Jared Goldberg claims his first career podium: GEPA pictures
Casse Claims First Career Victory in Front of Home Crowd
Italy’s 34-year-old Mattia Casse performed remarkably to secure his first World Cup victory in the Val Gardena / Gröden 2024 super-G. With three prior World Cup podiums to his name, the home hero dominated the competition with a precise and commanding run.
Casse Reflects on Career Milestone
For Casse, Val Gardena / Gröden is a special place. “It’s incredible for sure,” he said. “I like this slope because the results keep coming.” Two years after earning his first World Cup podium here, Casse celebrated his first career victory.
“I tried to push from the top to the bottom,” he said. “I like the snow; I like skiing in these conditions, and I made it—I did it.”
Looking ahead to the downhill, Casse added, “I’ll take confidence into tomorrow, but it’s about finding the balance to push and brake. Tomorrow is another day, another chance, and I’ll try my best.”
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The U.S. love affair with Val Gardena / Gröden continues, producing yet another career milestone. Casse edged 34-year-old Jared Goldberg of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team by just 0.01 seconds to claim victory. Wearing bib 26, Goldberg delivered a stunning performance to secure his first World Cup podium and the U.S. men’s first podium of the season.
Goldberg Relishes Career-Best Podium Finish
Jared Goldberg was thrilled after securing his first World Cup podium. “I’m fired up,” he said. “I skied how I wanted to, everything felt so good, and I just went for it.”
Navigating the changing conditions, Goldberg stayed focused. “I pushed hard, skied hard, and didn’t overthink it. I was definitely mobbing down the bottom, holding a tuck whenever I could.”
Reflecting on his success in Val Gardena / Gröden, he credited his roots. “I grew up powder skiing at Snowbird in Utah, always carrying speed to get to the next powder stash. This kind of terrain just feels natural to me.”
Pre-race favorite Marco Odermatt, the reigning World Cup super-G champion from Switzerland, finished third, 0.43 seconds off Casse’s pace. Norway’s Frederick Moeller, wearing bib 23, staged an impressive attack from the back of the field as the sun peeked around the Saslong mountain. His powerful skiing earned him fourth place, matching his previous career-best result in super-G from this season’s Beaver Creek.
Traditionally, skilled skiing is heavily rewarded when visibility improves after the sun peeks around the Saslong, and today was no exception. Ten skiers with bibs above 30 scored points, led by Switzerland’s Lars Roesti, who wore bib 48 and finished an impressive eighth. The last to break into the points was Slovenia’s Miha Hrobat, starting with bib 61, who tied for 16th with Germany’s Luis Vogt, wearing bib 59.
Snowy Start Challenges Course Crews and Racers
Heavy snowfall overnight created a significant challenge for the course crew, but their hard work ensured the super-G race could proceed. On time, Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle, wearing bib 1, opened the competition.
However, Canada’s Cameron Alexander charged down the course starting fourth and displaced Cochran-Siegle from the lead with a blistering run. Alexander crossed the finish line 0.81 seconds faster, momentarily taking the hot seat in the finish area.
Sarrazin Stumbles, Rogentin Rises
Bib 6 brought pre-race favorite Cyprien Sarrazin of France to the start gate. After an impressive second-place finish in the season-opening super-G in Beaver Creek, expectations were high. However, his run unraveled in the third sector as he struggled to maintain his line, ultimately failing to finish.
Stefan Rogentin followed Sarrazin and delivered a composed, powerful performance. Matching Alexander’s time exactly, the Swiss skier earned a temporary share of the lead, fueling the intensity of the competition and ended the day tied for 5th with Canada’s Alexander.
Casse Thrills Home Crowd; Odermatt Challenges
After the first ten racers, Alexander and Rogentin remained tied for the lead, with France’s Nils Allegre close behind in third, just 0.06 seconds back. Then came bib 11, Casse, who electrified the home crowd. The Italian powered through the course with precision, taking the lead by a commanding 0.57 seconds.
Immediately after, Jeffrey Read, the top-ranked North American, pushed for a strong result. Read was fast through the first three sectors but went down on his hip in the fourth, leaving him with two consecutive did-not-finishes to start the season.
Odermatt, skiing with bib 12, followed with a strong run that consistently threatened Casse’s lead. However, he crossed the line 0.43 seconds slower, settling for 3rd place.
Kriechmayr Falls Short of Defending Title
Last season’s Val Gardena / Gröden super-G winner, Vincent Kriechmayr, hoped to defend his title as he took to the course wearing bib 15. Despite his best efforts, the Austrian could not find the speed to challenge the leaders and finished 1.09 seconds off the pace, placing 12th. In a surprising twist, Kriechmayr was the top Austrian finisher, as no skier from Austria broke into the top ten—a rare outcome for the powerhouse nation.
Solid Day for North Americans
North American skiers delivered strong results in Val Gardena / Gröden. Goldberg led the way for the U.S. with his career-first World Cup podium, finishing second. Canada also had a standout performance, with Alexander tying for fifth—an impressive result after the team had only one finisher in the season-opening super-G.
The success didn’t stop there. Reigning World Champion James Crawford of Canada finished 13th, while his teammate Brodie Seger, starting with bib 55, continued his strong form from Beaver Creek to place 26th. Cochran-Siegle of the U.S. also secured points with a 20th-place finish.
Top 30 results and analysis of the fastest three and North Americans among the fastest 30
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Analysis of the fastest three and North Americans among the fastest 30
About the Author: Peter Lange
