Powerhouse nations finalize World Champs rosters

By Published On: January 29th, 2015Comments Off on Powerhouse nations finalize World Champs rosters

Austria, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland have all named their rosters for the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek from Feb. 2-15, 2015.

Representing Austria will be a total of 25 athletes comprised of 10 females and 15 males. The ladies include: Eva-Maria Brem, Anna Fenninger, Elisabeth Goergl, Nicole Hosp, Cornelia Huetter, Michaela Kirchgasser, Bernadette Schild, Nicole Schmidhofer, Carmen Thalmann, and Kathrin Zettel. On the men’s side, they’re sending: Romed Baumann, Max Franz, Reinfried Herbst, Marcel Hirscher, Vincent Kriechmayr, Mario Matt, Michael Matt, Matthias Mayer, Christoph Noesig, Benjamin Raich, Hannes Reichelt, Philipp Schoerghofer, Marco Schwarz, Georg Streitberger, and Otmar Striedinger. Specific discipline starters have yet to be announced.

The French have nine ladies and 13 men bound for the World Championships. Margot Bailet, Taina Barioz, Adeline Baud, Marie Jay Marchand-Avier, Anemone Marmottan, Laurie Mougel, Nastasia Noens, Jennifer Piot, and Tessa Worley all made the cut for the women. Johan Clarey, Mathieu Faivre, Thomas Fanara, Guillermo Fayed, Jean-Baptiste Grange, Julien Lizeroux, Thomas Mermillod Blondin, Victor Muffat-Jeandet, Maxence Muzaton, Alexis Pinturault, David Poisson, Brice Roger, and Adrien Theux comprise the men’s team.

Germany is sending four women and eight men to Colorado this week. Lena Duerr, Veronique Hronek, Viktoria Rebensburg, and Maren Wiesler comprise the ladies’ team while Klaus Brandner, Fritz Dopfer, Josef Ferstl, Stefan Luitz, Felix Neureuther, Andreas Sander, Philipp Schmid, and Linus Strasser round out the men’s side.

Luitz, who is returning from injury, is optimistic for his return in time for Beaver Creek.

The Italian men’s team consists of Giovanni Borsotti, Florian Eisath, Stefano Gross, Werner Heel, Christof Innerhofer, Matteo Marsaglia, Manfred Moelgg, Roberto Nani, Dominik Paris, Giuliano Razzoli, Davide Simoncelli, and Patrick Thaler. Marta Bassino, Federica Brignone, Chiara Costazza, Elena Curtoni, Nadia Fanchini, Elena Fanchini, Francesca Marsaglia, Daniela Merighetti, Manuela Moelgg, and Johanna Schnarf are the Italian ladies selected to attend.

Irene Curtoni (currently 30th in slalom on the World Cup Start List and 29th in the discipline standings) did not meet the published criteria to attend and was left off the roster. Italy has two additional quota spots they opted not to utilize. Merighetti is expected to return from her recent injury and compete in Beaver Creek.

The Norwegian Ski Federation will be represented by Kjetil Jansrud, Leif Kristian Haugen, Henrik Kristoffersen, Sebastian Foss Solevaag, Espen Lysdahl, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde,  Aksel Lund Svindal, Jonathan Nordbotten, Ragnhild Mowinckel, Nina Loeseth, and Maria Tviberg. Although Svindal has been named to the team, his race status is still day-to-day. Lotte Sejersted, who also qualified but who suffered an injury prior to Christmas, will focus her return to competition on the World Cup races following the World Championships.
“We send a mix of young and established performers for this year’s World Championships. It has been many years since we sent a large group,” said alpine sports director Claus Johan Ryste. “There is greater competition in each discipline than ever before. We will be in the fight for medals in all disciplines on the men’s side, while we are outsiders on the women’s side.”

The Swedish men’s team is smaller and focused on the technical disciplines. Jens Byggmark, Mattias Hargin, Markus Larsson, and André Myhrer will race the slalom and Calle Lindh, Matts Olsson, and Myhrer will compete in the giant slalom.
“With this men’s team we have, we will definitely be fighting for medals, especially in the slalom where we have four skiers ranked in the top 15 in the world,” said sport manager Anders Sundqvist.
Sweden is also sending six ladies to represent them between the speed and technical disciplines. Specific discipline starts will be determined in the days before the races from among the group: Frida Hansdotter, Sara Hector, Kajsa Kling, Jessica Lindell-Vikarby, Maria Pietilae-Holmner, and Anna Swenn-Larsson.

“These six are our best skiers on the women’s side right now, and all of our girls have a chance to win a medal. During the season they have proved that they are among the best in the world,” said head women’s coach Fredrik Steinwall.

Switzerland has a mix of veterans and rising talent alike on its 21-athlete roster. The men’s team includes: Luca Aerni, Gino Caviezel, Mauro Caviezel, Didier Défago, Beat Feuz, Carlo Janka, Patrick Kueng, Justin Murisier, Sandro Viletta, Elia Zurbriggen, Silvan Zurbriggen, and Daniel Yule. Meanwhile, Marianne Abderhalden, Charlotte Chable, Dominique Gisin, Michelle Gisin, Lara Gut, Wendy Holdener, Nadja Jnglin-Kamer, Priska Nufer, and Fabienne Suter have been selected on the ladies’ side.

Whether Dominique Gisin, who recently suffered fractures to her tibial head, can start in the event’s races is still unclear.

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