Three Japanese skiers, including Miki Ishibashi, Chisaki Maeda, and Asa Ando, are gearing up for the first Alpine Skiing World Cup of 2025 in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

The 2024-25 Alpine Skiing World Cup resumes this weekend in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, with Round 4 of the Women’s Giant Slalom (GS) on January 4 and Round 5 of the Women’s Slalom (SL) on January 5. Representing Japan, Miki Ishibashi, Chisaki Maeda, and Asa Ando will take to the slopes in this high-stakes competition.

Miki Ishibashi will compete in the GS on January 4. Reflecting on her 59th-place finish at the Semmering GS last week, she noted, “I’m working on refining my mindset and maintaining an aggressive attitude. My goal for Kranjska Gora is to make as many good turns as possible in this tense race.”

In the SL on January 5, Chisaki Maeda (Murase Gumi Co., Ltd.) and Asa Ando (Nissin Medical Foods) will represent Japan. Maeda, who placed 44th in the Semmering SL, is focusing on improving her technique in hairpins and straights to deliver a more attacking performance. “I want to find my rhythm early and attack fully,” she said.

Asa Ando, returning from a left ankle fracture sustained last year, is eager to regain her form. “The fracture no longer hurts, and I feel the same as I did before the injury,” she shared. With past top-25 finishes in Kranjska Gora, Ando hopes for a strong start to 2025.

Watanabe Airen who competed at Semmering, will miss this round as she prepares for the Europa Cup SL in Switzerland next week.