This slalom quartet is supposed to make up for some things

Italy currently has only 5 starting places in the men's slalom. For the race in Gurgl (Sunday) only 4 Azzurri have been nominated - at least for now.

20 November 2024

From: cst

The Azzurri have not been as bad in the slalom as they were last weekend in Levi for 22 years. Not a single competitor made it to the second round, and so they didn't get any World Cup points. This fiasco needs to be rectified in Gurgl, even if things aren't looking good for the Italian slalom team at the moment.

The two top runners, Tommaso Sala and Alex Vinatzer, are inconsistent. Sala is also coming back from an injury break. Vinatzer, on the other hand, has never managed to reach the top ranks on a permanent basis. The Grödner has undoubted potential, but there is little to be gained from it. At 24, Vinatzer is no longer a young talent. The many failures also prevent him from getting a better number.

In addition to Vinatzer and Sala, Stefano Gross and Tobias Kastlunger will also be competing in North Tyrol. The Enneberger has fond memories of the slope in Gurgl. Last year he finished 13th there. Boss Max Carca will decide at short notice whether a fifth Italian will start. Tommaso Saracci was allowed to try in Levi, but he was eliminated.