Christina Ager was the fastest last year. © Richard Kröss

The speed queens are coming back to Sarntal

This week the European Cup is back in Sarntal. Two women's Super-Gs will be held on the Schöneben piste on Thursday and Friday. Before the 18th edition of the speed races in Reinswald, the question of all questions is: Is there no Austrian winner in the Super-G for the first time?

27. February 2024

From: pm

Since the European Cup premiere in Sarntal in the 2004/05 season, a total of eight Super-Gs for women have been held. After all of these eight decisions, the Austrian national anthem was played at the award ceremony. First in February 2005 for Selina Heregger, 12 years later for downhill vice world champion Nina Ortlieb, then twice in 2020 for Nadine Fest, in 2022 twice for Franziska Gritsch and last season once each for Fest and Christina Ager. Of 24 possible podiums, the ÖSV racers won a whopping 19. The dominance of the Austrians in the South Tyrolean ski area is impressive.

A total of 19 European Cup races have been held in the Sarntal over the past 55 years. Ten different nations were able to enter the winners' lists. The record winner here is Austria with 22 wins, followed by Switzerland and France with seven wins each and Italy with six triumphs.

19 Azzurres, including 6 South Tyroleans, were there

As far as the European Cup in Reinswald is concerned this season, 29 racers from ten different nations are registered for the two Super-Gs on Thursday, February 1th and Friday, March 73st. Whether they will all actually start will only be determined after the first team captains' meeting. This takes place on Wednesday evening (February 28th) at 19 p.m. and heralds the start of the Alpine skiing event. The host nation Italy naturally has the largest contingent with 19 registered athletes, including six skiers from South Tyrol. They are Leonie Girtler (Freienfeld), Nicole Ploner (Wolkenstein), Chayenne Kostner (Castelruth), Rita Granruaz (Abtei), Vicky Bernardi (Stern) and Elisa Platino (Obermais).

The World Cup-tested Vicky Bernardi is competing in Reinswald.

Four Super-Gs have been held so far this season, which were won by Lisa Grill (Austria), the South Tyroleans Vicky Bernardi and Teresa Runggaldier, and the French Karen Clement. Except for Bernardi, none of the other three winners are registered for the Super-Gs in Sarntal.

After the heavy snowfall at the weekend, the athletes should find ideal conditions in the Sarnen ski area, which is only half an hour's drive from Bolzano. “The preparations have largely been completed and not only the entire OK team, but the entire Sarntal valley is looking forward to this sporting highlight. We will once again do everything we can to ensure that the female ski racers find optimal conditions on and off the slopes and feel at home," says Luis Hofer, coordinator of the European Cup races in Sarntal, and once again invites all ski fans, to watch the two women's European Cup races on February 29th and March 1st on site with free admission.