Top Speed of 117 km/h at first trials - Statements
Kristian Ghedina & Co. did four training runs on a shortened Saslong track today. Chief Coach Alberto Ghidoni had set a total of 22 gates and training run times averaged 1 min. 10 sec.
Top speeds of 117 km/h were reached and the start was at the Sochers intermediate station. Ghidoni said that finally the team were enabled to run on a regular downhill course after the Argentina Summer camp. The Camel Humps were jumped already during the first run, four intermediate times had been set. Participating teams were the A, the B, and the C, plus some athletes from military sports groups. There will be another training series on Monday prior to the team’s departure for Val d’Isère where the Super-G is scheduled for Friday.
Statements:
Kristian Ghedina: “I’m OK now that I’m here. Practically I consider the Saslong my “home run”. I was slightly uncoordinated during the first run but then improved continuosly. I’m slowly getting “race hungry”. The motivation is improving since Summer when I worked less than usually. I’m not a 100% fit yet with my ankle but I hardly can wait for the first race.”
Alessandro Fattori: “I really needed this training – it’s beautiful, fast and one gets used again to jumping. We haven’t had any real training for over a month. I’m feeling fine and perfectly in shape.”
Roland Fischnaller: “The Saslong is in a super condition which I wouldn’t have expected after the yesterday’s rain. The snow is a little wet, though, so you can’t do the same line you normally do during the race.”
Kurt Sulzenbacher: “Finally we are on a real downhill course. I’m improving and getting the feeling for speed again.”
Luca Cattaneo: “Fortunately we have been able to do these training runs here otherwise we would have come to the first Downhill race without any preparation at all. It’s good to be here and I would say that it is even better to start at Sochers so we get used to speed gradually. It’s a real luxury to train here if we consider that there are no other downhill courses prepared in Europe.
The A-team: Kristian Ghedina, Alessandro Fattori, Luca Cattaneo, Erik Seletto, Roland Fischnaller, Kurt Sulzenbacher, Patrick Staudacher, Matteo Berbenni (absent Matteo Nana).
