Andorran Skiers Shine in Zauchensee Training and Italian FIS Wins

Andorran skier Cande Moreno placed 19th and Jordina Caminal 54th in the first World Cup downhill training session at Zauchensee, Austria, on Friday. Moreno, starting with bib 54, clocked 1:21.76, 1.26 seconds behind leader Kira Weidle-Winkelmann of Germany. Caminal, with bib 52, recorded 1:24.14. A second training run is set for Saturday, followed by downhill racing at 11:30 a.m. and super-G at noon on Sunday.

The Andorran women's speed team arrived in Zauchensee after a preparation camp at Passo San Pellegrino in Italy. Caminal secured her spot thanks to Moreno's 26th-place finish at the season-opening World Cup in St. Moritz, which earned Andorra an extra quota place. The Andorran Ski Federation will enter both women and one man in the events.

In parallel, Xavier Cornella won the second FIS slalom at Valle di Casies, Italy, on Friday with a time of 1:18.73, beating Italy's Hans Peter Picco by 0.12 seconds. Cornella, silver medalist on Thursday behind the same rider, won both runs and earned 23.00 FIS points—the same as his Soldeu result on December 29—improving his current total from 24.15. Bartumeu Gabriel finished sixth at +1.11, Àlex Rius eighth at +1.29, and Italy's Matteo Avesani took third at +0.79.

On Thursday, Cornella had taken silver in 1:17.36, 0.90 seconds behind Picco, with Germany's Marvin Fuhr third at +1.03 and Gabriel fourth at +1.30 after leading the first run. Rius placed 12th at +2.26.

Meanwhile, Íria Medina returns to the Europa Cup with giant slalom races in Sestriere, Italy, on Friday and Saturday. The Andorran, who won an FIS slalom in Soldeu and placed 63rd in one Ahrntal Europa Cup event while failing to finish the other, aims to perform strongly in the technical discipline.