Skis, Casse third in Val Gardena behind Kilde and Clarey

by our correspondent Paolo Marabini

December 17th
– Val Gardena

Finally there is also Italy on the podium of the men’s World Cup. And what a podium that of Mattia Casse, third on the Saslong, in the Val Gardena downhill, behind his majesty Alexander Aamodt Kilde, with seasonal poker and his 17th career victory, and the ever more surprising Frenchman Johan Clarey, Olympic silver in Beijing , 42 years old on January 8, already holder of all longevity records.

Without smudges

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Casse’s exploit was in the air, despite the crisis of results for the Azzurri’s men at the start of the season. Almost always among the fastest in practice since the North American trip, the thirty-two year old from Piedmont, adopted by Bergamo for eleven years (for love of Sara, married two years ago), has finally put together all the pieces of the puzzle and has given the most beautiful joy in its sporting history, which is far from the end credits. He always had this worry about not being able to make a flawless race from start to finish, but his moment had to come and he got there where he couldn’t, that is, in front of his home crowd, in the race that finally rewarded Kilde – to the personal five on the Saslong, between downhills and super-G – as the hundredth winner on the snow of Val Gardena.

“I didn’t give up”

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Casse finished at 42/100 from the Norwegian and only 7 from Clarey, pocketing a third place which is worth gold. “This podium is a reward for my determination, because I never gave up, despite the many difficult moments. And it goes to my mum and dad: I wanted it for me, but above all for them”, he said, visibly excited as soon as he realized that no one could have more knocked him down from that third place. Father Alessandro – who just recently, a year ago, passed away after a painful illness – is the one who passed on his passion for skiing and speed to him: originally from Oulx, in the Upper Susa Valley, in the 70s he was two times champion and world record holder in the flying kilometre. Mattia followed in his footsteps. And when on 4 February 2010, in Megeve, he won the junior world title right downhill, his future at the top seemed already drawn. But the road turned out to be more difficult than expected, also thanks to the injuries that often stopped him at the climax. Before this podium he could boast of a fourth and three fifth places as best placements, above all a desire to never give up that found meaning in the wonderful setting of Val Gardena, which has been waiting for an Azzurri on the downhill podium since 2014, when the third place fell to Dominik Paris, this time still very far from the leaders (42nd at 2″22 from Kilde!), as he did on Thursday in the first descent.

“It didn’t end there”

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“It was about time. But today I was very determined – said Casse, who had been the fastest of all on Thursday up to Ciaslat but had then made some mistakes finishing 34th – but at the same time I told myself not to overdo it, so as not to risk repeat Thursday’s race, where I was exuberant. So I lifted my foot a little and it went well. I’m very happy with the change of materials, I knew it was only a matter of a few races to find the perfect feeling. But this T he year there have also been other changes, and now I hope to reap the benefits. It’s not over here, there are many other appointments ahead. Certainly the level is always higher. The past? I don’t think about it, it’s over now”.