« I feel that the match is approaching, that it is necessary to push one last time in training, and then prove myself in the match, » confirmed Jan Kranic a few days before the season-opening test. Last year he was third in Sölden, Stefan Hadalen came in 25th, best result for both in the opening ice test. And they’ll be satisfied with that on Sunday, too.
Žan Kranjec
for Žan Kranjec Fitness Trainer Clement Bergent He says he was ready for Solden days ago. Last year, he finished third in the season’s opening giant slalom. On the Rettenbach glacier, he took third place once before, but had two other top ten places: fourth and seventh. “I don’t have any victories yet, but other than that, this is really one of the most successful. If I repeat last year’s competitions, I will definitely be satisfied. I am very satisfied with every podium. It will be a perfect start to this season,” the skater told us before the trip to Austria From Bukovica Pre Vodice, who turns 30 next month.
With third place in Sölden, he was on the podium again only last winter, but in that most important race – second in the Olympic giant slalom in Beijing. However, he finished the giant slalom total in 11th place, his worst final standings in the past five years. “Everyone wants consistently good results. I’ve had them in the past, but not the past two years. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, hopefully… now I have more experience and the skating is getting better every year. I would like to show that even in the same matches. » Twice he finished fourth in the giant slalom.
He also has two wins already. They came in the era of supremacy Marcel Hirscher. He is now the number one giant curvy Marco Adermatt. Besides the Olympic giant slalom, the Swiss also won the fifth game out of eight giant races at the World Cup. In order to win, you have to defeat him. “If we look at last season, it would really be like that. But I don’t just focus on Odermatt, I think there are a lot of good players out there. But we will see if he can repeat the season he played or come close to last year. I think he will be good. But I hope I can especially be able to join the fight for crowns and victories,” Kranjic explained.
Athlete
Only four in Sölden. How is the patient? #video
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Hadalen: A Little Positive Uncertainty
Stephen Hadalen
Next to Kranjic will be the start of the giant slalom on Sunday (10:00 am). Stephen Hadalen. The 27-year-old skater from Vernica returns to the World Cup after January 16th. He appeared in only five matches last winter. First, he missed a few of them due to injury, and in mid-January he announced that he was ending the season early for personal reasons. Now he says he’s right again and can’t wait for the inaugural giant slalom to open. “Yes, there are definitely some butterflies in the stomach, and a bit of positive uncertainty. I think I am well prepared and really looking forward to the first race. I am satisfied with both the physical work done and the skating.”
In slalom, Hadalen has been regularly ranked among the point winners over three seasons, and in giant slalom he was a top 29th in the 2020/2021 season total. But he got points for the first time at Sölden a year ago. « Looking at the starting position, I’ll be satisfied with the points this year as well. I think I can. But it’s about execution. I want to show a good performance and then the clock will show. » He will have a number around 50, which is a big challenge at Rettenbach. He showed that he could do well, at least at the start of last season, when he was eighth in a parallel race at Lech.
Before arriving in Sölden (Thursday evening), the skiers this week completed their last training in Val Senales, training in very difficult conditions and on a large slope last week. But they got a few days off last weekend. « We had the opportunity to come home for the weekend, » Hadalen told us. « So I took a short regeneration tour through the local forest to Planina nad Vrhnika. This is part of the sports relaxation programme. »
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Sölden is ready, in Zermatt trembling historic slope
#Kranjic #target