Para Alpine World Championships crowns Super-G winners
Jan 24, 2023·Para Alpine
They say the best things come to those who wait, and for the athletes at the Para Alpine World Ski championship in Espot (ESP), this was definitely true on Monday 24th January.
After nearly four days of waiting for good weather conditions, the first race of the World Championships was able to be staged with the men’s and women’s super-G competitions taking place under blue skies.
In the vision impaired category, it was Neil Simpson (GBR) taking home the gold medal in a minor upset ahead of powerhouse Johannes Aigner (AUT) by a very slim 0.02 seconds margin. The bronze medal went to Italian Giacomo Bertagnolli. Meanwhile on the women’s side Italy earned the 1-2 sweep with teammates Chiara Mazzel and Martina Vozza talking home the gold and silver.
In the men’s standing category, the bragging rights went to Austrian Markus Slacher, who also survived a close scare against Switzerland’s Robin Cuche, claiming the gold medal by a 0.20 margin. Third place went to Arthur Bauchet, 0.79 second off the pace. For the women it was Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) holding off two Germans, Andrea Rothfuss and Anna-Maria Rieder to take the gold medal.
Rounding out the day was the sitting competitions – with the most dramatic finish saved for last a Japan’s Taiki Morii took home the gold medal by the slimmest of margins 0.01 seconds ahead of Dutchman Jeroen Kampschreur. Anna-Lena Forster (GER) had no such nail biting moments as she earned the gold medal with a very solid 2.74 second margin ahead of AmericansLauri Stephens and Saylor O’Brien.
With the weather challenges, the Organizing Committee has shifted the daily program. Below is the updated schedule. Don’t forget all races can be viewed via the FIS website live stream.
24.01 Alpine Combined
25.01 Downhill Training
25.01 Downhill
26.01 Giant Slalom Men
27.01 Giant Slalom Women
28.01 Slalom Men
29.01 Slalom Women
29.01 Parallel - CANCELLED
