The Swiss alpine snowboarders will start the winter from the second row in China this weekend with the home World Championships in the Engadine. Hopes are pinned on the tried and tested trio, who want to attack again.
The Swiss alpine snowboarders are actually pretty spoiled for success: Julie Zogg was the best racer in parallel slalom five times in a row from 2019 to 2023, is a two-time world champion and twelve-time World Cup winner. Dario Caviezel won World Championship silver in the parallel giant slalom in 2023, has won two World Cup races to date and has climbed the podium 15 times. Caviezel's wife Ladina Jenny, who is now skiing as Ladina Caviezel after getting married in the summer, is a two-time World Championship medal winner and 18-time podium racer in the World Cup.
Last season, however, things did not go according to plan for the Swiss trio. In a winter characterized by serious material problems following the death of his long-time service man from cancer, Dario Caviezel failed to finish in the top 3 apart from a 2nd place in a team competition and slipped to 19th place in the overall World Cup. Zogg and Ladina Caviezel each made it onto the podium once.
Things should be better again in 2024/25, especially as 17-year-old Xenia von Siebenthal, a great talent, is knocking at the top. Dario and Ladina Caviezel said that they were perfectly prepared, had improved their physical skills and found the right equipment set-up. Julie Zogg shone consistently in the training sessions with best times in the parallel slalom.
With the World Championships in the Engadine, the season starting this weekend in Mylin, China, has a major highlight in store for March. There are also two home World Cups in Davos (December 21) and Scuol (January 11).
SDA
