Alpine skiing fans are in for an exciting week. There will be one night slalom in Italy, two speed races in Austria, and two technical races in the famous Adelboden in Switzerland. That means there are five races in three countries and all four disciplines.
Madonna di Campiglio: The Night Slalom
The night slalom in Madonna used to be placed in the pre-Christmas period. I vividly remember watching the races with a glass of a Christmas drink surrounded by wrapping paper and ribbons. FIS decided to lighten the already packed World Cup calendar this year and move the traditional night race to January.
Night slalom begins at 17:45, with the second run starting at true night, at 20:45. These events have tremendous atmosphere, as the evening time makes it a proper party for the spectators. The artificial lighting poses a challenge; the racers must change their goggles to reflect that, as the visibility is different. So is the feel on the slope. Unlike the morning slalom, where the higher numbers face a softer snow as the temperature rises and the sun might melt the surface, the night race is the actual opposite, especially in January.
However, the organizers cannot count on the freezing night temperatures to help them prepare; if the sun were shining all day on the slope, it would be softer.
Madonna slalom begins today, on the 8th of January, so let us look at the weather.
The temperatures at the start should be a few degrees below zero, with no snowing and soft wind. During the day, the temperature should rise slightly above zero, so let us count on a lot of ice as the melted snow freezes after dusk.
As for the favorites, Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) has loved the night races since he started chasing Marcel Hirscher in his teenage years. Second, Clement Noel (FRA) returned in Alta Badia with sixth place after two consecutive wins this season. He is a hot candidate for victory, as his ankle had time to heal over Christmas. Loic Meillard (SUI) seems to perform better this year in the giant slalom than in the slalom. Manuel Feller (AUT) will go down the slope with bib number 1, hoping to return to his last year’s form. And then there are the Norwegians Atle Lie McGrath, Timon Haugan, and the Brazilian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen.
Braathen’s form deteriorated slightly in his last races. It seems that starting with later bib numbers is exhausting. While his competitors enjoy a pristine piste in their first run and only struggle in the ruts in their second run, Braathen has to fight with broken course in all his races. And that might draw too much strength from him. But he had Christmas for recovery, as only speed specialists raced before the New Year.
St. Anton: Fearsome Downhill Slope
The ladies moved from Slovenia to Austria, at least those racing the speed disciplines did. First, Sofia Goggia (USA) is in a stellar form. She managed to rank fifth in the Kranjska Gora giant slalom, and now she will tackle her favorite disciplines. However, the Austrian heroine Cornelia Hütter also performs at the best level this year, and she will have a chance to please the home crowd. The other Austrian skiers, such as Mirjam Puchner, Ariane Adler, or Ricarda Haaser, will also strive for the podium to enjoy the applause of their countrymen. Lara-Gut Behrami (SUI) would love to stand in the way of their home celebrations. She performs excellent, smooth, precise runs this year, but someone always steals her victory. And then there is another Italian, Federica Brignone. Finally, especially in the super-G, chances are high for an American Lauren Macuga, who is showing first-class results this year.
Adelboden: The Fearsome Slope and the Odermatt´s Home Yard
Let us focus on the giant slalom in Adelboden, as the Sunday slalom races are a mystery that only today´s Madonna slalom can solve.
The slope is called Chuenisbärgli. The venue is as Swiss as possible; even the slope´s name sounds Swiss. It reminds us of that strange language that some call German, but most German speakers cannot understand or pronounce. This slope has hosted the World Cup giant slalom since 1967. In Adelboden, the spectators create the so-called Witch’s Cauldron. The final part of the course resembles a free fall; it is just so steep. As the racers enter this stage and appear at the edge of the final steep part they are greeted with a deafening shout. Thus, they enter the cauldron.
Even on TV, the atmosphere is palpable.
So, who are the favorites?
Marco Odermatt (SUI) for sure. Since he won here in 2022, he did not let anyone else get to the top spot. His first win was very emotional; Odermatt stated that watching the races on “Cheunis” drove him to race in the first place. To win here has been his dream since he was a kid, so we can count on him to be highly motivated to win again.
In Alta Badia and Val d’Isere, contenders tried to steal his victory. Amongst others, Filip Zubcic (CRO) who needs to work on his second run performance. Chuenisbärgli is well suited for his aggressive style and immense strength. On the other hand, Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) needs to work on his first-run performance. He knows how to win here, as he got the trophy in 2017 and was only defeated by Marcel Hirscher repeatedly. But those seasons are long past.
Zan Kranjec (SLO) and Alexis Pinturault (FRA) have also won here in the pre-Odermatt seasons. However, Pinturault races better in super-G after his comeback. Kranjec is in fine form to take his chances. The giant slalom season is erratic this year. The first two races with Odermatt collecting DNFs allowed other racers to shine, like Thomas Tumler (SUI), Alexander Steen Olsen (NOR), Atle Lie McGrath (NOR) or Pinheiro Braathen.
However, since Marco got back into his old form, various surprising names, such as Patrik Feuerstein and Stefan Brennsteiner from Austria or Leo Anguenot from France, completed the podium and failed to repeat their results.
Adelboden provides a stunning spectacle, as do the other races we will watch this week. So, whoever wins, let them entertain us.
