site.btaAudi FIS Ski World Cup Bansko Boasts Season's Largest Number of Racers

The FIS World Cup events in Bansko have attracted this season's largest number of racers. Eighty-five entrants from 20 nations have confirmed their participation in the giant slalom on February 10, compared with 71 in Val d'Isere, Alta Badia and Adelboden. Likewise, the February 11 slalom in Bansko has attracted 95 racers from 21 countries, compared with 74 in the Schladming Night Race. Austria tops the table with 14 racers in each event, followed by Italy and Switzerland with 12 in the slalom and 11 in the giant slalom each.

The American racers were the first to arrive in Bansko. All the current stars headed by the World Cup leader Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) will race on Saturday. Confirmations for Sunday have come from the leader in the slalom standings, Manuel Feller (Austria) and the other two winners this season, Daniel Yule (Switzerland) and Linus Strasser (Germany). World Cup overall leader Marco Schwarz (Austria) is nursing a knee injury.

Bulgaria will be represented in the slalom by its star skier Albert Popov and second strongest racer Kalin Zlatkov.

The FIS Ski World Cup Bansko is the biggest sporting event in Bulgaria for 2024 and the flagship event of the organizer, the Bulgarian Ski Federation, which is marking its 100th anniversary this year.