World’s best share season hopes as Sölden starts to party

The World Cup starts again, and finally it is back with a busy schedule as it used to be before the covid at the World Cup opening in Soelden.

The annual HEAD press conference kicked things off in style with Olympic and World Cup champions and just to name a few Corinne Sutur (SUI), Lara Gut Behrami (SUI), Sara Hector (SWE), Mathias Mayer (AUT), Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT), Alexis Pinturault (FRA), Johannes Strolz (AUT). Right after that, an inspiring Audi Media Talk took place in Giggi Tenne with most of the World Cup teams who continued their media activities by bouncing between interviews and photo shoots.

Matters stepped up a notch on the final afternoon before racing with FIS hosting the ever-popular Alpine Forum. Not only were last season’s overall women’s and men’s World Cup winners, Shiffrin and Marco Odermatt (SUI) on stage, but FIS President Johan Eliasch and the two Chief Race Directors Markus Waldner and Peter Gerdol were also up front and centre taking questions.

Topics abounded from how to handle the pressure of a successful season through to bouncing back from disappointment via the return to normal after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, season prize money and of course the race plan through until March 2023.

For Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), who claimed her fourth overall Audi FIS World Cup season title back in March, the welcome return of fans to the slopes was top of her agenda.

“We need fans,” the 27-year-old said in her season-opening press conference. “It’s important we continue to engage people and one of the best ways we do that in skiing is through our live performances. It’s a magical experience to watch a ski race live and see everything involved in it.”

Odermatt may have thought he had picked up his fill of silverware after an astonishing 2021/22 season but there was one more gong for the Swiss star to receive before the new campaign.

The AIJS (Association of International Skiing Journalists) was unequivocal in awarding its annual Skieur d'Or, also known as the AIJS Serge Lang Trophy, to the 25-year-old. He joins Marcel Hirscher (AUT) and Tina Maze (SLO) as the only skiers to ever claim the hat-trick of an Olympic title, the overall World Cup crown and the Skieur d'Or  in the same season.

Odermatt knows what gives him the edge in competition: “In the end, it’s all about the mental game,” he said. “Many girls and boys can ski very fast but just one can win. You just have to do everything that’s you.”

AIJS President Patrick Lang presented the trophy, which is now showcased by longtime FIS and new AIJS partner AUDI. “He is not only an astonishing champion,” Lang said, “but also a wonderful role model who greatly enriches the World Cup scene.”

Lang was also delighted to award the AIJS’ fifth annual Photo Ski Contest, known as the Prix Armando Trovati, to renowned Reuters Austrian chief photographer Leonhard Foeger for his shot of Switzerland’s Stefan Rogentin. The stunning, highly evocative shot was taken on 13 January 2022 during the World Cup super-G in Wengen (SUI).