After competing in World Cup races, Kenta Uraki returned to the snow in 2018 as head coach of the All Japan Alpine Team. The following year he moved to Innsbruck, Austria, and is now the exclusive distributor of Kessle Ski in Japan. From a global perspective from overseas, he will be bringing you the latest information and interesting topics on European snow culture, gear, and technology
’24/25The Alpine Skiing World Cup kicks off in Sölden, Austria!
The FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, organized by the FIS (International Ski Federation), will kick off at the end of October once again this year.
The Alpine World Cup, which has been held annually since 1967, runs for about five months from the end of October to the end of March, with around 40 races per year for both men and women across four disciplines (DH/Downhill, SG/Super G/GS/Giant Slalom, SL/Slalom). World Cup points are awarded to skiers who finish in the top 30 in each race, and the overall and discipline victories are determined by the total points earned.
This season's Alpine Skiing World Cup will also kick off in Sölden, Austria at the end of October, with the women's GS taking place on Saturday, October 26th and the men's GS on Sunday, October 27th.
The opening race of the World Cup in Sölden began in 1993. I also participated in the second opening race in Sölden in 1996, but at the time the opening race was held in a different location each year, with the main venues being Tignes, France and Park City, USA.
Since 2000, the opening race has been held in Sölden every year, and Sölden has been chosen as the opening race venue for 25 consecutive years. (The reason why the opening race is held in Sölden, Austria at the end of October was explained in a previous article
Speaking of the opening round, one of the highlights will be seeing what kind of skis and racing suits each team will be using, using new materials.
The 2024-2025 Alpine World Cup is also full of topics unlike previous years, such as the return of a legend and changes to FIS rules. We've put together some advance information on the opening round, focusing on the Men's World Cup and Japanese athletes.
Hirscher's return to the World Cup has prompted FIS
First, let's take a look at Marcel Hirscher, who has decided to return to the World Cup after a six-season absence.
He achieved an unprecedented eight consecutive victories in the overall World Cup by the 2018/19 season, and announced his retirement in September 2019, just before the start of the following season. Since then, he has launched his own ski brand, "Van Deer RedBull Sports," and focused on developing the brand.
This season, he will return to the World Cup, along with his own ski brand, having changed his citizenship from Austria to the Netherlands, his mother's country of birth.
With Hirscher's return, the FIS moved to revise the rules, likely hoping to raise awareness of alpine skiing and the World Cup.
The new rule is the "wild card." This system is available to legendary skiers who have previously won five or more World Cup races, or have won an overall title, or an Olympic or World Championship gold medal, and who have been retired for more than two years but less than ten years.
Specifically, even if they are not ranked, they are guaranteed a spot in the World Cup and a guaranteed starting position of 31, just behind the seeded skiers.
FIS President Eliasch was also in favor of this system, and over the summer the possibility of wild card entry from this season gradually became more realistic.
Perhaps as a result, Hirscher, who was scheduled to compete in FIS-sanctioned races to qualify for the World Cup during his trip to New Zealand in August, only trained there and returned home without competing in any competitions.
However, the wild card system was criticized by some countries and riders for its lack of fairness to riders and the loss of opportunities for young riders.
Ultimately, it was decided that riders would not be given the right to compete throughout the season, but would only be able to apply for and use the right if accepted for each race. In any case, however, a wild card was accepted for the opening race in Sölden.
However, Hirscher himself is having problems with his material settings, so it seems that the decision on whether to compete in Sölden will be made just before the race.
▼The message he sent on Instagram about his return
Hi
, it's Marcel. I felt I had to say something too.
A lot has been reported in the media, but yes, I'm back in ski racing and I'm very happy to be able to do it.
Why am I doing it again?
For me, it's pretty clear: the joy of skiing is what drives me.
After five years away from the racing scene, I'm back in a place I've always loved and just enjoying myself.
I'm very happy to be able to do it again and I'm really looking forward to what's to come.
Also, the discussions with the Austrian Ski Association and the Dutch people were very good. We all think that it's a good idea for the Dutch Ski Association to make this project a reality and that it won't be difficult at all. And what's very important to me is not to take away valuable resources from young Austrian skiers. I want to protect their dreams and their position for glory. The future belongs to young people. At 35 years old, this decision is very clear to me, and I believe it's necessary for the development of young skiers and the future of Austrian ski sport.
