Alpine Skiingmen's world cup
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The wonderful third place of the Piedmontese in the descent on the Saslong is truly full of meanings, a year after the death of his father Alessandro and with that podium chased for a decade finally becoming a reality. Paris, still out of forty, in very serious difficulty, while Innerhofer admits that he "already understood in reconnaissance that today it would be tough".
Saturday 17 December 2022 5 minutes reading time
A very long wait, ten placements from fourth to tenth, that podium already narrowly missed in super-g at Beaver Creek, 7 years ago, with so many wasted opportunities, several injuries and that enormous talent that seemed wasted, or rather never materialized until background because no one has ever had any doubts about Mattia Casse's determination and desire to work and get back into the game.
Today that day has arrived, the first top 3 in a World Cup race which, combined with the victory of Sofia Goggia in downhill number 2 in Sankt Moritz, is worth the podium number 1000 for the blue alpine ski national teams in the 57 editions of the maximum circuit. Divided as follows: 308 victories, 348 second places, 344 thirds, with 613 podiums collected by the men's sector and 387 by the girls, who certainly have collected much more in recent years than their male colleagues.
Italjet in crisis? Yes, needless to deny that even today's performance, without any other blue in the points, summed up all the difficulties of the moment, but Casse's great race on the real Saslong, the complete one in Val Gardena which today also celebrated 100 appointments in the CdM on these snows, hides his thoughts at least for a day, in particular of a Dominik Paris in a black crisis, 40th and 42nd in the two Val Gardena challenges and in fact out of all games for the specialty World Cup.
But what a day for Mattia, third at 42 cents from Kilde, and those who, after the amazing test carried out on Tuesday (the only one staged before the races) right from the "tractor", mocked those who exalted the possibilities of an athlete who, on this track, already made sparks last year with a 7th place which arrived four days before the death of his father Alessandro, which took place on 22 December 2021.
“I never gave up and I thank everyone, because I was also given the opportunity not to give up. However, I have to tell you that I dedicate this podium to my mum and dad: I wanted to do it for them - the great blue protagonist declared, moved, after the match - Now we continue training with our heads down, there are many good races and the season it's still long. In my head I intended not to overdo the lake bend, because I knew it would be a... mess to rejoin like I did in the first race.
I lifted my foot a little and the rest came naturally to me, the skis were really good and with the material change I got used to it great. A nice awareness of this podium, I've made many changes this year after quite some time. I was coming from an injury at the beginning of the season, I'm finding more and more confidence."
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Downhill Male Val Gardena / Groeden (ITA)
KILDE Aleksander Aamodt
CLAREY Johan
CASSE Mattia
Video
Mattia Casse d'orgoglio, primo podio in carriera sulla Saslong! Rivivi la discesa
Eurosport, Saturday 17 December 2022
men's world cup
Kilde feels at home in Gardena: "Winning here is always special." Clarey, at nearly 42, is magical
Saturday 17 December 2022
men's world cup
Saturday 17 December 2022
men's world cup
Legendary Kilde in the 100th in Val Gardena: five points on the Saslong, Casse on the first podium!
Saturday 17 December 2022
men's world cup
Saslong polished for its hundredth race in CdM: at 11.45 the "real" descent in Val Gardena
Saturday 17 December 2022
men's world cup
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