Is this Delago's Olympic ticket already?

The 29-year-old didn't have luck on her side in the French winter sports resort. When she left the starting gate with bib number 19, visibility was much worse than at the start of the race. Undeterred, the skier from Wolkenstein demonstrated her skill both in the upper gliding section and in the long, sweeping turns before the finish. She navigated the technical middle section cleverly, ultimately achieving her best result since March 23, 2024, when she finished third in Saalbach. "I'm very happy with how I felt today," Delago said on Saturday after the race.

“I’m rebuilding the confidence I lost in recent years – and that gives me composure. I try to take a small step forward every day.” Delago’s consistency certainly makes her a strong contender for an Olympic nomination. She is currently the clear number three in Italy’s downhill team, behind Goggia and Pirovano. As is well known, only four athletes per nation are allowed to start in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Otherwise, others are causing a stir. The big winner of the downhill was Austrian Cornelia Hütter, who celebrated her tenth World Cup victory. Behind her were Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Lindsey Vonn (USA). In contrast, Goggia was practically seething with anger. The Italian, who had dominated the training runs, made a major mistake on her way to a commanding best time, almost resulting in a crash. However, she skillfully managed to stay upright on her skis and finished the race in eighth place, ahead of Delago.

Twenty-four hours later, the 33-year-old was able to smile again. In the technically demanding Super-G, she made no glaring mistakes this time. While Alice Robinson initially held a lead over the Italian, the New Zealander lost four-tenths of a second to her closest competitor in the lower section. Goggia prevailed by 15 hundredths of a second, celebrating her eighth Super-G victory overall. Vonn completed the podium, meaning she has never finished lower than fourth in five speed races this season. Robinson's second-place finish allowed her to maintain her lead in the discipline standings.

The weekend was uneventful for the other two South Tyrolean skiers. While Nadia Delago did score her first points of the season, finishing 25th in the downhill, her expectations are higher. Sara Thaler, competing in Val d'Isère for the first time and only participating in one downhill training run due to her prior European Cup race in St. Moritz, had to settle for 44th place in the downhill. In the Super-G, the trio from Val Gardena, starting with high bib numbers, finished outside the points. The next women's speed races will take place on January 10th and 11th in Zauchensee, Austria.

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Is this Delago's Olympic ticket already?

At the upcoming Olympic Games, only Sofia Goggia and Laura Pirovano have secured their places in the downhill event. Nicol Delago is pushing hard for a spot behind them with strong results so far. After finishing twelfth in St. Moritz, she improved her performance in Val d'Isère.

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