Semmering has hosted 20 World Cup races, all either ladies’ giant slalom or ladies’ slalom events. The first races here were held in December 1995. Pernilla Wiberg won the inaugural slalom race on 29 December 1995, and Elfi Eder the slalom a day later. Marlies Schild has won a record three World Cup races in Semmering and has also claimed a record five podium finishes in the Austrian town. Austrian women have won a record eight races in Semmering. Sweden follows with three wins.
The biggest Austrian star of the alpine skiing Anna Veith(ex Fenninger) has announced her comeback to the Alpine Skiing World Cup. Her last race was on 22 March 2015 when she won the giant slalom in Méribel. She damaged her knee during a training crash in October 2015, forcing her to miss the entire 2015/16 season. Veith has won 14 World Cup races, including the giant slalom in Semmering in 2012/13. She has won the crystal globes in the Overall and giant slalom standings in the 2013/14 and 2014/15 season. She also won the final standings in alpine combined in 2014/15. She is available at massive odds of 21.00 at Bet365 to win in Semmering. Although the big odds are very attractive for the former champion, I would suggest skipping the bet as we have no idea if she will try to give the very best to win the first race after an injury.
Tessa Worley hopes to win her third giant slalom in a row after her victories in Killington and Sestriere this season. The last woman to win three successive giant slalom races was Anna Veith, who won in Maribor, Are and Méribel in February-March 2015. Worley’s 15 podium finishes, including her 10 wins, have all come in giant slalom races. With another win, Worley will surpass Michele Jacot (10) and Françoise Macchi (10) in third place of France’s most successful female skiers. Worley won the Semmering giant slalom in December 2010 and finished third in December 2012, behind Anna Veith and Tina Maze. She can become the first woman to finish on the Semmering giant slalom podium three times. 4.529 at Pinnacle to win the race.
Sofia Goggia can record her seventh podium finish this season, most of all female skiers, but she has yet to claim her first win. Only Deborah Compagnoni (9 in 1996/97 and 1998/99) and Isolde Kostner (8 in 1995/96 and 7 in 2000/01) have had more podium finishes for Italy in a World Cup season than Goggia’s six so far. Goggia’s streak of four successive podium finishes ended in the Ladies’ Downhill in Val d’Isère, when she failed to finish. She finished fifth, third and second in the Giant Slalom races in Sölden, Killington and Sestriere this season. Currently 4.47 at Pinnacle to win the whole race.
Lara Gut won the super-G in Val d’Isère on Sunday 18 December and she now hopes to win consecutive World Cup races for the first time since the alpine combined and downhill in Val d’Isère on 18 and 19 December 2015. She has won four giant slalom races, including the race in Sölden this season on 22 October. 5.01 at Pinnacle to win the whole race.
Betting prediction 1: Lara Gut podium finish
Odds: 2.00 Bet365
Betting prediction 2 (event match-ups): Tina Weirather vs Ana Drev : Ana Drev
Odds: 2.08 Pinnacle
Previous winter sports betting previews:
Men’s Slalom – Madonna di Campiglio 2016
Ski Jumping – WC Ruka 2016
