Galli dominant in the Dolomites, Wilmsmann leads historic German sweep

For the second straight year, hometown heroine Jole Galli (ITA) ascended the top step of the podium at Val di Fassa.

The 30-year-old won every heat in the women’s competition since Thursday, showing her dominance in the Dolomites.

Only a historic German sweep in the men’s big final on Friday prevented Italy from double celebrations, with Simone Deromedis (ITA) settling for fourth behind Florian Wilmsmann, Cornel Renn and Tim Hronek (GER).

No passing Galli

Galli was third out of the gate in the women’s big final behind France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel and Jade Grillet Aubert but quickly made it to the front and never looked back.

“I felt at home, I felt the energy, the Italy,” said Galli after her first podium of the season and seventh overall.

“I skied pretty well in the last races but I never did the results. Now was the moment and as I said, my setting was nobody can pass me.”

Berger Sabbatel, who turned 36 on Thursday, was second behind Galli in Val di Fassa for the second consecutive season, crossing the finish line 0.25 seconds later.

“The wish was more for the race in two weeks but it’s a good way to be ready for Olympics so it was a goal today to finish on the podium,” Berger Sabbatel said of her birthday wish. “It was a difficult race because it’s really flat and we had a lot of passes but I’m really happy to finish second today.”

Marielle Thompson (CAN) was third just two days after she was announced by the Canadian Olympic Committee as Team Canada’s flag bearer for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony alongside moguls king Mikaël Kingsbury.

She was building on her return to the podium at Veysonnaz, where she competed in heats for the first time this season following a knee injury.

“I’m just starting to come back into my own,” said the 33-year-old. “I’m feeling strong. I’m getting better day by day.

“Veysonnaz was a nice confidence booster and today is the same. I’ll take that into tomorrow, step one, and then hopefully the Olympics. Keep it going.”

It was Galli’s third title and first since winning in Craigleith in March 2025. She remains the only Italian female to make a big final on Italian snow.

Germany deny Deromedis

Deromedis was bidding to become the first male Italian since Karl Heinz Molling in 2004 to win a World Cup race on home snow.

But the Germans proved too strong, with Wilmsmann (GER) claiming a wire-to-wire victory.

Renn (GER) celebrated his first podium, taking silver to better his previous World Cup career-best finish of fourth in Veysonnaz in 2021. He was 0.08 seconds behind Wilmsmann. Hronek (GER) took third.

“The start were really, really good skis and we stayed calm, really confident each of us. In the end, it worked out pretty well.

“I watched (Hronek’s) heat and I knew he would try to go inside and you have to ski it smart and for sure, all out, be really good to carry the speed, and then you have to defend.”

Two big names absent from the start lists on Friday were Reece Howden (CAN) and Sandra Naeslund (SWE) after they did not progress from their opening heat on Thursday.

With the two FIS Ski Cross World Cup leaders out of contention, opportunities were seized.

Dominik Zuech (ITA) won the men’s small final, giving the crowd more reasons to cheer. It was his best World Cup result since he finished fourth in Val Thorens in 2022.

The athletes return for day two of racing at Val di Fassa on Saturday 31 January.