A series of high-profile crashes in the previous alpine skiing season throws a shadow over the start of the new World Cup campaign this weekend, as many of the injured skiers have not recovered yet.
Former overall champions Alexis Pinturault and Petra Vlhova have postponed their comebacks until December, Austrian all-rounder Marco Schwarz's return is still undetermined, and Norwegian standout Aleksander Aamodt Kilde will even sit out the entire season.
Still, two giant slaloms on a glacier in Soelden Austria, with the women racing on Saturday and the men on Sunday, will open a pre-Olympic season that offers ski racing fans a lot to look forward to.
American star Mikaela Shiffrin needs three more victories to get her record-extending 100th career World Cup win; Marco Odermatt eyes his fourth straight overall championship; and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Marcel Hirscher return, coming out of retirement and switching allegiances to Brazil and the Netherlands, respectively.