Marta Bassino returns to where it all began for her: on the Rettenbach glacier in Soelden, where the World Cup starts tomorrow with the women's giant. Here a year ago she won the giant slalom for the season opening and it was the first of four successes that led her to win the Giant's Cup to which was also added the Cortina gold medal in parallel giant.
In short, an amazing season that the Piedmontese from Borgo San Dalmazzo dreams of repeating if not even improving.
'' Summer preparation was good, especially that of the last few days in Val Senales, on a track with slopes similar to those of Soelden. I feel eyes on me after last season. I will give my best and I am very confident but above all I hope that the next one will be the mosta normal season is possible. ''
It is a season in which Covid-19 bites less and allows more public and more fans to compete. On this issue in the white circus there is a race to complete vaccination with two doses. Not for the blues and blues, all already immunized, but for athletes from other countries who were late in getting the second vaccine or were satisfied with the test. But the complete vaccination will be essential in a month to go to the USA and Canada and it will be even more so in February for the Beijing Olympics.
Tomorrow at the start with Marta there will be above all Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia. The downhill Olympic champion is just back from the Garmisch injury that blocked her triumphal march towards the world championships in Cortina but did not prevent herto win the World Cup in the queen of alpine disciplines.
"By now - said Goggia - I have recovered well and trained properly with Marta and I hope that this will also serve me for the descent, but I am also curious to see how far I am in the giant". Federica Brignone, sold the scepter of blue queen of the giant in Bassino, on the other hand, comes from a fluctuating and not entirely satisfactory season, culminating in the disappointments of Cortina.An increasingly versatile athlete, Federica has not in fact been able to give her best to the Italian world championships.
In the next season he will try again, starting with the giant of tomorrow. "I trained in all disciplines.
Traditionally in this period I am not at the top in this period, but my real season will start a little later ", explained Federica.
The blue will have to contend with their rivals in Soelden.
Among them there is obviously the Slovakian Petra Vlhova, winner of the world cup, who left the Italian coach Livio Magoni who also led her to success.
Now she hopes that the radical change of technical staff will not cost her too much.
Then there is obviously the ski queen Mikaela Shiffrin.
The American has already said that she will aim to win another World Cup and above all as many gold medals as possible at the Olympics: she wants to compete in all disciplines.
And the rivals know he can do it just fine.