Alpine SkiingAlpine Skiing - Schladming
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Stage also on week for the men's Alpine Skiing World Cup. Slalom in Schladming night is for twenty years one of the most ticklish calendar appointments.
Monday 23 January 2017 6 minutes reading time
Municipality of Styria, Schladming is one of the most important locations of the alpine ski having hosted races for the Men's World Cup since 1973 and two editions of the World Championships (1982 and 2013). However, since 1997 it has definitively entered in the calendar thanks to a Slalom which takes place usually on the Tuesday following the Kitzbühel weekend and that is called "The Night Race" Race in the Night. Its success is well described by the 50,000 spectators each year crowding around the Planai to attend one of the most spectacular events of the season.
In all the 24 editions of the Slalom in Schladming, 22 of the World Cup, 19 of which are valid for the Night Race, and 2 which have awarded the World Championship gold. The king of the Planai is Benjamin Raich impostosi 4 times, among which stands out that of 7 January 1999. That was in fact the first victory in the Austrian World Cup, obtained after a comeback that led him to recover from the 23rd place occupied at the end of the first run.
Even Henrik Kristoffersen was baptized on the Planai: January 28, 2014 captured in this race his first success in the World Cup, then repeated in the edition of twelve months ago. First (and so far only) statement in his career in the Schladming slalom for Alexander Khoroshilov, ruler of January 27, 2015, while over in Kristoffersen, boast two triumphs Kalle Palander, Reinfried Herbst, Mario Matt and Alberto Tomba.
The Italian fans certainly remember the first two editions of the Night Race, disputatesi January 30, 1997 and January 8, 1998. It was the fact two of the last three career victories Emilian champion, that on both occasions did the cry ' Austria: in 1997 tamed the Planai only thanks to an error in the final to Thomas Stangassinger relegated to second place; in 1998 instead it was total victory, with Thomas Sykora, the place of honor, trailing by nearly a second.
As for podiums is Austrian rule: the leader is always Benjamin Raich, ended up seventh overall times in the top three, followed by Mario Matt 5 and 3 by a large group of slalom skiers who needs no introduction, as Manfred Pranger Hans-Petter Buraas, Andre Myhrer Kalle Palander up to Felix Neureuther and Marcel Hirscher.
The leader of the overall standings of the World Cup can also boast the world title won on this track 17 February 2013 in the only year since 1997 in which the Night Race was not played, because of its position as a world championship test. In front of a huge crowd and crushed by the pressure of a nation that had not won a gold in the event at home, Hirscher prevailed ahead of Felix Neureuther and Mario Matt for a royal podium like that of 1982, when gold ended at Ingemar Stenmark , silver and bronze to Bojan Križaj Bengt Fjällberg.
Finally, mention also for other Azzurri able to get top three in this race: Piero Gros was third December 21, 1975, Kurt Ladstätter third January 12, 1990, Manfred Mölgg second and third January 27, 2004 January 22, 2008, Stephen Gross according to January 24, 2012 and January 27, 2015.
Slalom in Schladming, twentieth edition of The Night Race, will be staged Tuesday, January 24th. First heat at the start at 17:45, the second prime time at 20:45.
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Slalom Male Schladming (AUT)
KRISTOFFERSEN Henrik
HIRSCHER Marcel
KHOROSHILOV Aleksandr
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