Dopfer and Khoroshilov dream of returning to the top: this is where they are training ...

Two veterans of the slalom fighting: the German on skis in Kuhtai, the Russian in "his" Reiteralm to continue the work for the new season

Saturday 20 April 2019 5 minutes reading time

Fritz Dopfer and Alexander Khoroshilov have no intention of giving up. Back from difficult years, the 32-year-old German and the 35-year-old Russian dream of returning to the top of the slalom, with the season just ended which gave them some positive signals. Two stories that can be united, also because these days are taking advantage of exceptional conditions on the slopes of Austria home to continue training: Dopfer is at work in Kuhtai, Khoroshilov in "his" Reiteralm, base of training of Hirscher and Kristoffersen in particular, but which has hosted the winner of the 2015 Schladming slalom for years now. Let's start with the good Fritz: 32 years to accomplish next August 24th, he is back from three terrible years, after that injury to tibia and fibula (fracture with subsequent complications) of November 2016, arrived after having obtained 9 podiums in the World Cup between slalom and giant, and that splendid silver medal among the rapid gates in the world championship race of Beaver Creek 2015. The 2016/17 vintage has completely collapsed and the Olympic one was run precariously, Dopfer has begun to see the light again at the beginning of this competitive season, with a 24th and a 22nd place in the first two giants of Beaver Creek and Val d''Isere. In fact, it will be the only points results before the good final weekend of Kranjska Gora (not having qualified for the Soldeu finals in his specialties), where he took a 25th place in giant and a 27th in slalom. Clear, let's just talk about small signals, so that the situation at the WCSL level and therefore starting numbers has become very complicated, with the 35th place among the wide doors and the 56th (the only 4 points collected in Slovenia) in slalom, where FIS points will be needed around the world to avoid starting from Levi, next November, with almost impossible numbers. After the World Cup vintage, the Innsbruck native flew overseas to win a 1st and a 2nd place in the Nor-Am slalom of Burke Mountain, to then win the slalom of the customs championships (in front of people like Noel, Vinatzer, Neureuther at the last performance and Pinturault) at the end of March. Chapter Khoroshilov: the Russian slalomist came back this year among the 30 specialties with good growth in the second part of the year, which saw him take five points in the World Cup (always around the top 15, in addition to the world placement of Are with a 15th place), just touch the access to the Soldeu finals and also get three podiums in the European Cup. In 25th place in the slalom WCSL, the prospect for the 2019/20 vintage could be to re-enter between 15 and, who knows, maybe play the positions close to the podium again.

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