Green Light For World Cup Opening In Sölden, Theolier And Doppelhofer Will Set The Courses

The official snow control has taken place in Sölden and the World Cup Opening has been confirmed by FIS race director Markus Mayr, chief of course Isidor Grüner and chief of race Rainer Gstrein. Thanks to the work of the cable car company and the fresh snow that covered the Rettenbach glacier in the past weeks, the snow conditions are excellent and everything is set to host the ladies’ and men’s giant slalom.

In less than ten days, the best giant slalom skiers will officially kick off the 2017/18 season and race for the first World Cup win of the season. Even though some big names will be missing on the start lists, especially from the home team Austria (Marcel Hirscher, Philippe Schörghofer, Anna Veith, Eva-Maria Brem, …), the competition promises to be very interesting with Tessa Worley and Mikaela Shiffrin eager to defend their titles (respectively GS and Overall globes) on the ladies’ side, and Alexis Pinturault and Ted Ligety carving for revenge after a difficult end of the season in 2017 on the men’s tour.

From this year on, the men’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup Tour will be appointing its course setters five days prior to the races. With the World Cup Opening giant slalom in Sölden taking place on Sunday 29th October, the course setters for both runs have been appointed today.

Jacques Théolier has been chosen by the Swedish ski team to set the first run. Last season, the technical coach could celebrate the two first World Cup podium of his athlete Matts Olsson. Last season, Jacques Théolier already set the second run in of the giant slalom in Adelboden. If Pinturault won the race, Marcel Hirscher was the fastest in the second run. Théolier’s protégé Olsson finished 6th.

In Sölden, the second run will be set by the German tech coach Albert Doppelhofer. Three of his athletes are able to perform well in giant slalom: Felix Neureuther, who podiumed in Sölden and at the final giant slalom in Aspen last season, Stefan Luitz, who found his way back on the podium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Fritz Dopfer, who is coming back from an injury. Doppelhofer was already the course setter of the second run in Sölden in 2014, and Fritz Dopfer was able to claim the second spot of that race.