National Championships In Full Swing

Even though the Audi FIS Ski World Cup 2017/2018 is concluded, the racing season is going on with most nations holding their National Championships those days.

The first title has been distributed in Austria on Tuesday, when Christine Scheyer, the winner of the 2017 Altenmarkt-Zauchensee World Cup downhill, claims her first national champion title. A bad news is accompanying today’s race in Saalbach, as Stephanie Brunner – 4th in Sölden and Killington this season – suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in her left knee.

On Wednesday, both genders had their national championships in super-g. Ricarda Haaser, 4th in the giant slalom in Ofterschwang two weeks ago, took her third national title, after AC in 2017 and giant slalom in 2016. On the men’s side, the rising super star from Austria Vincent Kriechmayr became national champion for the second time in a row in that discipline, besides his title in the alpine combined in 2017.

The race program in Saalbach went on with the men’s downhill on Friday. After two second places in the National Championships in his favorite discipline the super-g (2012 & 2016), Otmar Striedinger claims his first Austrian Champion title in the downhill. Coming back from an injury contracted in Wengen, the Austrian is very proud to conclude the season on this positive note.

In France, the National Championships started in Chatel with the men’s downhill, won by Adrien Théaux. The Frenchman, three times World Cup winner, took his 11th national title ahead of his teammates Johan Clarey and Nicolas Raffort.

As last year in Tignes, younggun Nils Allegre was able to win the super-g in Chatel and become National Champion in that discipline for the second time. He was ahead of Adrien Théaux and Blaise Giezendanner, 4th at the Olympic Games in that discipline. The super-g was also counting for the alpine combined title and in the slalom run, Nils Allegre was able to hold on to his lead and claimed another French Champion title.

Going into the week-end, the French Nationals went into the tech events. The ladies’ held a slalom, won by Nastaia Noens, while Victor Muffat-Jeandet took the title in the men’s giant slalom, ahead of Alexis Pinturault and Thomas Fanara.

The attacking Vikings are gathering in Hafjell for their National Championships and with Olympic medalists at the start of the downhill, the title was expected to go to Aksel Lund Svindal or Kjetil Jansrud, but the fastest man on the hill was Adrian Smiseth Sejersted. The young athlete, who almost scored his first World Cup podium this season in the super-g in Kvitfjell, is the new rising star in the strong Norwegian speed team. Another surprise came from Henrik Kristoffersen, who raced in downhill for the first time in four years and managed to claim a 19th place. On the ladies side, Marte Berg Edseth, year of birth 1998 (!!). So far, she had won five FIS races, three in slalom and two in giant slalom.

The competitions in Hafjell Norway went on with the alpine combined, that was also won by Marte Berg Edseth. On the men’s side, Rasmus Windingstad, 8th of the giant slalom in Kranjska Gora this season, earned the national title.

Also in the super-g, held on Friday, Rasmus Windingstad emerged victorious, only +0.03 ahead of Adrian Smiseth Sejersted. With this win, he earned his third national title. On the ladies side, Marte Berg Edseth stroke again and earned the third national title at this year’s championships in Hafjell.
The tech events in Hafjell started with the giant slaloms on Saturday. Ragnhild Mowinckel, who missed the beginning of the week because she was sick, came back to racing and took the National title. Rasmus Windingstad was the fastest on the men’s side, winning his third title in these championships, the fourth in total.

In Germany, the Nationals are being held in Garmisch, where both downhills took place on Thrusday and saw Michaela Wenig and Kitzbuehel winner Thomas Dressen emerged victorious.

The super-gs that had to be cancelled earlier in the week were rescheduled today, together with the alpine combined. Michaela Wenig was the fastest in the super-g and grabbed a 5th national title. On the men’s side, the winner of this season’s super-g in Val Gardena, Josef Ferstel, also claimed the German national title in that discipline.

The Germans are moving to Sudelfeld for the tech part of their National Championships. The men’s slalom was held on Saturday.

In the USA (Sun Valley), the alpine combineds took place on Wednesday. A.J. Hurt – 17 years old, from the Squaw Valley ski team – won the race on the ladies side.  The all-round talent was able to beat several Nor-Am-Cup winners in the process. At the men’s race, World Cup skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle posted the fastest time in the super-g portion and was able to hold on to his lead in the slalom. It’s the second National title for the 10th of the Kranjska Gora giant slalom, after his win in the super-g last season.

On Saturday, both super-gs took place in Sun Valley. Nina O’Brien, the runner-up of the Nor-Am ranking 2017 and 2018, was the fastest on the ladies side. The more intense focus on the speed disciplines was worth it for Ryan Cochran-Siegle who won the men’s super-g as he did last season.

The Italians have started their Nationals in Santa Caterina Valfurva, where the competitions started with the downhills and the alpine combineds today. Johanna Schnarf became double Italian champion, winning both races ahead of Olympic Champion and globe winner Sofia Goggia. Another Italian athlete has a good momentum at the end of this season, it’s Christof Innerhofer. After his podium in the last World Cup race of the season in Are, he also claimed both the downhill and AC race of his national championships.

On Friday, both super-g could be held in Santa Caterina, and young Nicol Delago was able to grab the win in the ladies’ race ahead of two World Cup athletes Johanna Schnarf and Sofia Goggia. Like in 2014 on the same slope, the men’s race went to Matteo Marsaglia, winner of the Beaver Creek super-g in 2012. It’s his 6th national title in career.

The week-end in Santa Caterina is dedicated to the tech disciplines. Both giant slaloms took place on Saturday, with Federica Brignone and Giulio Giovanni Bosca taking the national titles.

The Canadian Championships just kicked off in Red Mountain, with the ladies’ slalom, won by World Cup skier Erin Mielzynski.

In Sweden, Taernaby is hosting the tech part of the National Championships. Both giant slaloms were held on Saturday, with Magdalena Fjaellstroem and Mattias Roenngren walking away with the first titles.

This page will be updated on a daily basis with the results of the National Championships of the main World Cup nations. Check it out to stay updated.