Sella Nevea (ITA) – Suspense, Emotional Farewell and New Overall Globes’ Winners

Apr 02, 2024·Para Alpine

Marie Bochet (FRA) © Andrea Carloni & Sport X All

Sella Nevea (ITA) experienced all types of weather during the final days of the Para Alpine Skiing World Cup finals. The last weekend began with snowfall and a welcomed drop in temperatures. Sunday then saw the first run of the final giant slalom of the season under clear skies, followed by the second run battled out in the snow and challenging visibility conditions, leading to interesting changes in the standings established earlier in the morning.

Notably, Audrey Pascual Seco (ESP) skidded off the track during the second run, despite leading in the Women Sitting category. Second after the first run, Barbara Van Bergen managed to conquer the second course, securing victory ahead of Laurie Stephens (USA). The Dutch and American athletes finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the final discipline standings, behind the indisputable leader of their category, Anna-Lena Forster (GER), who was absent from the last race due to illness. Forster had already accumulated 550 points, securing the trophy for her.

In the Women Standing category, the top 3 once again featured the same three athletes: Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE), Anna-Maria Rieder (GER), and Marie Bochet (FRA). Aarsjoe, the discipline leader after the first run, resisted pressure and emerged as the fastest on the second run to claim victory and her first career discipline globe. The podium for the final giant slalom was completed by Anna-Maria Rieder (GER), second, and, for the last time, a deeply moved but proud Marie Bochet (FRA), third.

Anna-Maria Rieder (GER), Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) and Marie Bochet (FRA) in the finish area of the last giant slalom in Sella Nevea

Anna-Maria Rieder (GER), Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) and Marie Bochet (FRA) © Andrea Carloni & Sport X All

There were no surprises in the Women Vision Impaired category. The season's final giant slalom was once again dominated by the Aigner sisters (AUT) - Veronika and her guide Elisabeth. Leading after the first run, the Austrian duo widened the gap with their competitors in the second run, posting a time below a minute - the only ones to do so in their category. Behind them, the British duo of Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide Katie Guest, showed consistency, securing the second-best time in both runs. The battle for the third place on the podium was fiercely contested, with just 5 tiny hundredths of a second difference, between Eva Nikou (GRE), accompanied by her guide Dimitris Profentzas (GRE), and Martina Vozza (ITA) with her guide Ylenia Sabidussi (ITA), who had difficulties managing the distance between them on the first run, trailing by over a second behind the Greek duo, provisionally in third place. Despite an excellent second run, the Italian duo fell short by 5 hundredths against Eva Nikou (GRE) and Dimitris Profentzas (GRE), celebrating their first podium of the Sella Nevea finals.

Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) and his guide Andrea Ravelli (ITA) managed to avenge their loss in the previous slalom held two days earlier on the same track. Leading after the first run, they were denied victory by Kalle Ericsson (CAN) and his guide Sierra Smith (CAN), who had an exceptional second run. However, starting last in their category again, the Italian duo handled the pressure better this time, posting the fastest time on the second run to secure victory comfortably ahead of their Canadian competitors, second, and the Austrian duo of Johannes Aigner and his guide Nico Haberl finishing third.However, the latter already had a sufficient lead in the discipline standings before this final race to secure the giant slalom globe in the Men Vision Impaired category - the second for Johannes Aigner after the one won at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) following his guide Andrea Ravelli (ITA) on the first run of the last giant slalom in Sella Nevea

Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) and his guide Andrea Ravelli (ITA) © Andrea Carloni & Sport X All

In the Men Standing category, France dominated with four of the top five places in the final giant slalom! Arthur Bauchet, leading in the discipline and after the first run, once again emerged victorious, this time ahead of Aaron Lindstroem (SWE) who was thus improving his best performance in the discipline after his first podium a few days earlier. The battle for third place was fought between Jordan Broisin (FRA) and Oscar Burnham (FRA), with Burnham posting a faster time on the second run, but Broisin's lead from the first run secured him the third spot on the podium. Jules Segers (FRA) completed the top 5. Noteworthy was the second-best time in the second run recorded by the young American Jesse Keffe, elevating him from 9th to 6th place overall. With 660 points at the end of the season, Arthur Bauchet (FRA) added the giant slalom crystal globe to his growing collection.

