2024-01-03 23:10:00
There is something to celebrate once more – and not just the fact that the “Night Race” in Schladming will be a double for the second time this season. The World Cup in Schladming also celebrated a milestone birthday in December 2023: On December 22, 1973, a World Cup winner was crowned for the first time on the Planai. It’s fitting that it was the greatest downhill skier of all time: Franz Bracket won for the first time, and 24 more victories in the downhill race were to follow. Reason enough to celebrate this anniversary at the already traditional opening gala of the “Night Race” on the Monday before the two night races. One thing is already certain: many legends will be there that evening and will also be among the spectators at the giant slalom on Tuesday and the traditional slalom on Wednesday.
Very important in advance: Despite the news, which was greeted with concern in some places, that tickets for the slope are limited: There are still tickets available: “In all categories,” as the new OC boss Andreas Schwab announced on Wednesday, “at least there are There is enough capacity.” In addition, thousands of people will definitely want to and will follow the race live on the traditional fan mile in town. Otherwise everything is going according to plan in Schladming: “The weather is in our favor,” said Schwab, thinking regarding the impending cold snap. But: “We might have held the race at any time, the conditions are that good.” The official snow inspection by the FIS will take place on January 14th, the official negotiations have all been completed, only some ascents are still pending. Advance ticket sales are ongoing, and Schwab is expecting the next surge of inquiries from Monday – despite Marco Schwarz’s bitter end to the season following his crash in Bormio.
50th anniversary celebration for the old legends
The second “Night Race”, the only night giant slalom for men in the calendar, is now finally joined by the other highlight of the “Bründl Sports Night”. Because it will be all regarding the “historical reappraisal” of the World Cup in Schladming – and also the two World Championships in 1982 and 2013. Ex-OK boss Hans Grogl, who is in charge of this evening, invited numerous former stars to Schladming. And fortunately, many people have also said yes: Franz Klemm, the premiere winner, will of course be there and celebrate another “round” a few weeks following his seventy in Bad Kleinkirchheim. With him, Bernhard Russi and Roland Collmbin are back in Schladming, who completed the podium back then. But the Italians Anzi Besson and Marcello Varallo will also be there – they were part of the team that achieved notoriety on the first descent. On the extremely icy and fast slope, the Italians were all eliminated in the same place and crashed into the straw bales.
The happiness of Sepp Ferstl 1979
Sepp Ferstl will also come to Schladming – he has a special experience in common with Schladming: The Bavarian, father of the current World Cup driver Josef Ferstl, only survived on December 22, 1979 thanks to a quick reaction: Just before he raced through the finish, this was it fell over in adverse conditions. Only because he immediately let himself fall backwards and passed the target in a squat position, so to speak, did he not get strangled by the target tape.
Who else has announced: The Olympic champions Hubert Strolz and Leo Stock, Ken Read, Bojan Križaj (who won bronze in the slalom in 1982), Manfred Mölgg, Jure Košir, as well as the former night race winners Reinfried Herbst, Manfred Pranger and Benjamin Raich. Schladming is also still hoping for Felix Neureuther to take part. Logically at the start: the two brothers Hans and Bernie Knauß, Mike Tritscher and the athlete of the century Annemarie Moser, who is also the godmother of this year’s Nightrace wine from the Thaller winery. Some of the stars will be there on Monday followingnoon when the charity race raises funds for the Styrian Ski Association.
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