Saslong Classic Club / Gardena - Gröden
Str. Dursan, 106  |  I - 39047 St. Cristina
Tel. +39 0471 793450
e-mail: info@saslong.org
pec: saslong@pec.it
codice destinatario: MJ1OYNU
Part. IVA: IT01657370217

News

Saslong stories from back then

18.12.2024

We've rummaged through our archives - and unearthed some incredible stories that took place in Val Gardena/Gröden 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Of Austrian triple victories, canceled downhill races and involuntarily abrupt ends to careers!

2014
The organizing committee of the Saslong Classic has to tremble in the run-up to the 2014 Val Gardena/Gröden races, because there is virtually no snow and it is also warmer than average in December ten years ago. The "white gold" is missing everywhere, especially in the finish area. The snow check has to be postponed several times - trusting in the weather gods and, above all, the outstanding Val Gardena/Gröden slope builders. In the end, it paid off, even though the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) only gave the final OK on 14 December, just four days before the first training session. Markus Waldner from Brixen had certainly imagined an easier home debut as FIS Race Director. The downhill, which is brought forward to Friday, is won by Steven Nyman from the USA for the third and final time in his career. Local favorite Dominik Paris takes third place and 24 hours later comes second in the super-G - beaten only by the outstanding Kjetil Jansrud, who celebrates the first of two Val Gardena/Gröden triumphs.

2004
Probably the most turbulent Saslong Classic to date takes place 20 years ago. First of all, Michael Walchhofer, Hermann Maier and Benjamin Raich hit the headlines with an Austrian triple victory in the super-G. But it was their teammate Hans Knauss who took center stage on December 17, 2004. It became known that the Schladminger had given a positive doping test at the speed races in Lake Louise - due to a contaminated dietary supplement, as it later turned out. What followed was an 18-month ban, to which Hans Knauss responded a few months later with his resignation after an unsuccessful appeal to the Supreme Court of Sport CAS. Unfortunately, this super-G in Val Gardena/Gröden was his last appearance in the World Cup. The downhill the following day was almost completely a side-show to these events. But we have fond memories of Max Rauffer's only World Cup victory, in which he leaves Jürg Grünfelder from Switzerland and Johann Grugger (Austria) behind.

1994
There have been 103 World Cup decisions on the Saslong to date. But 30 years ago, the Val Gardena/Gröden downhill had to be canceled. It was the second cancellation due to a lack of snow, 21 years after the first cancellation in December 1973. In total, seven races in Val Gardena/Gröden have been canceled due to weather conditions in the long history of the World Cup, which is less than seven percent.

1984
Helmuth Höflehner wins the Downhill World Cup in the 1984/85 season. The ÖSV racer lays the foundation for this on December 15 in Val Gardena/Gröden, where he leaves the entire competition behind him on the Saslong. The Styrian would repeat his triumph four years later, making him one of 13 racers to make it to the top step of the podium at least twice in the Dolomite valley. Record winners to date are Höflehner's team colleague Franz Klammer and the "Azzurro" Kristian Ghedina. Both have four Saslong triumphs to their name.