I also believe that I can do a lot for the Dutch Ski Association. I'm grateful that my dual citizenship makes this project possible. So, I'm really looking forward to what's to come, and especially since I started VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports two years ago, I've seen Henrik Kristoffersen become a super winner in the W-CUP , and Timm Hermann Haug had a great season last year , so I'm really happy to be able to participate in FIS races with them again. And maybe I'll take advantage of this great opportunity to train with Lucas Braathen. I think it 's a really cool and wonderful opportunity to pursue my passion and bring out the best in myself.
I've competed in 247 races so far, and I'm going to continue to do it quietly and passionately for my country and for my passion. I'm looking forward to beautiful shared moments with all of you who support me. So, have a great summer. See you until winter! Ciao!
Marcel Hirscher
Movements surrounding the return
Hirscher is not the only one considering a comeback.
Lucas Braaten won his first World Cup title in Sölden in 2020 and went on to win the slalom title in the 2022/23 season. He announced his retirement just before the start of the 2023/24 season, but this season he has decided to return to the World Cup, changing his nationality from Norway to Brazil, his mother's country.
It was reported that the reason for his retirement was a dispute with the federation over his image rights, and it seems likely that Braaten himself was considering a comeback when he retired.
It is unclear whether this is the reason, but FIS has revised its marketing rules, allowing each athlete to have two head sponsors on their helmets instead of one, starting this season
The rule change is advantageous to athletes, but what about countries like Norway, which do not make head sponsorship an individual right but rather unify it across the entire team?
Given the Braaten incident, the Norwegian Ski Federation will have to be careful in its response.
Braaten, who will compete from Brazil, will have more freedom in using his image rights and choosing sponsors, and will return to Sölden with Red Bull as his head sponsor. In
contrast to Hirscher, who was away from the World Cup for five seasons, Braaten has only been away for one season, so he will arrive at Sölden in top physical and mental condition.
Furthermore, with the introduction of the new FIS "wild card" rule, there have been rumors in Europe that female skiers may be returning to the sport. Lindsey Vonn (USA), 40, who has 82 World Cup victories, has had an artificial knee and is currently training for a comeback. Furthermore, Anna Weiss (Austria), who retired in 2020 after two overall victories, recently signed with Kesleski, sparking rumors that she may be working toward a comeback. While the truth is unclear, the fact that rumors are spreading is a testament to the attention being paid to the Alpine Ski World Cup in Europe
The Japanese team will feature the promising Seigo Kato! Who are the other players?
Now, we are interested in the progress of the Japanese team. In particular, the men's team has secured four spots in the GS World Cup, including the national quota, in the first half of this season.
Kato Seigo (Nozawa Onsen SC) earned the right to compete by finishing within the top 60 in the GS World Cup points, and the Japanese who will compete in the national quota is Wakatsuki Shunta (Hotel Rosso Ski Club), who is currently at the top of the GS FIS points rankings, as well as Sato Shintaro (Oki Tamaki) and Katayama Ryoma (Tokai University), who earned the right to compete in the Far East Cup.
While the latter two are yet to compete in the World Cup, a total of four skiers are scheduled to compete in the opening round in Sölden.
On the women's team, Miki Ishibashi (Gas One Ski Team), winner of the GS individual event at the Far East Cup, will be competing in her second World Cup since January 2022.
Many Japanese athletes have been successful in the SL events, with Tetsuya Okabe and Akira Sasaki achieving second place as their best results. However, when it comes to GS events, the gap with the world is still large, with the best result for men being 20th place, achieved by Seigo Kato in Schladming, Austria last year.
This is the first result since Akira Sasaki placed 24th in 2004.
However, there are some bright spots. For ace skier Kato, the Sölden course is a particularly big opportunity.
In 2020, he placed 35th, just 0.18 points behind 30th place, and in 2021, he placed 33rd, just 0.09 points behind, just missing out on the second run. While he hasn't competed in the past two seasons due to injury and race cancellations, this is a course he's relatively good at. While he's
handicapped by slow starts due to poor FIS points, which determine the starting order for seeded skiers (those within the top 30 in World Cup points) and beyond, he's confident this season after finishing 20th last year, his best ever finish for a Japanese skier in the men's GS World Cup.
We hope he can maintain his performance from the opening race and continue to perform well throughout the season.
