Federica Brignone: "Andorra is always one of my favorite venues"

El Tarter, February 25, 2026.The Audi FIS Ski World Cup Andorra 2026 has already begun. The best speed specialists carried out, this Wednesday, February 25, the first test of the Downhill (DH) course on the Àliga slope in the El Tarter sector of Grandvalira during the first day of official training for this discipline.

A total of 60 skiers from 15 countries completed the run. The first training day allowed the competitors to do a first reconnaissance of the Àliga slope, and already this Wednesday speeds of 117 km/h were reached. The best time was set by the Czech, Ester Ledecká, with a time of 1:33:39, followed by the Italian, Nicol Delago +.37, and her teammate, Sofia Goggia +.43.

The skiers acknowledged the efforts of the resort's technical staff. "The slope is perfect, the snow is very compact. The first training is always to understand the course, the second to ski better, and the race to give it your all," explained the Italian athlete, Sofia Goggia. Along the same lines, her compatriot, Federica Brignone described Àliga as a "very beautiful slope with very good conditions. Andorra is always one of my favorite venues," assured the recent Olympic champion in giant slalom and super-G.

Good feelings for Jordina Caminal

In her home debut in a World Cup, the Andorran Jordina Caminal posted the 45th best time. "I felt quite comfortable, but I made some mistakes. Looking ahead to tomorrow, I’m eager to train again to correct them." Regarding Àliga, she stated that "the slope is incredible and you can really enjoy it, which means the organization has done a great job."

The emblematic Àliga downhill slope is 2.4 kilometers long and has a vertical drop of 751 meters, with an average gradient of 28%. The most spectacular points are the Gall jump, located halfway up the upper part of the slope, and the Curvone, the course’s most iconic turn, located in the lower part.

Logistics in motion

The first training session of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Andorra 2026 also served to test all organization and services. The timing and all the logistics of the finish area at the base of the El Tarter slopes were successfully tested. At the same time, the main media center was launched, located in the Obac building at the El Tarter gondola. The Team Hospitality (racers’ lounge) and the volunteer team are already operational.

As for Thursday, the day will be dedicated to the second Downhill training session, and on Friday the competition in this discipline will be held. It should be noted that, in this category and with Lindsey Vonn absent, Germans Emma Aicher and Kira Weidle Winkelmann, among others, are competing for the Crystal Globe.

Sports schedule:

Thursday, February 26 at 11 a.m.: Official Downhill training.

Friday, February 27 at 11 a.m.: Downhill race.

Saturday, February 28 at 10:15 a.m.: Super-G race.

Sunday, March 1 at 10:15 a.m.: Super-G race.