Due to weather conditions, the second downhill training run on the Saslong scheduled for Wednesday has been brought forward from 11:45 am to 10:30 am. This was announced by the organizers of the Val Gardena Race Week during the second team leaders’ meeting on Tuesday evening in Selva.
The decision was made in response to an updated weather forecast. “The latest weather images indicate that a front could move in around noon. To ensure the training session can take place, it is therefore better to bring it forward,” explained FIS Race Director Markus Waldner.
Waldner also addressed the course conditions during the meeting. Unexpected snowfall made the course slightly slower during the first training session, which in turn affected the speed at the Camel Humps. However, as Waldner emphasized, these remain unchanged: “The Camel Humps are the same as in previous years and have been measured by the University of Innsbruck. The athletes ski or jump over them at speeds of 115 to 119 kilometers per hour.”
Following the crashes involving several forerunners, athletes may have been somewhat unsettled and therefore skied more cautiously. “No work is being done on the jumps, but the course continues to be intensively cleaned and prepared,” Waldner added.
Another topic at the team leaders’ meeting was the injuries sustained by two forerunners and by Austrian skier Stefan Eichberger, who crashed during training on Tuesday. Those responsible wished all of them speedy and full recovery.
The second downhill training run on Wednesday will be opened by France’s Nils Allègre. Local favorite Dominik Paris from Ultimo will start with bib number 7, while Marco Odermatt, who set the fastest time in the first training session, will start with number 15. A total of 81 athletes from 19 nations are scheduled to take part.