On Saturday, October 26, all eyes will turn to the majestic Rettenbach Glacier in Soelden for the opening event of the 2024-2025 Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, featuring the longest, steepest, and most challenging Giant Slalom slope on the Tour.
Excitement and speculation surrounding the start of the season increase as we approach the race. Who will come out on top? Will Lara Gut-Behrami prevail, winning her fourth and second straight Soelden season-opening giant slalom? Will Marco Odermatt continue his Soelden dominance? Will Mikaela Shiffrin —the winningest female in World Cup history—be back at the top of the podium?
Moreover, the potential comeback of Marcel Hirscher this season, along with Lucas Pinheiro Braathen's confirmed return to the venue where he secured his maiden World Cup win in 2020, enhances the excitement surrounding the event.
Soelden, first race, it’s always an interesting one to watch. The Alpine Ski World Cup opener at Soelden is, in many ways, a testing ground. Until the big show on Saturday and Sunday, it’s a mystery who has podium potential this season. Everyone is trying to get their feel and see where they stack up against their competitors.
Racers may think their set up and skiing is good and they are ready but they didn't know until they test it in a World Cup race, so it's still a little bit of a mystery. Skiers still don't feel prepared coming into Soelden.
On top of that, it’s an unrelenting, often brutal track in which athletes have to capitalize on the steeps and carry their speed onto the challenging flats on the bottom of the course in Soelden.
In 2016, coach Magnus Andersson reminded the USA skiers to "take advantage of the flats...I saw Ted Ligety win a lot of races here on the flats". Like, for instance, in 2012 when he won by an unthinkable 2.75 seconds over Marcel Hirscher, the biggest lead ever in Soelden.
Alpine Ski World Cup Season Opener Program:
Saturday, 26.10.2024
10:00 CET 1st run Women‘s Giant Slalom
13:00 CET 2nd run Women‘s Giant Slalom
Sunday, 27.10.2024
10:00 CET 1st run Men‘s Giant Slalom
13:00 CET 2nd run Men‘s Giant Slalom
In 1993 Soelden held the first World Cup Race.
The Men's 1994-1995 World Cup season kicked off in November 1994 in Park City, USA, and in December 1994 in Tignes, France.
After the premiere in 1993, it was decided that Soelden would alternate with Saas-Fee and Tignes as the venue for the Alpine Ski World Cup opening. Saas-Fee, who had organized a Slalom and a Giant Slalom in January 1988, decided to give up organizing another World Cup event. Tignes (1995, 1997, and 1999) and Soelden (1996, and 1998) alternated until Tignes' step down.
Since the 2000 - 2001 season, the Women's and Men's Ski World Cup has traditionally been held on the Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden.
Last season Soelden celebrated 30 years of the Alpine Ski World Cup Season Opener on the Rettenbach Glacier.
Soelden Winners:
2023 Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI)
Last season Lara Gut-Behrami won the Alpine Ski World Cup Opener in Soelden ahead of first-run leader Federica Brignone (+ 0.02) and Petra Vlhova (+0.14).