And then there's Shunta Wakatsuki, who is based in Italy with the private team WRA (World Racing Academy) and has steadily improved his skills in European races.
After recovering from a torn ligament, he quickly rose up the world rankings in the second half of last season. In order to overcome the handicap of being small, he seems to have been able to take on new physical training in the summer. Wakatsuki
has grown through more hardship than anyone else, and we're looking forward to seeing him in action, both physically and mentally.
▼ Hayata Wakatsuki's Instagram @hayata_wakatsuki_waky
Then there are Sato Shintaro and Katayama Ryoma, who qualified through the Far East Cup.
This will be their first time competing in the World Cup in Sölden, but as the two have yet to achieve any notable results in Europe, this will be a huge hurdle to overcome.
Ishibashi, who competes in the women's World Cup, will also be competing for the second time, but last time she went off the course in her first run, so she still has little experience racing in Europe.
However, for these three, qualifying to compete in the World Cup individually is a huge advantage. By skating against top racers on the world's best courses, they will be able to clearly see the difference in technique and physique, and hope to use this to improve their own level.
Who will take the overall title? And what are the chances of the Japanese team?
In the men's category, Marco Odamatt (Switzerland) has been outstanding.
In last year's GS, he went off the course in the second run of the final race, but up until that point he had shown overwhelming strength, winning 12 straight races since the previous season. Odamatt is undoubtedly the top contender to win in Sölden.
Furthermore, of the 15 races in the speed-based DH and SG events, he has made the podium in 11, including four wins, and Odamatt has won all three individual events except for SL. Who on earth can stop Odamatt from winning the overall championship?
His rival, Marco Schwarz (Austria), tore a ligament in his right knee last December and had been preparing to return this season.
However, as soon as he returned to the snow, his back pain worsened and he underwent hernia surgery in late August. It will likely be some time before he returns to racing, and it's doubtful he will even make it this season.
Another rider who could challenge Odamatt is Alexander Amodt Kilde (Norway), a former overall winner. However, he too is continuing his rehabilitation following a major crash in the Wengen DH last season, but his return is currently uncertain due to a shoulder infection.
The women's competition is likely to be a battle between last year's overall winner, Lara Gut-Behrami (Switzerland), and Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), who won the overall title two years ago, but Gut is 33 years old and Shiffrin will turn 30 in the second half of the season.
There are also an increasing number of young athletes who are gaining strength, and it will be exciting to see the performances of Alice Robinson (New Zealand), Zrinka Lutić (Croatia), AJ Hart (USA), and Lara Colturi (Albania), who are in their teens and early twenties.
As I mentioned earlier about the opening Grand Slam race for the Japanese team, the SL team also has four men's and three women's slots available for the World Cup early in the season. The opening race for both the men's and women's SL races is in Levi, Finland, but the men's race will likely use all four slots, as they have the European Cup the week after the World Cup at the same venue.
High expectations are expected from Seigo Kato, who thrilled the crowds last year in Wengen by finishing 23rd in the first run from bib number 51, and Yohei Koyama (Benefit One Ski Club), who placed 8th in the World Cup in Madonna di Campiglio in December 2021.
Since then, Koyama has struggled to achieve any meaningful results in the World Cup, but he is undoubtedly the top Japanese skier in this event.
Koyama excels on steep, difficult courses, so we hope you'll look forward to his World Cup performance.
▼Yohei Koyama's Instagram @y0heik0yama
And in the women's SL, Maeda Chisaki (Murase Co., Ltd.), who has the right to compete individually, and young promising player Watanabe Airi (Tokai University) are preparing to compete in the opening match of the Levi. According to
information from head coach Yasujiki, Ando Asa (Nissin Medical Foods), who is returning from injury, is training hard and is adjusting to be in top condition for the season, so the timing of her return is a matter of concern.
In Japan, the sports channel J SPORTS will broadcast and stream all of the men's SL and GS races, as well as the notable DH and SG races, and a digest of the women's SL. The men's opening race in Sölden will be broadcast live from 5:45 PM Japan time on Sunday, October 27th. Don't miss this opportunity to watch the Alpine Ski World Cup, which is hugely popular in Europe
Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup 2024/25
- Men's Giant Slalom (GS) -
Sölden / Austria
Broadcast date: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Broadcast time: 5:45 PM - 11:00 PM
https://www.jsports.co.jp/ski/alpine/
