Former ski world champion Vincent Kriechmayr also frightened the organizers of the Austrian championships, which will take place in Hinterstoder and on the Wurzeralm from Thursday, with his fall in last season’s Super-G at the World Cup finals in Soldeu. Because there the 31-year-old Gramastettner is actually on the starting list. “We know from ÖSV sports director Herbert Mandl that Kriechmayr, Nina Ortlieb, Cornelia Hütter and other top athletes will compete with us,” said Kurt Steinkogler, who heads the organizing committee.
But now Kriechmayr’s arrival is marked with a question mark. Because the model athlete, who was spared serious injuries in the past, is struck. The right shoulder hurts.
The take-off – Kriechmayr slipped on the inner ski – didn’t look that bad. “I’ll have my shoulder looked at, I can already feel something. It’s bitter in the last race. I was a bit over-motivated, then my skis went away. The slope was better than expected, unfortunately I didn’t get much out of it,” he said Mühlviertler, who celebrated his 16th World Cup success on Wednesday in Andorra.
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This makes Kriechmayr number seven in the all-time ÖSV men’s hit list – behind Marcel Hirscher (67 wins), Hermann Maier (54), Benjamin Raich (36), Stephan Ebernharter (29), Franz Klammer (26) and Michael Walchhofer ( 19). In the Super-G, things did not go according to plan for the Upper Austrian this winter. “That was modest. I didn’t really perform well and made a lot of mistakes,” Kriechmayr analyzed following the results of the season four, nine, two, four, five, five and seven. Doesn’t sound bad at all, but it’s not enough for the high demands of the ambitious speed specialist, who won the Super G crystal ball in 2020/21.
Premiere for Marco Schwarz
Frequent driver Marco Schwarz shows no signs of fatigue at all. On the contrary: the two-time World Championship medal winner from Courchevel achieved his first podium place in a speed race in Andorra by finishing second in Super-G. “That has to be rated very highly. Of course I would like to continue in this tone,” said Schwarz, who was only beaten by Swiss overall World Cup triumphant Marco Odermatt, who increased his points account to 1942. This means that the Swiss, who posed together with compatriot Lara Gut-Behrami and the small crystal balls, are only 58 from Maier’s 2000-point record. If Odermatt comes third in the giant slalom on Saturday, he will outperform the “Herminator”.
Image: APA/AFP/LIONEL BONAVENTURE
Author
Alexander Zambarloukos
Sports Editor
Alexander Zambarloukos
