The fastest giant slalom skiers are skiing blue!
As per tradition, the first races of the 2021/22 FIS Alpine World Cup season took place in Soelden, Austria, and the Salomon Family couldn’t be prouder of how the team kicked off a new season of ski racing. This past weekend provided ample proof that Salomon’s athletes and the skis, boots, and bindings at their feet are among the fastest ones on the World Cup Tour. The new racing strategy, the team’s dedication, and “made at the Annecy Design Center” gear shone in their first opportunity to measure themselves with the competition.
The Blue Family graduated from this first racing weekend with flying colors, taking home a victory, a second place, and two more top-10 finishes. Salomon skiers Marco Odermatt and Roland Leitinger stole Sunday’s show as they crossed the finish line of the stunning giant slalom course in first and second positions. Odermatt, last season’s Giant Slalom title runner-up, was sitting in third place after the first run. He kicked it up a notch in the second one to clinch his first victory on the Rettenbach Glacier.
“This is amazing! It has been a long, hard summer, and I did everything I could to be ready ”
Marco Odermatt
Alpine Ski Racer
“My second place is a great result. I was in a (to me) very new situation after the first run, a very nice situation,” said Leitinger. “I knew I was in good shape but didn’t really expect things to play out like they did today. Last year I didn’t have that much fun racing because skiing didn’t always feel so good. I want to feel the way I did today more often now; that would be cool.”
With Italian Luca de Aliprandini finishing 8th, Salomon had three skiers among the 10 fastest ones in this season’s first race.
But it wasn’t only the men who left a significant mark on the steep Soelden slope. In Saturday’s women’s giant slalom race, young Slovenian Meta Hrovat showcased her developing skillset and finished 6th, proving she is among the ones to watch this season.
Last season’s giant slalom title winner, Marta Bassino, was a big favorite on Saturday. Unluckily, the first race of her season was cut short by a mistake which halfway down the first run earned her a DNF.
With Soelden wrapped up, the World Cup Tour will pause for three weeks, allowing athletes and their teams ample time to fine-tune their forms and equipment before racing every weekend becomes the norm. The next races are scheduled in Lech-Zürs , Austria, on the 13th and 14th of November 2021.
“To win here in Soelden is very special for me as it’s on this slope that five years ago, I earned my first World Cup points. Today is a dream come true. ”
Marco Odermatt
Alpine Ski Racer
Odermatt, who has been committed to Salomon’s S/Race boots for the past years and is using Salomon’s Icon binding, said right after his victory:
“To win here in Soelden is very special for me as it’s on this slope that five years ago, I earned my first World Cup points. Today is a dream come true. It was a really tight race, and luck was on my side. I’m just hoping it stays this way moving forward through the season.”
After pulling a flawless first run which landed him in the lead, Austria’s Leitinger was on the right path to securing his first World Cup victory. He had never been in the lead like that before, and a small mistake in the second one proved just too costly. He crossed the finish line in second place, a mere 0.07 seconds behind Odermatt. Nevertheless, a podium finish is still a fantastic way to kick off a new season, and the giant slalom specialist couldn’t be happier with it.