Online Press Review

The main topic in the international press on Wednesday were the adverse weather conditions and the excellent job the organizers did to get through the training.

Der Standard from Austria, for example, talks about the “Gardena Training Marathon. Now also in Val Gardena: Nature is a bitch.” And even www.raceskimagazine.it underlines: “The fog is definitely the winner.”

The Austrian Press Agency APA believes, “the Saslong course in Val Gardena presented itself from its gentle side on Wednesday in the first downhill training.” Fantaski from Italy confirmed this and pointed out the anticipated start time: “The scheduled fog had convinced the organizers to bring the start time forward to 10.45.” Associated Press explained the situation on the Saslong in a number of US media: “The season’s first significant snowfall on Tuesday and Wednesday softened the course and the session was interrupted several times due to heavy fog.”

From a sports point of view the Austrian media were very happy with the results of their own athletes. The Kurier: “Talent show in Val Gardena: Joachim Puchner and Romed Baumann are Austria’s downhill beacons of hope.” Rather matter-of-fact, however, the SI Agency in numerous media, among which also the TagesAnzeiger: “The first training run on the Saslong didn’t really yield any clues.”

The Krone from Austria referred to a road accident on the way to Val Gardena in which the Swedish racer remained uninjured: “World Cup doyen Patrik Järbyn still throws himself down steep pistes at the ripe skiing age of 42. He will do this on the course in Val Gardena, but on the drive up on Monday evening when he went off the very curvy road in his Allroad Audi, he threw himself 50 metres down a steep bank into the woods.”