Around 140 days before the next Ski World Cup on the Saslong, representatives of the FIS and the Italian Winter Sports Federation FISI inspected the slopes in Val Gardena/Gröden. At the meeting, they looked back on the successful last season, in which the organizers were able to hold the Super-G despite fresh snow. Preparations were also made for the 58th Saslong Classic in December.
FIS Race Director Markus Waldner praised the "absolute top level" organization and emphasized that the races below the Sassolungo are classics. The slope crew under Horst Demetz also received recognition for their efforts at the last edition, which ended with Italian Mattia Casse's super-G victory and Marco Odermatt's downhill triumph.
However, the focus of this year's slope inspection was the 2031 World Ski Championships: the delegation visited the Ciampinoi 3 slope for the first time, where the women's and men's technical races are to take place. The FIS representatives were delighted with the condition of the slope. The slope is "fantastic" and will enable "exciting races", was the unanimous opinion. The Italian Winter Sports Federation FISI, represented by Massimo Rinaldi, also emphasized the strong roots of the organization in the territory.
The next World Cup schedule has also been confirmed. The super-G will take place on Friday, December 19 and the downhill on Saturday, December 20. The training sessions will start on Tuesday, December 16, at 11:45 am.
