Alpine skiing world: French chances, stars, program … All about the events in Saalbach

One year before the Milan-Cortina winter games, heading Austria for the best skiers on the planet. The world ski championships are opening up to Saalbach this Tuesday, February 4. They will last until February 16, with, to stick with what awaits the athletes at the Olympic Games, a slightly modified program with the disappearance of the individual handset and the appearance of a non -mixed team handset.

In addition to hoping for a first world podium for French Clément Noël, to observe the feedback from Shiffrin and Vonn among women, and the domination of the Swiss of which Marco Odermatt in men, the Worlds will also be an opportunity to move forward On the extra-sports files of the moment, in particular concerning the safety of skiers. Two meetings are planned by the International Ski Federation (FIS). We take stock of the competition.

The Blues without Sarrazin or Pinturault, Christmas in leader

On paper, the chances of tricolor podium rest a lot on Clément Noël, victorious four times this winter in the World Cup this winter and in the blow to win for the first time in his career the globe of the specialty.

Two years ago at the last world in Courchevel, the reigning Olympic champion lacked only three hundredths the podium, in front of his audience. In Saalbach in 12 days, he will start with the status of favorite, despite a sprained with the right ankle which bothered him a few weeks between mid-December and early January. He repeats that the Worlds are his main objective.

As for the French women, they struggle to exist internationally and are lucid on their level of the moment. Since the retirement at the end of the 2023 season of Tessa Worley, world champion of the giant in 2013 and 2017, no more blue has won a World Cup stage and the last podium dates back to January 2024, with the 3rd Place by Romane Miradoli in Super-G in Cortina (Italy). This winter, the Blue has so far failed to approach world leaders (only three top 10), both in technical and speed disciplines.

Shiffrin, Odermatt and Vonn… International stars to follow

On February 10, 2019 at the Worlds in Sweden, Lindsey Vonn was doing his moving ski world at the age of 34 with a bronze medal almost unexpected, his eighth world podium. Almost six years later day, the American is returning to the world championships, with the desire to show everyone that her talent is eternal. “I have nothing to prove to anyone,” she said.

“Most girls have the pressure, there are expectations … I am none of this,” she said at a press conference. I’m here because I just like skiing. Since her return in December, she has already signed some convincing results including a 4th place in super-G and a 6th downhill in Sankt Anton in Austria.

The queen of skiing Mikaela Shiffrin, seven -time world champion, arrives in Austria after a heavy injury to the abdomen that removed her from the slopes for two months. Theoretically capable of winning in all disciplines, the American, who did not take over competition until Thursday in Courchevel (10th in slalom), knows herself out of the blow. “The timing is tight between now and the Worlds so I will probably not be at my best level,” she admitted to the French station.

By their side, a few young people could prove to be the Croatian Zrinka Ljutic (21) and the Albanian Lara Colturi (18). But the one that has impressed the most since the beginning of winter is Federica Brignone. At 34, the Italian became the oldest skier to win in the World Cup and continues successes by giant, super-G and even descent, a discipline in which she had never won before 2025 .

Among men, in the absence of the Norwegian Aleksander Kilde, the Swiss genius Marco Odermatt, crowned in descent and giant two years ago, is still eagerly awaited in these disciplines. On the speed tests, his teammates Alexis Monnyery, Justin Murisier and Franjo von Allmen, who have multiplied the podiums this season will also be followed, just like Canadians James Crawford and Cameron Alexander, brilliant in Kitzbühel.