He once competed in World Cup races, and in 2018 he returned to the snow as the head coach of the All Japan Alpine Team. The following year, he moved to Innsbruck, Austria, and now Kenta Uraki is developing Kesleski as the general agent in Japan. He will deliver the latest information and interesting topics such as European snow culture, gear and technology from a global perspective from overseas.
’24/25The Alpine Ski World Cup begins in Sölden, Austria!
This year's FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, sponsored by the FIS (International Ski Federation), will begin at the end of October.
The Alpine World Cup, which has been held every year since 1967, is held for about five months from the end of October to the end of March, and all four events (DH/Downhill/SG/Super G/GS/Giant Slalom/SL/Slalom) are held for both men and women. Approximately 40 races are held annually. World Cup points are awarded to those who finish in the top 30 in each race, and the total points earned will be used to determine the overall victory and the category victory.
This season's Alpine Ski World Cup will begin in Sölden, Austria at the end of October, with the women's GS on Saturday, October 26th and the men's GS on Sunday, October 27th.
The opening match of the World Cup in Soelden began in 1993. I also participated in the second Soelden opening race in 1996, but at that time, the opening race was held at a different location every year, with the main venues being Tignes in France and Park City in the United States.
Since 2000, the opening game has been held in Soelden every year, and Soelden has been chosen as the venue for the opening game for 25 consecutive years. (The reason why the opening race will be held in Soelden, Austria at the end of October the previous article )
Speaking of the opening race, it will be interesting to see what kind of skis and racing suits each team will use, using new materials.
In addition, the 24-25 Alpine World Cup is full of topics different from previous years, such as the return of legends and the revision of FIS rules. As advance information for the opening of the tournament, we have put together a summary of information about the Men's World Cup and Japanese players.
FIS moves to revise rules due to Hirscher's return to the World Cup
The first thing to note is the presence of Marcel Hirscher, who has decided to return to the World Cup after six seasons.
By the 2018/19 season, he had achieved an unprecedented eight consecutive World Cup titles, and announced his retirement in September 2019, just before the start of the next season. After that, he launched his own ski brand ``Van Deer RedBull Sports'' and focused on developing the brand.
This season, he will return to the World Cup with his own ski brand, transferring his citizenship from Austria to the Netherlands, where his mother is from.
Upon Hirscher's return, the FIS moved to revise the rules. They probably thought it could be used to raise the profile of alpine skiing and the World Cup.
The new rule is "Wild Card". This system can be used by legendary players who have won five or more World Cup wins, an overall championship, or a gold medal at the Olympics or World Championships in the past, and who have been retired for at least 2 years and within 10 years. be.
Specifically, even if he is not ranked, he is guaranteed a spot in the World Cup and will start at No. 31, right behind the seeded players.
FIS President Elias was also positive about establishing this system, so in the summer, the adoption of wild cards from this season gradually became a reality.
Perhaps because of this, Hirscher, who was scheduled to participate in a FIS-sanctioned race in order to qualify for the World Cup during a trip to New Zealand in August, limited himself to training and returned home without participating in the tournament.
However, this wild card was criticized by some countries and players, citing the fairness of the players and the loss of opportunities for young players.
In the end, it was decided that the right to participate throughout the season would not be given, but that the right could only be used if an application was made and accepted for each race, but in any case, a wild card for the opening round of Sölden Accepted.
However, Hirscher himself is having problems with the material settings, so it seems that he will make a decision just before the race whether or not he will participate in Sölden.
▼Return message sent by the person on Instagram
[Translation]
Hello, this is Marcel. I thought I had to say something too.
A lot of things have been reported in the media, but yeah, I'm going back to ski racing and I'm very happy to be able to do that.
Why do it again?
It's pretty clear to me, the joy of skiing guides me.
I've been away from the racing scene for the past five years, but I'm back to the place I've always loved and just having fun.
I'm really, really happy to be able to do that again, and I'm really looking forward to the future.
And the consultations with the Austrian Ski Association and the Dutch people were very good. We all think it would be good for the Dutch Ski Association to realize this project and it would not be difficult at all. And what is very important to me is not to take valuable resources away from Austria's young players. I want to cherish their dreams of glory and their positions. The future belongs to young people. At 35 years old, this decision is very clear to me and I believe it is necessary for the development of young players and the future of Austrian ski sport.
