Featured Image: Mikaela Shiffrin competing in downhill. Credit: GEPA
The racers, schedule, and how to watch the Women’s World Cup Cortina D’Ampezzo downhill on Friday, January 26th.
The women are headed to Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, to take on one of the most iconic speed tracks on the World Cup circuit.
In the last two seasons, Sofia Goggia of Italy has stood on top of the podium twice in Cortina out of the three downhill events hosted. Slovenian Ilka Štuhec won in 2023 when she threw down on the hill, and Goggia did not complete her run.
In 2018, Goggia emerged victorious in the downhill event, creating an exhilarating day. She triumphed over the renowned US speed legend Lindsay Vonn by a margin of +0.47 seconds and outperformed Mikaela Shiffrin by +0.84 seconds. It was an all-out performance from the Italian. Goggia has 18 World Cup wins and one win this season. She is aiming to find victory again on the Olympia Delle Tofane track and maintain her title position.
In 2024, multiple athletes battled Goggia off the winning spot in the last two races. In the Val d’Isère downhill, Jasmine Flury of Switzerland reigned victorious. Her teammate Joana Haehlen earned 2nd place, and Cornelia Huetter of Austria rounded the podium. Goggia was off the podium by two-tenths, concluding the day with a 4th-place result.
In the St. Moritz downhill, Stifel US Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin won, beating Goggia by -0.15 and Italian teammate Federica Brignone by -0.17. It was a tight race!
Mikaela Shiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin has only raced one downhill out of the three this season. She was battling sickness and fatigue, so she prioritized other races and did not compete in the last two downhill events. Nevertheless, in the one downhill Shiffrin did compete in this season, she took victory. She will be striving to be triumphant in Cortina tomorrow.
Shiffrin has won four downhill races in her career, but the superstar never expects to come through the finish on top. She continues to display hard work, grit, and determination in every run that she starts, especially since the competition is so tight.
After her downhill win this season, Shiffrin stated, “Winning World Cup races is hard, and I never take it for granted, especially this season. There are so many athletes who can win. There’s so many strong athletes in each discipline, and I never expect to be in front of somebody.”
The competition is stacked in the women’s downhill field; will Goggi’s all-out approach bring her another victory on this track, or will others pull ahead? Tomorrow, we will find out!
Top Five Ranked Downhill Women for the 2023-24 Season
North Americans
Isabella Wright is the second highest ranked for North Americans in downhill, behind Mikaela Shiffrin. Wright has run the Cortina World Cup downhill twice, achieving an 11th-place finish and 16th place.
This season, Wright’s best downhill finish was in St. Moritz, earning her a 12th-place result. She has pushed her way into two top-10 results in her downhill World Cup career, showing that if she attacks the line and lets the skis run, she can come through on the leaderboard.
Stifel US Ski Team teammate Jacqueline Wiles started the 2024 downhill season with a DNS in St. Moritz due to a race cancellation halfway through the athlete list. But, in Val d’Isère, she finished 25th, and in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, she earned a 14th-place result. But, in the past, Wiles has had great success on the Tofane track. In 2018, she clinched her second podium downhill finish of her World Cup career in Cortina. Also, in the same year, she finished 7th place on this racehill.
This season, Keely Cashman, a Stifel US Ski Team athlete, broke into the top 30 for the sixth time in her World Cup downhill career. She aims to throw down a run in Cortina that lands her in points range.
Valérie Grenier, Alpine Canada Alpin athlete, is kicking out of her first World Cup downhill of the season. She has started 17 downhill World Cup races, with her top result being 16th place. She has scored points in three races, and for her first downhill of the winter, she will aim to get into the top 30.
North American Women who have earned 2023-24 World Cup Downhill Points
North Americans Entered for the Friday, January 26th Cortina D’Ampezzo World Cup Downhill
- Bib 8, Mikaela Shiffrin, Stifel USST, Burke Mountain Academy, Atomic, Oakley
- Bib 22, Isabella Wright, Stifel USST, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, Atomic, Level Gloves
15 nations are being represented in the women’s race on Friday, January 26th, Cortina D’Ampezzo downhill start list.
The Olympia Delle Tofane Track
The Olympia Delle Tofane track was the competition hill for the 1956 Winter Olympics and has hosted the Women’s World Cup event annually. The track is legendary because of its various challenging sections that make it an adrenaline-infused course.
The notoriously more challenging sections of the course include the Schuss, which is a steeper slope that gets the racers up to a max of 86 miles per hour (140 Kilometers) as they pass through two huge rock faces. Then, the athletes will take on the “Duca d’Aosta jump”, the “Delta turn” and the “Scarpadon,” which are a primary focus of the track.
About Cortina D’Ampezzo
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy is an awe-inspiring region nestled in the heart of the Italian Alps, conveniently located just two hours away from Venice. Situated in the Ampezzo valley, this charming town is encircled by stunning rock formations of the Dolomite peaks. What sets this town apart is its distinctiveness, as it proudly upholds its traditions and even boasts its own local language.
This town has a rich history intertwined with alpine ski racing. Ever since it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956, the residents have held a deep appreciation for winter sports. They warmly welcome tourists from around the globe, inviting them to partake in the plethora of activities that this remarkable area has to offer.
The women’s downhill starts at 11:00 CET, 2:00 AM PST, 3:00 AM MST and 5:00 AM EST.
In the USA, the women’s World Cups in Cortina D’Ampezzo will be available for viewing live and as a replay on Ski and Snowboard Live streaming service.
In Canada, sports enthusiasts can watch the World Cup on CBC Sports
Start List and Race Program for Friday, January 26th, Cortina D’Ampezzo Women’s World Cup Downhill
Click on the start list and program to download
Race Program for Friday, January 26th, Cortina D’Ampezzo Women’s World Cup Downhill
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
