Hofmeister targets four in a row as Snowboard Alpine World Cup resumes
Jan 12, 2024·Snowboard Alpine
Racers will strap in and wax off the holiday snow from their boards as the FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup turns the calendar to 2024, a hectic January schedule kicking off with a parallel giant slalom in Scuol, Switzerland on Saturday 13 January.
On the women’s side of the tour, everyone is chasing Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER), who has taken a commanding lead in the overall standings by winning all three races so far this season. With a target on her back, can she push her winning streak to four with an 18th World Cup career victory?
The 27-year-old certainly has the pedigree at Scuol to do it. She took second place on the Swiss slopes last season, having topped the podium in the 2020 edition of the race.
Lucia Dalmasso (ITA) is itching to end Hofmeister’s winning ways, after taking second in the past two races this season.
“I’m really glad and happy for these two second places,” she said. “A win is so close, I believed in myself and I really had a lot of fun during the races. Scuol is a beautiful slope and I think I have fun above all in qualifying time, the race after will be a play!”
The 26-year-old has company among the contenders vying to overhaul Hofmeister. Sabine Schoeffman (AUT) has had to settle for third in the previous two races of the current tour. She, too, knows these slopes well and will fancy her chances of knocking Hofmeister off the top of the podium.
“It needs carving turns and good speed. I think this year the preparations in the autumn were very good there.”
The 31-year-old’s teammate Daniela Ulbing (AUT) could also be in contention, having posted fast times this season. She took silver in the first race of the season in Carezza, Italy. Tsubaki Miki (JPN) will be looking to turn her dominance in qualifying runs all season into podiums – and victories.
Italy and Austria boast leading men
The men’s race sets up for a thrilling contest. Each race this season has ended with a different racer atop the podium and the PGS in Scuol should again be wide open.
However, don’t bet against an Italian or Austrian flag will be somewhere among the medals – the men from these two nations have occupied all nine possible podium spots this season; Italy’s five to Austria’s four, with two Italian victories to Austria’s one.
Maurizio Bormolini (ITA) won the season’s first PGS on home snow in Carezza and the 29-year-old has shed some light on why he and his teammates have come out of the gates in blazing fashion.
Bormolini compete for the top spots with countrymen Edwin Coratti (ITA), Daniele Bagozza (ITA) and Roland Fischnaller (ITA), who have all made the podium this season. Another Italian is more of a dark horse this weekend.
Mirko Felicetti (ITA) took second on the slopes of Scuol last season but laughed off questions about the keys conquering the Swiss course. “I don’t know maybe give my best in every run and the results will be better,” the 31-year-old said. “Or maybe change the board before the race.”
Benjamin Karl (AUT) will lead the Austrian challenge, having followed up his third place in Carezza with victory in Cortina, Italy two days later. The veteran’s best showing in Scuol was second place in 2020. Teammate Andreas Prommegger (AUT) took third here last season and has started the season strongly, including a second place in Cortina.
PGS world champion Oskar Kwiatkowski (POL) also likes this course. He won in Scuol last season, after finishing second in 2018 and third in 2020, so will hope to be in the mix on Saturday.
RACE SCHEDULE
The action takes places on Saturday 13th January with qualifying runs in the morning and the finals at 13:30 CET (please note: the schedule is subject to change due to local weather conditions).
WHERE TO WATCH
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