Kristin Moling (Mitt) won the Marlene Cup downhill ahead of Valentina Fill (l.) and Katharina Gasser (r.)

The ski talents in constant use

Alpine ski racers had their hands full last week. Races took place all over the country.

04. February 2025

From: pm

Four Marlene Cup downhill races were held in Reinswald, two of which counted as national championships, a Raiffeisen Grand Prix national cup was held at Kronplatz, the Master category was in action in Carezza, two Marlene Cup slaloms and a National Junior Race were held in Val Gardena, and an FIS race was on the program in Taisten.

But first things first: On Wednesday, two South Tyrolean racers achieved three podium finishes in Cortina. At the "Campionato Italiano Cittadini", Luis Schuster won the Super-G, Noah Gamper took third place. Schuster also took third place in the overall ranking of this FIS race.

On Thursday, the women's Marlene Cup downhill race started on the Schöneben piste in Reinswald. Kristin Moling (21st/Kronplatz Skiteam), Valentina Fill (1nd/Kronplatz Skiteam) and Katharina Gasser (2rd/ASV TZ Jochtal) were on the podium in the U3 category, while in the U18 category, national squad athlete Ivy Schölzhorn (RG Wipptal) won ahead of Lisa Mahlknecht (SC Gröden) and Arianna Putzer (SC Gröden). The following day, the race continued in Reinswald with three downhill races, two of which also counted towards the FISI national championship. In the men's Marlene Cup race, national squad athlete Tommy Lochmann (SC Vigiljoch) won the U21 ranking ahead of Ivan Kerschbaumer (SC Gröden) and Hannes Frötscher (Kronplatz Skiteam), while in the U18 Noah Gamper (national squad/ASV Tscherms) triumphed ahead of Luis Schuster (national squad/Kronplatz Skiteam) and Aaron Stuffer (SC Gröden).

Noah Gamper (middle) won the U18 downhill ahead of Luis (l.) Schuster and Aaron Stuffer (r.)

The new state champions in the Sarntal in the U21 age group were Hannes Frötscher, ahead of Mike Rifesser (SC Gröden) and Alois Köllemann Baldini (Vinschger Oberland), as well as Kristin Moling, ahead of Valentina Fill and Katharina Gasser. Noah Gamper won the U18 men's downhill ahead of Luis Schuster and Aaron Stuffer, and Arianna Putzer took the top spot in the young women's category ahead of Lisa Mahlknecht and Viktoria Klotz (RG Wipptal). All four downhill races in the Sarntal ski area were organized by the South Tyrol State Winter Sports Association.

Talent Test in the Stangenwald

The Marlene Cup moved to Val Gardena just two days later, where two slaloms were scheduled on the Ria piste on Sunday, February 2. In top conditions, national squad athlete Nora Pernstich (TZ Überetsch) won the U21 ahead of her teammate Selina Trafoier (ASC Ulten) and Maria Carolina Folchetti (Seiseralm Skiteam), while Anna Trocker (Seiseralm Skiteam) won the U18 with the best time of the day ahead of Victoria Klotz and Arianna Putzer. In the men's U21, Maximilian Wolfsgruber (Kronplatz Skiteam) was the fastest of the day, followed by David Thaler (Alta Badia) and Lukas Sieder (national squad/RG Wipptal). The U18 slalom, on the other hand, went to Noah Gamper, who relegated Christian Kostner (SC Val Gardena) and Alexander Klotz (RG Wipptal) to the top places. The day before, the Ria piste was also the scene of a National Junior Race, in which South Tyroleans also prevailed. In the women's category, Valentina Fill won the U21 classification and Anna Trocker the U18 classification, while in the men's category, Valentin Sparber (RG Wipptal) grabbed the U18 classification.

Jakob Franzelin shines at FIS races

On Friday, January 31, an FIS race was scheduled in Taisten, in which some young South Tyrolean talents also took part. Jakob Franzelin, who came second, particularly shone in this slalom. And there was also a lot to do for the younger and older ski racers last week. On Saturday, February 1, a Super-G of the Raiffeisen Grand Prix Landescup U16 was held on Kronplatz, which had to be cancelled on Sunday a week ago due to the weather. More than 100 athletes took part. In the boys' category, Matthias Mahlknecht (SC Gröden) won ahead of Michael Thaler (ASC Sarntal) and Jeremias Scherer (Seiseralm Skiteam), and in the girls' category, Elisa Plunger (Seiseralm Skiteam) won ahead of Alenah Taschler (ASV Gsiesertal) and Francesca Miribung (SC Gröden).

Also on Saturday, a stage of the Raiffeisen Südtirol Cup, organized by GSA Grole, took place on the Paolina slope in the Carezza Dolomites ski area. A giant slalom and a slalom were held, and the results were also counted as a combination.

Here is an overview of the category winners:
Master C9 Women: Marta Ciatti (ASC Meran/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master C8 Women: Sigrid Lang (ASV Weltschnofen/Giant Slalom), Helga Runggaldier (ASV Gitschberg/Slalom)
Master C7 Women: Cinzia Valt (ASV Welschnofen/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master C4 Women: Sylvia Gafriller (SSC Taufers/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master C3 Women: Helene Mittersteiner (Sportclub Merano/Giant Slalom)
Master B12 Men: Albert Tschager (ASC Kaltern/Giant Slalom, Combination), Josef Webhofer (ASV Bruneck/Slalom)
Master B11 Men: Michael Kritzinger (Seiseralm Skiteam/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master B10 Men: Flavio Moccia (ASV Welschnofen/Slalom, Combination), Franz Berger (ASV Bruneck/Giant Slalom)
Master B9 Men: Friedrich Raffeiner (ASV Welschnofen/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master B8 Men: Hermann Oberlechner (SSV Taufers/Slalom, Combination), Roberto Picin (Libertas Bolzano/Giant Slalom)
Master B7 Men: Markus Dejori (ASV Welschnofen/Giant Slalom, Combination), Alois Gufler (Sportclub Merano/Slalom)
Master A6 Men: Reinhard Leitner (Skiteam Valente/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master A5 Men: Roland Fredi Kofler (ASC Sarntal/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master A4 Men: Günther Stockner (ASV Feldthurns/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master A3 Men: Daniel Geppert (ASV Welschnofen/Giant Slalom)
Master A2 Men: Andrea Goggi (SC Borgata/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Master A1 Men: Matthias Alber (ASC Hafling/Slalom)
Giovani / Senior Women: Nina Schwienbacher (ASC Ortler/Giant Slalom, Slalom, Combination)
Giovani / Senior Men: Martin Schmuck (Seiseralm Skiteam/Giant Slalom, Combination), Simon Putzer (RG Wipptal/Slalom)