Snowboarding, Azzurra day: four Italians on the two podiums

Maurizio Bormolini beats Benjamin Karl, Lucia Dalmasso beats Elisa Caffont in the finals, Aaron March is third with Mirko Felicetti fourth: the parallel season opens with an all-Italian symphony with as many as four Italians on the two podiums of the giant in Mylin, China. There could not have been a better start to the season for the Italian board Dream Team led by technical director Cesare Pisoni, an absolute star team in recent seasons with back-to-back victories, capable of setting record after record, on every stage. Maurizio Bormolini therefore starts again by winning, after triumphing in the overall standings last season. The Valtellinese from Livigno is unbeatable since the qualifying round, closed with the best time. His winning progression led him to get the better of the experienced Andreas Prommeger in the round of 16, the other Austrian Fabian Obmann in the quarters, before the blue semifinal with March that propelled him to the decisive act. Won. The 31-year-old from the Army thus brings to eight his haul of World Cup successes, equally distributed between giant slalom and slalom, without forgetting how in March he won the rainbow team event paired with Elisa Caffont.

Andrea Gussoni

Here are his impressions at the end of the competition: “I am very motivated, I want to dedicate this victory to my sister, she knows why and this is enough. It’s always crazy to duel with Karl, he always pushes the limits and it’s a constant challenge. There couldn’t have been a better start.” The challenge for third place is a rollercoaster of emotions: Aaron March makes a mistake and Mirko Felicetti seems to be projected toward success, but the South Tyrolean’s comeback is irresistible and the Trentino athlete can only settle for fourth place, granting March the chance to celebrate the 21st podium of his career in the highest circuit. Eliminated in the round of 16 instead were Edwin Coratti and Daniele Bagozza, overtaken by the two Austrians Obmann and Alexander Payer.

All-blue women’s final. Lucia Dalmasso seizes her third career success by overcoming Elisa Caffont in the decisive act, who can in turn celebrate the best result in her career after the three third places she has won since January 2024.

Dalmasso, a 28-year-old from Falcade in Belluno of the Fiamme Gialle, reached the final after setting the fourth fastest time in the battery, overtaking Slovenia’s Gloria Kotnik, Japan’s Tsubaki Miki and the Czech Zuzana Maderova in order. It was precisely the fourth against the Japanese woman that paved the way for her success, while Caffont, herself from Belluno and a member of the Army, began her climb by overtaking Canada’s Aurelie Moisan and then getting the better of Switzerland’s Julie Zogg, winner in the first round over the other Italian Jasmin Coratti. The semifinals then saw Caffont prevail over Bulgaria’s Malena Zamfirova, then third in the B final taking advantage of Maderova’s exit.

“Being in the final with Elisa was like finding myself in training, a really pleasant feeling – confessed Dalmasso at the end of the test – Now head straight to tomorrow’s challenge, hoping to repeat myself.” Instead, Elisa Fava, Sofia Valle, Tommy Rabanser, Gabriel Messner, Marc Hofer and Fabian Lanrschner had stopped in qualifying. Tomorrow will be repeated with an entirely similar program: qualifying from 2:30 a.m. Italian time, finals starting at 6:30 a.m.