC of Val Gardena/Gröden to toast to the season’s end. Just in time before next year’s races will become the focus of attention.
Bravo Dominik Paris, Bravo Beat Feuz
At the World Cup Final in Soldeu, Andorra, the crystal ball trophies were awarded to the best skiers in each individual discipline. The Swiss Beat Feuz triumphed in the downhill and South Tyrolean Dominik Paris in the super-G.