Departure in Val Gardena: Shock for Kilde at the speed opener – Bennett catches the series winner in Italy in the thriller

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde had a bad premonition. “The race,” said the Norwegian in his supposed winner’s interview, “is not over yet.” And indeed: When many had already congratulated the Speed ​​King on the narrowest possible success on the first downhill run of the season, the American Bryce Bennett suddenly raced down into the valley in the shadow of the Sassolungo – and finished ahead of Kilde by a tiny 0.03 seconds . Typical Val Gardena, shouted those in the know, including the defeated Germans.

“It was clear that it would be a close game,” said Romed Baumann, who initially hoped for a place on the podium and came in a good ninth place. “If you’re not happy,” said the 37-year-old, given the uncertainty surrounding the late start to the season after several cancellations, “then I don’t know what is. It was a good start.”

Josef Ferstl would also have “immediately signed” his 15th place after complicated preparation – unlike Thomas Dreßen and Andreas Sander, their ranks 41 and 46 beyond the World Cup points. Nevertheless, Ferstl’s satisfaction was mixed with some anger. On himself because he “screwed up” the target jump and left a top 5 result behind. And the “shitty hundredths” that he was missing because of that.

Typically Val Gardena: the athletes with the higher start numbers had these little things on their side. Like Bennett, who started the slightly shortened route in 34th place. When the 31-year-old drove cleanly, the Ciaslat-Wiese key point was no longer in the shadows – a big advantage that he used to achieve his second victory. Bennett celebrated its premiere in 2021 – in Val Gardena. Behind Kilde, the Swiss Marco Odermatt (+0.05 seconds) took third place, with the top 30 only separated by 0.98 seconds.

Baumann was 0.43 seconds behind the winner. Also because he didn’t drive “on the last groove” when entering the Ciaslat meadow, as he analyzed. In general, after the cancellations of Zermatt/Cervinia and Beaver Creek, he started at the start “with a very, very strange feeling”: “Like a racehorse that hasn’t yet been let out on the track.” Ferstl also reported particular tension and his hips restricted him for a long time.

Bennett emphasized in the interview how he loved the Saslong. “As far as I’m concerned, we can start here every year,” said the American after he realized that he could now also put on the jersey for the leader in the discipline World Cup.

Dreßen has several construction sites. After many health setbacks, his “G’stell”, or body, keeps tweaking here and there. During training, when jumping over the infamous camel humps, he had the feeling that “my kneecap would fall out”. In terms of skiing, he admitted, he lacked “the necessary self-confidence, you can’t force it.”

Sander also had problems after a training fall and was just “happy” that he was able to start at all. His result? “Very, very disappointing,” he said. At least: the former World Cup runner-up didn’t have to look for lost hundredths.