In our latest magazine, we were only able to write about the South African slalom results of NIVELCO Racing Team’s youth racers, which meant big steps towards the Olympics. Since that, the whole winter season has passed, and we have some superb news. NIVELCO Racing Team team achieved outstanding results, and the three youngsters broke Hungarian records from race to race!
Noa Szollos – one of the most talented skier in her age group – reached the top of the podium for the fifth time in the Murau Cup Series, and with brilliant wins and podiums she finished second in the Styrian Championship.
She participated in only one event in the Hungarian Championship, and she won it.
These results were no surprise, because we were used to these results as she was part of the top skiers of her age group.
Noa took part in races by International Ski Federation (FIS) for the first time where as a member of the Hungarian National Team, she achieved results never seen before!
Right in the first race at the end of January, in Andorra, she stood on the top of the podium, and she stayed on the podium for the next four races.
In Trofeu Borrufa 2017 – which is the most prestigious competition of her age group – she achieved the following results:
Noa Szollos won gold in slalom (SL), and in giant slalom (GS). In Super G (SG) she got silver and bronze, and a silver also in Alpine Combined (AC). Before her, only her brothers – Barnabas and Benjamin – were able to earn podium finishes here!!!
It was an incredible feeling to see Noa Szollos – racer of NIVELCO Racing Team – on the podium after every single race!
This year’s podium finishes reached thirty. These outstanding results exceeded our expectations. Noa – including the international competitions – was able to stand on the top of the podium for sixteen times!
The highlight of the 2016/2017 season was the Whistler Cup in April.
The Whistler Cup is the biggest event for young racers before they’re eligible to compete in the World Cup or the Olympics.
This year marks the Whistler Cup’s 25th anniversary and it hosted more than 440 athletes from 23 different countries across the globe, making it the largest youth ski racing event in North America.
Noa Szollos, the 14 years old racer of NIVElCO Racing Team took part in the three-day long competition as a member of the Hungarian national team. In the very first race she already showed that she should be feared even in Canada, as she finished second in slalom, on a – for her – very different kind of snow.
There were more than 120 racers in her class, so the second day’s parallel slalom – what is a new competition at world cups – turned into a huge celebration!
She had never participated in such a big competition, and in a huge race she finished third in the 10-round race!
The highlight of the whole event for the NIVELCO Racing Team’s youngster was the giant slalom race on the last day, where she won both run with a nearly 3 second ahead, and as a result of it, the Whistler Cup.
The Hungarian National Anthem was played in her honor while she was on the top of the podium with the Hungarian national flag.
It was only a year ago that the two NIVELCO Racing Team youngsters, Barnabas Szollos and Benjamin Szollos stood on downhill skis for the first time. They participated in Super G races before but downhill (DH) skiing was totally new for them. Despite this, in their first race – what was last year’s Austrian championship – it was proven that they have the courage and talent for this new kind of challenge. They were not able to train for these speed races during summer and fall, and the Hungarian Ski Association was not helping in this either, so they had to do this in the hardest way: participating in races to use them as training.
Good results were coming from race to race, but in December Barnabas had a clavicle fracture that prevented his preparation for a long time.
Meanwhile, Benjamin attended downhill DH and Super G races, which brought the first great results. With excellent racing, Benjamin Szollos found himself in the world elite group in the 141st place. We can call these events historical, because no Hungarian skiers were able to score such points before.
Barnabas got healthy again at the end of January and achieved some brilliant Super G results.
During this season, NIVELCO Team racers’ training and racing was mostly preparation for the Olympics. Despite the fact that the two boys were not able to train for their previous best events, they won five out of six Hungarian Championship Titles. Benjamin Szollos won all three (U21) and one adult championship title, while his brother, Barnabas Szollos became the champion of the adult alpine combined. After the championship, downhill and Super G races have continued, which resulted more and more historical wins for the NIVELCO Racing Team racers! The season’s highlights were the competitions in the end of March, where – beyond all of our expectations – they got among the TOP 250 racers in alpine combination (AC). The cherry on the cake was the championship in Montenegro, where they won competitions alternately, got numerous second places in the giant races, and they were again the best Hungarian skiers.
We are proud that as members of the NIVELCO Racing Team, Benjamin Szollos and Barnabas Szollos received scholarship by the International Olympic Committee, they are leading the world ranking in the Hungarian male section, and are excitedly waiting for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.