Tirol’s Raphael Haaser celebrated his first gold medal at the Sölden-Gurgl Night
Last updated on 17.02.2025
With a magnificent performance in the second run of the giant slalom at the Ski World Championships in Saalbach, Tirolean Raphael Haaser won the gold medal. Together with Switzerland’s Thomas Tumler (silver) and Loic Meillard (bronze), the heroes of the World Championship giant slalom celebrated their victory at the Sölden-Gurgl Night held in the Home of Snow.
Slalom specialists Dave Ryding and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, as well as former German ski racer Thomas Dreßen, who are closely connected to Ötztal and the World Cup venues of Sölden and Gurgl, did not miss the atmospheric arrival of the world champions.
Sölden and Gurgl – two Ski World Cup venues showed themselves at their best
In addition to top sporting performances and a world champion from Tirol – shining with joy – the two World Cup venues of Sölden and Gurgl in Ötztal were in the focus. The yearly start of the international Ski World Cup in Sölden and in Gurgl around mid-November also marks the winter season kick-off in Ötztal. “Sölden’s alpine Ski World Cup Opening is much more than just a race – it is the official starting signal for the new winter season and an international figurehead of skiing in Tirol. Here in Sölden and throughout Ötztal, we live winter sports with a lot of passion by setting standards in terms of ski slope quality, infrastructure and event organization. Year after year, also our neighbors in Salzburg prove that Austria is the world’s number one in skiing sports. Special compliments go to the entire organizing team of the Ski World Championships in Saalbach, who impressively demonstrated what winter sports expertise stands for,” emphasized Jack Falkner, Managing Director of Bergbahnen Sölden.
Alban Scheiber, Managing Director of Bergbahnen Gurgl and OC head of the World Cup races in Gurgl, commented on the special evening: “Gurgl symbolizes top-class winter sports, absolute snow reliability and a truly unique atmosphere beyond 1,900 meters above sea level. Thanks to the World Cup races, we have established our resorts as a reliable venue. Together with Sölden and Ötztal we are delighted to present Tirol’s winter sports expertise at the highest level here in the Home of Snow.”
More about Home of Snow
From 02 to 16 February 2025, Home of Snow is the place to be when it comes to emotions, networking, hospitality and concentrated (winter) expertise in #saalbach2025. The hosts are the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV), Saalbach, SalzburgerLand and Tirol – all working together in order to shape the future of winter sports in a both sustainable and innovative manner. Thanks to a unique concept, Home of Snow offers space for medal celebrations and regional cooking art, serving as well as a platform for exciting lectures and interactions on the topic of sustainable winter sports.
