Skiing returns to center stage in world sports with the start of the 2013/14 Alpine Ski World Cup.
As is tradition, the opening round of this edition takes place on the Soelden Glacier in Austria. On Saturday morning, female skiers from around the world competed in the Giant Slalom on the snows of the Tyrolean glacier.
Dominating both runs was young Swiss skier Lara Gut, who finished ahead of Austria’s Zettel and Germany’s Rebensburg. Despite their efforts, none of the Italian women finished in the top ten, though Nadia Fanchini claimed 14th place, finishing ahead of reigning champion and pre-race favorite Tina Maze, who placed only 18th.
On Sunday, October 27, the Italian men will take to the glacier to compete in the Men’s Giant Slalom. For the Italian team, this will be the first opportunity to take stock of their form, gauge their fitness, and test on the course the initial results of their summer training on the glaciers and in South America.
In recent weeks, the Azzurri trained on the Austrian glacier of Hintertux, where Manfred Moelgg also joined the squad, stating that he feels better and has regained the ability to compete at a high level—giving him the confidence to line up in Soelden.
Among those most determined to deliver a strong performance and finish as high as possible in the opening round of the World Cup are certainly Max Blardone, who spent the summer aligning his technique with new equipment developments, Cristian Deville, eager for a good result to build momentum ahead of Levi, and Florian Eisath, who has set his sights on earning a spot in the Olympic quartet.
There are no Italians among the top favorites for the Soelden Giant Slalom, but never say never! The stage is set for a great race and a welcome return to the excitement of the White Circus!
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