Goggia continues with giant slalom in Ushuaia, then it will be Chile. From Rast to Scheib and Aicher, what the big names are doing

We are still in the midst of the month-long-plus crucial preparation period for almost all the World Cup big names training overseas, with of course a few exceptions for physical reasons, from Federica Brignone to Marco Odermatt.

On the slopes of Cerro Castor, at Ushuaia’s “End of the World”, the Italian team has its base, and Sofia Goggia is working hard on giant slalom, since the Bergamo star will then move to Chile to train in La Parva with her speed-event teammates. Laura Pirovano has the same objective: after the end of last season, she is aiming to be there already in Soelden, giving continuity to her main discipline.

The seven World Cup team giant slalom specialists will spend another two weeks in Argentina, while Martina Peterlini is ready to return to the snow in Europe. Rossetti & Co. took a rest day yesterday after the first ten days of good work.

The ten specialists in the technical events within the Italian men’s national team are in the final phase of this long training block (although Franzoni will be heading to Chile in the next few hours), with Vinatzer, De Aliprandini and company returning to Italy on Thursday, September 10. Rast, Vlhova and Grenier are among those continuing in Ushuaia, while the El Colorado and La Parva ski areas have already welcomed the Austrian women’s team for several days, in addition to the arrival of the Italian World Cup speed team. The Austrians are led by Julia Scheib, who is also training extensively in super-G, alongside the French downhill racers already competing in South American Cup events (Bailet and Fresquet finished second and third yesterday in the super-G behind the usual Brandis), the Norwegians with Kilde, and Germany’s Emma Aicher and Kira Weidle-Winkelmann.

At Coronet Peak, on the other side of the globe, today’s Australian New Zealand Cup slaloms were cancelled as well. After the opening round at Mount Hutt, everyone is waiting to return to the course, with the two slalom races between the tight poles postponed until tomorrow, after which the scheduled four giant slaloms (two women’s and two men’s) will hopefully be held on Monday, September 7 and Tuesday, September 8.

Many big names continue their training on the New Zealand slopes. Based in Cardrona after Lake Tekapo and Treble Cone, Matteo Joris’s Swiss slalom specialists are there; at Ohau, giant slalom is on the menu for Atle Lie McGrath, Timon Haugan and the entire Norwegian men’s technical-events team (apart from Kristoffersen, who is at El Colorado), with coach Simone Del Dio, as well as for Paula Moltzan & Co. of Team USA.

Lara Colturi, now overseas for more than three weeks, is devoting a great deal of time to slalom. Among her fellow training partners is Belgian Armand Marchant, who in 2026/27 will likewise try—like the Valsusa native representing Albania—to give Belgium its first World Cup victory, after the 28-year-old from Wallonia came close at Gurgl last November.