And I believe it can do a lot for the Dutch Ski Association. I'm also grateful that this project is possible thanks to my dual citizenship. So I'm really looking forward to the future, and especially since I started VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports two years ago, Henrik Kristoffersen *1 Also, I remember that Timm Hermann Haug had a great season last year , so I'm really happy to be able to participate in an FIS race with them again. advantage of this great opportunity to train with Lucas Braathen
. I think it's a really cool and great opportunity to pursue your passion and bring out the best in yourself. I have participated in 247 races so far, and I think I will continue to work quietly and passionately for my country and for my passion. I'm looking forward to sharing beautiful moments with everyone who supports me. Have a wonderful summer. See you until winter! Ciao!
Marcel Hirscher
Movements surrounding return
Hirscher isn't the only one making moves to return.
Lukas Braaten won his first World Cup in Sölden in 2020 and won the slalom title in the 2022/23 season. He announced his retirement just before the start of the following 2023/24 season, but from this season he has decided to change his nationality from Norway to Brazil, his mother's country of birth, and return to the World Cup.
In the first place, it was reported that the reason for his retirement was a conflict with the federation over his own portrait rights, and Braaten himself may have retired with a return in mind.
It is unclear whether this has had an impact, but the FIS has amended its marketing rules, increasing the number of head sponsors each athlete can have on their helmet from one to two starting this season.
The rules have been revised in favor of the players, but what should countries like Norway do that do not make the head sponsor the right of an individual, but instead standardize the title for the team as a whole?
Due to the Braaten incident, the Norwegian Ski Federation has no choice but to be cautious in its response.
Braaten, who will be competing from Brazil, will have more freedom in using his image rights and selecting sponsors, and it has been decided that he will return to Soelden with Red Bull as his head sponsor.
In contrast to Hirscher, who was five seasons removed from the World Cup, Braaten will arrive at Sölden in perfect physical and mental shape after just one season.
Furthermore, with the FIS's decision on the new "Wild Card" rule, there are reports in Europe of the return of female athletes, albeit at the level of rumors. 40-year-old Lindsey Vonn (USA), who won 82 World Cup matches, has begun training in preparation for her comeback after undergoing an artificial knee joint. In addition, Anna Weiss (Austria), who retired in 2020 after winning the overall championship twice, recently signed a contract with Kesleski, leading to rumors that she may be working towards a return. Although the truth is unclear, the fact that the story is spreading even at the rumor level is proof that the Alpine Ski World Cup in Europe is attracting attention.
The highly anticipated Seigo Kato appears on the Japanese team! Who are the other players?
Now, what I'm curious about is the trends of the Japanese team. In particular, in the first half of this season for the men's team, the GS has secured four spots, including the national spot, for the World Cup.
Seigo Kato (Nozawa Onsen SC) qualified to participate by ranking within the top 60 in World Cup points for each GS event, while Shunta Wakatsuki (Hotel Rosso Ski Club), a Japanese player who ranks top in the FIS point rankings for GS, will compete in the national slot. ), and Shintaro Sato (Okikan) and Ryoma Katayama (Tokai University), who earned the right to participate in the Far East Cup.
The latter two have yet to experience a World Cup, but a total of four players are scheduled to play in the opening game of Soelden.
On the women's team, Miki Ishibashi (Gaswan Ski Team), winner of the GS event at the Far East Cup, will be competing in her second World Cup since January 2022.
Many Japanese athletes have performed well in SL events, with Tetsuya Okabe and Akira Sasaki achieving second place as their best results. However, when it comes to GS events, there is still a large gap with the rest of the world, and for men, the best was 20th place, achieved by Seigo Kato at Schladming in Austria last year.
This is his best result since Akira Sasaki, who placed 24th in 2004.
But there are some bright spots. The Sölden course is a big opportunity, especially for ace Kato.
In 2020, he finished in 35th place with a 0.18 difference to 30th place, and in 2021 he finished in 33rd place with a 0.09 difference, just a few steps away from advancing to the second race. Although he has not participated in the past two seasons due to injury or race cancellation, he is relatively good at this course. You could say that.
Although he is handicapped by a slow start due to poor FIS points, which determine the starting order for seeded players (top 30 in World Cup points), he has gained confidence after finishing 20th in last year's Men's GS World Cup, the highest ever for a Japanese player. This season.
We hope that he will show results from the opening game and continue to play an active role throughout the season.
