Everything you need to know about Soelden Giant Slalom 

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Seven months and two days after the 2020/21 Finals in Lenzerheide, the Alpine skiing World Cup season is starting again. From 23 October until 20 March 2022, Petra Vlhova and Alexis Pinturault will attempt to hold onto their big crystal globes. As it has every year since 2000, the 2021/22 season will open in the Austrian resort of Soelden.

From the skiers to watch out for, through to the format and schedule of the competition, here’s everything you need to know about this Giant Slalom event, which represents the season's first step on the road to Beijing 2022.

Skiers to watch out for in Soelden

All the biggest names of Giant Slalom are expected in Soelden for the first race of the World Cup season.

Last year, Alexis Pinturault took home the big globe, but he also won the small one in Giant Slalom. He will attempt to hold onto it after he won last season's crown with a mere 51-point advantage over Marco Odermatt. But things may well change when it comes to the 2021/22 World Cup, with the young Swiss star Odermatt telling the AFP that he is “aiming for a globe”. This epic battle may begin as soon as the season starts.

The men’s season may be a straight-out fight between athletes from France and Switzerland. In the top 15 rankings of last year’s Giant Slalom, seven skiers were from either France or Switzerland. Excluding the two who finished the season on the podium, Loïc Meillard (5th), Justin Murisier (11th) and Gino Caviezel (12th) are Swiss, with France represented by Mathieu Faivre (4th) and Thibaut Favrot (10th).

But they are not the only contenders for the title. Henrik Kristoffersen from Norway, Filip Zubcic from Croatia**, Luca De Aliprandini** from Italy and Zan Kranjec from Slovenia are expected to win a lot of points. And with Soelden being the first race of the year, you can also expect the unexpected. Last year, Lucas Braathen won the inaugural race of the season. It was the first - and still only - podium position the Norwegian athlete has achieved in a World Cup race.

In the women’s competition, Petra Vlhova is the big crystal globe holder. However, she is not the star most people are waiting to see in Soelden. Last year, even though she won her home Giant Slalom in Jasna, she only finished 6th in the GS ranking.

Marta Bassino took first place thanks to her four wins. Her title meant the Giant Slalom globe also remained in Italy, after Federica Brignone won it the season before. However, the biggest name of all may well belong to someone who didn't feature as highly in last season’s rankings: Mikaela Shiffrin. After a difficult year, the two-time Olympic gold medallist is expected to shine all the way to Beijing 2022.

Two skiers from Switzerland can also hope to achieve big things this season: Michelle Gisin and Lara Gut-Behrami. Last year, they both finished in the top three of the overall ranking.

Format of the Soelden Giant Slalom

The Giant Slalom is Alpine skiing's fastest technical event. The ranking is based on two heats that take place on the same day, with the times added together to determine the winner. Skiers are required to pass through the gates and reach the finish line as quickly as possible. At the end of the first run, the 30 best skiers qualify for the second run. Then, on a different course, they start in an order that is the reverse of the top 30 rankings from the first run.

According to the final standings, points are awarded to the top 30: A total of 100 for the winner, 80 for second place, 60 for third, 50 for fourth, and so on. Those points are used to define the World Cup rankings.

Before the race, training sessions will take place all week, during which skiers are able learn the ropes of Soelden - a unique Austrian resort that is located on the Rettenbach glacier, more than 3,000 metres above sea level.

The difference in altitude between the start and the finish line is 370 metres. The average incline is 33% but reaches 65% in some points, helping the skiers reach speeds of around 80 km/h.

Soelden Giant Slalom schedule

Saturday 23 October: Women's Giant Slalom

• First run: 10:00
• Second run: 13:15

Sunday 24 October: Men's Giant Slalom

• First run: 10:00
• Second run: 13:30

Alpine skiing at Beijing 2022

There are 11 events in the Alpine skiing competition at the Winter Olympic Games covering Giant Slalom, Downhill, Slalom, Super-G, Alpine Combined and the Team Event.

The competition will take place at the National Alpine Ski Centre in the Yanqing competition zone from 6 February to 19 February 2022.