In a rare turn of events, the last category to start, Men Sitting, offered a spectacle full of twists. Rene' De Silvestro (ITA), aiming for his first giant slalom globe and leading after the first run, battled hard on a very bumpy second course and challenging visibility due to snowfall. Unfortunately, the Italian made a mistake before the penultimate gate, initially missing it but correcting himself to cross the finish line with the sixth final time. He was ultimately disqualified, scoring no additional points and finishing third in the final discipline standings. Second after the first run, Jesper Pedersen (NOR), also in contention for a new crystal globe, suffered a similar fate, falling on the second run. The sole survivor of the top 3 provisional standings to finish the second run, Taiki Morii (JPN), secured another podium, two days after his remarkable climb from 6th to first place in the last slalom of the season. Ahead of him were the Dutch duo Niels De Langen in second and Jeroen Kampschreur in first, not only victorious in the last giant slalom with an excellent second run but also the happy recipients of the precious crystal trophy for the discipline, with a 20-point lead over Jesper Pedersen (NOR) and 40 over Rene' De Silvestro (ITA).

Niels De Langen (NED), Jeroen Kampschreur (NED) and Taiki Morii (JPN) in the finish area after the second run of the last giant slalom in Sella Nevea

Niels De Langen (NED), Jeroen Kampschreur (NED) and Taiki Morii (JPN) © Andrea Carloni & Sport X All

With this new victory and following the cancellation of the last super-G of the season, Jeroen Kampschreur (NED) secures his first-ever overall crystal globe in the Men Sitting category, with a total of 1630 points, ahead of his greatest rivals Rene' De Silvestro (ITA), second with 1530 points, and Jesper Pedersen (NOR), who totals 1495 points and finishes third. In the Men Standing category, thanks notably to his "Grand Slam" in slalom (victorious in all races), Arthur Bauchet (FRA) claims his 6th consecutive big crystal globe! The Frenchman accumulated a total of 2116 points this season. His main rival, Robin Cuche (SUI), winner of the downhill small globe, finishes the season in second place in the overall standings with 1541 points, ahead of Aaron Lindstroem (SWE), third with 899 points. For Johannes Aigner (AUT), it is his third consecutive overall crystal globe, won this season with his guide Nico Haberl (AUT), amassing 1860 points, 340 more than Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) and his guide Andrea Ravelli (ITA), who finish second. Also, displaying a very consistent season, the French pair Hyacinthe Deleplace and his guide Roy Piccard finish third in the overall standings.

For the women, it's a first overall crystal globe for Alexandra Rexova (SVK), with her guide Hugo Rybar (SVK), as well as for Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE), in the Women Vision Impaired and Women Standing categories respectively. Thanks to their consistency and versatility, the Slovak duo finishes the season with a total of 1620 points, 120 points ahead of Veronika Aigner (AUT) and her guide Elisabeth Aigner (AUT), who dominated the technical disciplines. Winners of the downhill and super-G globes, Menna Fitzpatrick (GBR) and Katie Guest (GBR) take third place in these overall standings with a total of 1040 points. Meanwhile in the Women Standing category, Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) leads with a 280-point advantage over the now retired Marie Bochet (FRA), second, and Anna-Maria Rieder (GER), third with 1270 points. Finally, in the Women Sitting category, it's a third overall crystal globe for Anna-Lena Forster (GER) after those won in 2020-21 and 2022-23. The German secures victory with 1820 points, ahead of the young Spaniard Audrey Pascual Seco with 550 points, and, in third place, Barbara Van Bergen (NED) with 540 points.