Cortina ready to host PGS World Cup opener
Dec 11, 2020·Alpine Snowboard
The 2020/21 FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup is finally set to start in a big way this weekend, as the world’s best snowboard racers are on hand at the iconic venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo ready to kick things into high gear in Saturday’s parallel giant slalom race.
The first of the Italian back-to-back venues on the circuit in 2020/21, Cortina d’Ampezzo is one that all riders will have circled on their calendars after the Milan-Cortina bid was awarded the right to hold the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. With staggering vistas all around, five previous season of holding an exceptional level of competition, and the extra fun that goes along with nighttime racing, the Cortina competition promises to once again be nothing short of excellent.
And while we won’t be seeing much in the way of spectators on site this season, due to a variety of new safety measures, we’re still confident that all the action brought through TV broadcasts, livestream, and social media will be just as thrilling as in any FIS Snowboard Alpine campaign in past years.
Hofmeister and Fischnaller favourites in Cortina
The 2019/20 World Cup season saw Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) and Roland Fischnaller (ITA) claim the PGS as well as overall parallel World Cup titles while the duo also won last year’s edition of the competition in Cortina. With that in mind, it’s hard not to view both Hofmeister and Fischnaller as the top favourites for victory in Saturday’s race.
In nine PGS races in 2019/20, 24-year-old Hofmeister recorded five victories and one runner-up position, missing the podium only once with a fourth-place finish in PyeongChang (KOR).
Fischnaller, on the other hand, won three PGS races and added his first PGS World Cup crystal globe to his impressive record of achievements. Furthermore, the 40-year-old veteran has won the last three competitions in Cortina, while in the first ever Cortina competition back in 2015/16 Fischnaller was part of an incredible Italian sweep of the podium.
But there’s plenty more to watch out for in Cortina besides the afore-mentioned Hofmeister and Fischnaller, as following the trends from previous seasons we’re expecting to see an interesting mix of veterans and up-and-coming riders fighting for top spots from the very beginning of the season until the end.
One of the most interesting stories to follow this season will come on the women’s side of things as we expect to see two-sport superwoman Ester Ledecka (CZE) lining up for action in Cortina. Ledecka only competed in two FIS Snowboard World Cup competitions last season as she focused her attentions on the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, but the 25 year-old could make a big difference on the women’s side of things this season with more regular participation on the FIS Snowboard World Cup.
In the women’s competition also watch out for Selina Joerg (GER) and Ladina Jenny (SUI), the respective number two and three of the PGS World Cup ranking last season, while the likes of Natalia Soboleva (RUS), Claudia Riegler (AUT), Patrizia Kummer (SUI), Nadya Ochner (ITA) and Daniela Ulbing (AUT) have all have managed to get on the podium in Cortina in the past and should be in the mix this weekend.
On the men’s side, all eyes will be on Italy’s own Roland Fischnaller as he will be looking to extend his winning streak on home soil in Cortina to four victories. Others who could be a factor in Cortina include last year’s PGS runner-up Benjamin Karl of Austria, the Russian duo of Dmitry Loginov and Andrey Sobolev as well the majority of the Italian snowboard team, with the likes of Mirko Felicetti, Edwin Coratti or Daniele Bagozza all eager to repeat their podium performances from previous campaign and kick off the 2020/21 season on a high.
Those Italian athletes will have history on their side. That’s because through the history of the FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup visiting Cortina they’ve managed to take 11 of a possible 36 podiums through the competition’s previous five seasons on tour. With the course primed, perfect weather expected on Saturday in the Dolomites, and the momentum the host Italians carry into this weekend’s competition, all the pieces are in place for a FIS Snowboard PGS World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo that should add to the resort’s already rich alpine snowboard racing legacy.
The competition in Cortina is scheduled to start with qualification rounds at 13:00 CET, with the finals under the lights coming up at 17:00.
WATCH LIVE
Eurosport 1 (Asia) & Eurosport player (Europe), ORF Sport+ (Austria), BNT 3 (Bulgaria), CVC Sports streaming, L’Equipe web (France), Network 4 Arena+ (Hungary), RAI Sport (Italy), Sport 1 (Lithuania), Polsat Sports News (Poland), SLO 2 (Slovenia), SRF Zwei (Switzerland), streaming on Olympic Channel (USA)
Live streaming will also be available on our Youtube channel - HERE. Please note that due to broadcasting rights restrictions, live streaming may not be available in your region. Full list of countries with the live streaming available can be found HERE.
QUICK LINKS
Cortina World Cup data page (startlists, live timing, results)
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