Then, Shunta Wakatsuki joined the private team WRA (World Racing Academy) based in Italy and steadily improved his skills in European races.
After recovering from a torn ligament injury, 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 challenges in physical training over the summer.
I'm looking forward to seeing Wakatsuki's success, as she has grown through more suffering than anyone else and has been fulfilling both physically and mentally.
▼Wakatsuki Hayata's Instagram @hayata_wakatsuki_waky
Also, Shintaro Sato and Ryoma Katayama, who earned the right to participate in the Far East Cup.
This will be Soelden's first appearance in the World Cup for them, but it will be a big hurdle for the two, who have yet to have any notable results in Europe.
This will be the second time for the women's Ishibashi to participate in the World Cup, but she went off the course on the first run last time, so she still has little experience racing in Europe.
However, for these three players, having the right to participate in the World Cup individually is a huge advantage. By skiing with top racers on the world's best courses, I hope you will be able to clearly see the differences in technique and physicality, and use this to improve your own level.
Who will get the overall title? And what is the potential of the Japanese team?
On the men's side, Marco Odamatt (Switzerland) is outstanding.
In the GS, last year's final race ended with him going off course in the second race, but up until then he had shown overwhelming strength with 12 consecutive wins from the previous season. There is no doubt that Odamatt is the top candidate to win Sölden.
Furthermore, out of the 15 races held in the speed events DH and SG, Odamat took the podium in 11 races, including four wins, and won the three events other than SL. Who can stop Odamat from winning the overall championship?
His opponent, Marco Schwarz (Austria), tore the ligaments in his right knee last December and was preparing for his return this season.
However, as soon as he returned to the snow, his lower back pain worsened and he had to undergo hernia surgery in late August. It seems like it will still take some time for him to return to racing, and it is doubtful that he will be able to return before this season.
If there is another person who can compete with Odamatt, it is Alexander Ormot Kilde (Norway) who has won the overall championship in the past. However, he is also continuing his rehabilitation from last season's big crash at Wengen DH, but his return is currently uncertain due to a shoulder infection.
The women's race is likely to be a battle between Lara Gut Behrami (Switzerland), who won the overall championship last year, and Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), who won the overall championship the year before last, but Gutt is 33 years old, and Shiffrin will also turn 30 in the second half of the season. Welcome.
The number of young players who are gaining skills is increasing, and we are looking forward to seeing the successes of Alice Robinson (New Zealand), Zrinka Ljutic (Croatia), AJ Hart (USA), and Lara Korturi (Albania), who are in their teens to early 20s. is.
Now, I mentioned earlier about the Japanese team's GS opening match, but even in SL, at the beginning of the season, teams have the right to participate in four spots for men and three spots for women in the World Cup. The opening match for the men's and women's SL races will be at Levi in Finland, but the men's competition will be held at the same venue as the European Cup the week after the World Cup, so they will likely use all four spots.
Expectations are high for Seigo Kato, who thrilled the crowd by finishing 23rd in the first run from the 51st bib at Wengen last year, and Koyama, who finished 8th at the Madonna di Campiglio World Cup in December 2021. Yohei (Benefit One Ski Club).
Since this result, Koyama has not been able to achieve any significant results at the World Cup and has been in a difficult situation, but there is no doubt that he is the top Japanese athlete in this event.
Please look forward to the World Cup in Oyama, which specializes in difficult courses with steep slopes.
▼Yohei Koyama’s Instagram @y0heik0yama
In the women's SL, Chisaki Maeda (Murase-gumi Co., Ltd.), who has the right to participate as an individual, and Airen Watanabe (Tokai University), a promising young team, are preparing to participate in the opening match of the Revival.
According to information from head coach Anjiki, Asa Ando (Nissin Medical Foods), who has returned from injury, has been training hard and making adjustments to ensure he can enter the season in perfect condition, so the timing of his return is set. I'm curious.
In Japan, J SPORTS, a sports channel, will be broadcasting/distributing all of the men's SL and GS matches, as well as the DH and SG tournaments, and the women's SL digest. The men's opening game in Soelden will be broadcast live on Sunday, October 27th at 17:45 Japan time. Don't miss this opportunity to see the Alpine Ski World Cup, which is very popular in Europe.
Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup 2024/25
- Men's Giant Slalom (GS) -
Soelden/Austria
Broadcast date: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Broadcast time: 5:45pm - 11:00pm
https://www .jsports.co.jp/ski/alpine/
