Austrian Claims Gold as Alpine World Ski Champs Open in Switzerland

(ATR) Austrian skier Nicole Schmidhofer was the surprise winner of the ladies super-G, while Swiss star Lara Gut settled for bronze as the 44th FIS Alpine World Ski Championships kicked off in St. Moritz.

Two days of persistent snowfall in the Engadine region forced the cancellation of both men’s and ladies’ downhill training runs on Monday. Thanks in part to the efforts of the Swiss Army, 46 female ski racers competed under blue skies and with ideal conditions on the Salastrains course on Tuesday.

The 2017 championships mark the fifth time that the luxurious Swiss ski resort, located in the Canton of Graubunden, has hosted the signature ski racing event. Previous editions were held in 2003, 1974, 1948 and 1934. St. Moritz was home to the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948.

Nearly 600 athletes representing 76 nations have entered to compete in the championships from Feb. 6-19. Eleven medal events will be contested; five individual competitions each for men and ladies and the mixed team event, which will also make its Olympic debut in PyeongChang 2018.

International Ski Federation president Gian Franco Kasper welcomed skiers to the championships in his hometown at the opening ceremony on Monday night.

"We are thrilled to have the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz for a fifth time," Kasper said. "There is not a doubt in my mind that the next two weeks will be a fantastic celebration of Alpine ski racing both on the slopes and around the entire town of St. Moritz and the region.

"The organizers have worked tirelessly to ensure that the athletes will have ideal conditions to show world class performances in their quest for gold."

St. Moritz has been a mainstay on the ladies’ circuit and last March hosted World Cup Finals so organizers bring substantial experience to the championships. All races are being contested on the Salastrains course, with a massive finish area tribune, in addition to numerous hospitality facilities, constructed for the two-week event.

"We will showcase St. Moritz to the world," said St. Moritz 2017 president Hugo Wetzel. "Not only will we offer a fantastic program on the mountain, but after the races are finished there will be no lack of entertainment and festivities to keep visitors busy."

The host broadcaster is Swiss National Broadcaster SRG with all 11 races produced in HDTV and available on multiple digital platforms.

According to media and marketing rights holder European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the championships will be seen live in 57 countries. More than 1,500 television, print and online media will be onsite in St. Moritz.

Eurosport, which recently began a multi-year Olympic deal along with its parent Discovery Communications, will broadcast 40 hours of live action and a daily highlights program over the 13-days of competition.

Recently retired Slovenian ski racer Tina Maze, a four-time world champion, will join Eurosport for commentary and analysis.

"St. Moritz is a special venue for skiers and it promises exciting action for fans," Maze said. "Unlike the World Cup season, the competitors know they only have one opportunity to get things right to be in with a chance of winning a medal, so everyone will be pushing themselves to the edge which guarantees great action."

The men’s super-G is scheduled for Wednesday, although a forecast for snow could pose a challenge.

Written by Brian Pinelli

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