2022 Marco Odermatt (SUI)
2021 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) / Marco Odermatt (SUI)
2020 Marta Bassino (ITA) / Lucas Braathen (NOR)
2019 Alice Robinson (NZL) / Alexis Pinturault (FRA)
2018 Tessa Worley (FR)
2017 Viktoria Rebensburg (GER)
2016 Lara Gut (SUI) / Alexis Pinturault (FRA)
2015 Federica Brignone (ITA) / Ted Ligety (USA)
2014 Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) ex aequo Anna Fenninger (AUT) / Marcel Hirscher (AUT)
2013 Lara GUT (SUI) / Ted Ligety (USA)
2012 Tina Maze (SLO) / Ted Ligety (USA)
2011 Lindsey Vonn (USA) / Ted Ligety (USA)
2010 Viktoria Rebensburg (GER)
2009 Tanja Poutianen (FIN) / Didier Cuche (SUI)
2008 Kathrin Zettel (AUT) / Daniel Albrecht (SUI)
2007 Denise Karbon (ITA) / Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR)
2005 Tina Maze (SLO) / Hermann Maier (AUT)
2004 Anja Pärson (SWE) / Bode Miller (USA)
2003 Martina Ertl (GER) / Bode Miller (USA)
2002 Andrine Flemmen (NOR) ex aequo Tina Maze (SLO), Niki Hosp (AUT) / Stephan Eberharter (AUT)
2001 Michaela Dorfmeister (AUT) / Frederic Covili (FRA)
2000 Martina Ertl (GER) / Hermann Maier (AUT)
1998 Andrine Flemmen (NOR) / Hermann Maier (AUT)
1996 Katja Seizinger (GER) / Steve Locher (SUI)
1993 Anita Wachter (AUT) / Franck Piccard (FRA)
Women's victory ranking (by country):
Austria: 5
Germany: 5
Switzerland: 4
Slovenia and Italy: 3
Norway and USA: 3
Finland, Sweden, France, and New Zealand: 1
Women's victory ranking
3 wins Tina Maze SLO 2002, 2005, 2012 and Lara Gut Behrami SUI 2013, 2016, 2023
2 wins Viktoria Rebensburg GER 2010, 2017; Andrine Flemmen NOR 1998, 2002; Martina Ertl GER 2000, 2003; Mikaela Shiffrin USA 2014, 2021
Men's victory ranking (by country):
USA: 6
Austria 5
France: 4
Switzerland: 5
Norway: 2
Men's victory ranking:
4 Wins Ted Ligety USA 2011, 2012; 2013; 2015
3 wins Hermann Maier AUT 1998, 2000, 2005
2 wins Marco Odermatt SUI 2021, and 2022; Alexis Pinturault FRA 2016 and 2019; Bode Miller in 2003, 2004
Youngest Winner:
Lucas Braathen in 2020 at the age of 20.
Alice Robinson in 2019 at the age of 17.
Oldest Winner:
Didier Cuche won in 2009 at the age of 35.
Lara Gut-Behrami was 32 years old when she won for the third time in 2023.
The biggest Leads:
In 1993 Anita Wachter won by a margin of 2.23 seconds over Sophie Lefranc-Duvillard.
In 2012 Ted Ligety won by a margin of 2.75 seconds over Marcel Hirscher.
The Closest Wins:
In 2002 there were 3 female ex-equo winners: Andrine Flemmen, Tina Maze, and Niki Hosp.
In 2014 ex aequo winners: Anna Fenninger and Mikaela Shiffrin.
In 2009 Tanja Poutianen beat Kathrin Zettel by only 0.01 seconds.
In 2000 Hermann Maier beat Stephan Eberharter by only 0.06 seconds, one year later Frederic Covili won the race by 0.09 seconds over Stephan Eberharter.
October 25, 1998, was a memorable day in Austrian Alpine Skiing history. Hermann Maier, Stephan Eberharter, and Heinz Schilchegger swept the podium in Sölden. Christian Mayer, finished fourth, Hans Knauss sixth, and Benjamin Raich eighth.
Hermann Maier celebrated another impressive win in the opening World Cup race of the 1998-1999 winter season. The double Olympic champion in Nagano 1998 beat his teammate Stephan Eberharter by 1.60 seconds on the demanding Rettenbach glacier course.
Update 10.17.2024: The race track on the Rettenbach Glacier in Soelden is in top conditions. The races were confirmed by the International Ski Federation (FIS) following the official snow control in October 17, 2024. As scheduled, the races will take place on Saturday 26 October and Sunday 27 October. All signs are therefore pointing to a fabulous start to the Alpine Ski World Cup season with tens of thousands of fans, exciting races and brilliant comebacks.
"We have worked hard in the last few weeks and the slope is in excellent condition (...) The current training conditions are really excellent. The athletes also confirm this," explains Soelden's Slope Director Isidor Grüner. Training is still permitted on the slope until Saturday, after which it will be closed until the race weekend.
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