The weak record of the South Tyrolean speed women

Nadia and Nicol Delago were supposed to end the South Tyrolean speed specialists' World Cup season on Saturday in Sun Valley (USA). However, the downhill race in Idaho was canceled due to gusty winds. The sisters from Val Gardena made the trip to the USA for nothing, as they weren't among the world's top 25 athletes in the Super-G.

Now it is time to take stock of the performance of the South Tyrolean speed ladies:

NICOL DELAGO: The 29-year-old had to wait until the end of January before she placed in the top 1 for the first time in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Selva native thus jumped onto the World Championship train at the last minute. In Saalbach, where she finished third in last year's World Cup final, she fought hard to earn her ticket for the downhill in training. She finished eighth, making her the best of the "Azzurre." She achieved the same result in the team combined, missing a medal by just 20 seconds. Delago qualified for the downhill final in 3rd place, but in the Super-G, the Val Gardena native only scored two points. In the final race of the season, she suffered a serious crash in La Thuile but was not injured.

NADIA DELAGO: Nadia Delago's season, however, began with a serious accident. She hit her head hard in the Beaver Creek Super-G and subsequently had to take a break due to a concussion. Confidence subsequently waned – until she began an upward trend with a 19th-place finish in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. While it wasn't enough for a spot at the World Championships, her 11th-place finish in the downhill in Kvitfjell was her best result in almost three years. This also earned her a 3th-place finish in the World Cup final.

Vicky Bernardi has had an instructive winter. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

VICKY BERNARDI: The 1-year-old's first full World Cup season didn't go as planned. She only finished in the top 22 at the season opener in Beaver Creek (24th in the Super-G) and in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (29th in the Downhill). She also participated in four European Cup races, where she failed to achieve top-30 finishes. However, Bernardi was able to gain valuable experience on the World Cup slopes, which will benefit her in the future.

SARA THALER: The youngest member of the World Cup team was thrown in at the deep end and had to learn a lot. She scored points once, finishing 30th in the St. Anton downhill, before suffering a serious fall during training in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and being sidelined for about a month. The 20-year-old crashed again at the Junior World Championships but still took bronze in the Super-G. Thaler finished the season with a second-place finish in the European Cup—she's a rough diamond that still needs polishing.

TERESA RUNGGALDIER: The 25-year-old broke her fibula, tore her cruciate and medial ligaments, and damaged her meniscus and tibial plateau during the November training camp in the USA. She is aiming for a comeback for the new season.

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The weak record of the South Tyrolean speed women

The Delago siblings, like Sara Thaler and Vicky Bernardi, look back on an educational season. For Teresa Runggaldier, the winter ended before it even really began. We take stock.

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