Welcome to our round-up of the thrilling world of winter sports, where the excitement of the FIS events and other global competitions has kept fans on the edge of their seats. From the snow-covered slopes to the icy tracks, here’s your dose of high-speed action, skilful manoeuvres and thrilling performances from around the world. Here’s all you need to know:
FIS ALPINE WORLD CUP
January 8 – Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
– Loïc Meillard earned second place at the men’s Madonna di Campiglio slalom in Italy on Wednesday behind first-time winner Albert Popov. The Swiss skier was second after the first run, but the Bulgarian’s second-run charge saw him win by 0.44s with Croatian Samuel Kolega third.
– Meillard, 28, said: “Definitely not the easiest race, it’s always a challenge here in Madonna. Some mistakes happened, but another podium. When you have a few good results, you can push a bit more.”
January 11 – Adelboden, Switzerland
– In-form Frenchman Clément Noël secured his third slalom win of the 2024/25 FIS World Cup season on Saturday by edging out Brazilian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen by 0.02s and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen by 0.14s in a thriller down a foggy course at the famous, steep Chuenisbärgli piste.
– Noël, 27, who has been battling an ankle injury, said: “Adelboden has always been a bit of a struggle for me. I did my first podium here in 2019, but since then it was really difficult for me. Now I think I can comfortably say that I really love Adelboden. It was really an incredible victory.”
– After banking the fastest second run of the top contenders to record his first slalom podium on his return to the sport, Pinheiro Braathen, 24, said: “I live for those moments that I just got to experience. Standing in front of tens of thousands of beautiful fans here. I’m just beyond grateful.”
– New overall slalom leader Kristoffersen, 30, added: “When we are third, it’s a really good day.”
January 12 – Adelboden, Switzerland
– Swiss star Marco Odermatt had to come from behind to defeat compatriot Meillard in Sunday’s giant slalom on home snow with the reigning three-time GS champion 0.34s behind after the first run with Kristoffersen sandwiched in between just 0.27s back from Meillard.
– Odermatt, though, produced a trademark charge to record the second best second run for victory by 0.20s over Meillard with Italian Luca de Aliprandini third after Kristoffersen failed to finish. Odermatt, who claimed his fourth consecutive Giant Slalom win on the Adelboden course, said: “Every year it’s incredible to win here. The crowd, the fans, they are so loud. The second run was perfect, a little bit more speed. You could let the skis go and this is what I like. I took more risks.”
January 11 – St. Anton, Austria
– Lindsey Vonn, 40, rolled back the years with a brilliant sixth in her first FIS World Cup downhill race for almost six years behind Italian Federica Brignone – who earned her first downhill win aged 34 – Swiss Malorie Blanc, who grabbed second on her debut, and Czech Ester Ledecká.
– American Vonn, who has an incredible 43 World Cup career downhill wins, said: “I know I feel good sometimes in training, but I have been really slow sometimes and really fast in others. It was fun. I love being back in the start. I feel a little bit more confident and comfortable in downhill than I do in Super G, and I know this hill really well.”
– Vonn added: “I still made a couple of mistakes. I know I could be faster but, for the first downhill race in six years, it was a pretty good start.”
– Snowboarder and 2018 Olympic Super-G champion Ledecká, 29, said: “My snowboarding really paid off today because mostly I was outside everyone else’s line. It’s good to have some snowboarding skills.”
January 12 – St. Anton, Austria
– Vonn followed up on Sunday with fourth place down the Super-G course behind fellow American Lauren Macuga, who cruised to her first FIS World Cup win from Austrian Stephanie Venier by 0.68s and Brignone – who completed a memorable weekend with third place.
– Vonn, who finished 1.24s off the pace, said: “It was a really good step forwards. I was a little bit more active today, but the conditions were not easy. I made some pretty big mistakes, so to be fourth is something I am really proud of. I am also really proud of my teammate Lauren.”
– With the next speed stop coming at Vonn’s home-from-home Cortina d’Ampezzo on January 18-19, she added: “It’s perfect timing coming into Cortina. My equipment is getting better every day, my confidence is there. Now I just have to get that last 10-15% that I know I can get to.”
FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
January 10 – Kreischberg, Austria
– Austrian freeskier Matěj Švancer ran winner Luca Harrington of New Zealand close in the men’s freeski big air on Friday, his second run of 90.50 and third run of 88.25 down the Kreischberg slope seeing him finish in second place ahead of Norwegian Leo Landroe by just 0.25.
The flying Kiwi Luca Harrington
FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
January 11 – Kreischberg, Austria
– Austrian Anna Gasser reminded the winter sports world that she still has something left in her locker after she earned a brilliant 93 points for her first big air run on home snow featuring a cab triple 1260 drunk driver – the first time she has landed a triple cork rotation in competition.
– Gasser, who won ahead of Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi and British sensation Mia Brookes, now has a record 10th World Cup big air win alongside two world titles plus Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 gold medals .
– The 33-year-old, who also became the oldest winner in FIS Snowboard World Cup history, said: “The level of the girls is just so great right now and to still be able to keep up with my younger competitors – it’s such a great time for me. I’m not going to go for it much longer, probably this World Cup was the last in big air for me on home soil.”
