2023-11-11 13:55:53
Katharina Liensberger has returned to the slalom podium in the Alpine Ski World Cup following a year and a half of drought. The 2021 world champion put in a strong performance in Levi’s third place and also left fourth-placed slalom queen Mikaela Shiffrin behind. The Slovakian Petra Vlhova took her sixth victory in Lapland on Saturday with a true demonstration of power in front of the German Lena Dürr (+1.41 seconds). Liensberger was 1.55 seconds behind.
Liensberger felt a “huge relief” in the Winter Wonderland north of the Arctic Circle. I’m really happy that I got off to such a successful start. After finishing 23rd in the giant slalom in Sölden, the Vorarlberg native achieved the liberation she had hoped for in her flagship discipline following a truly epidemic season without a podium finish, including a completely unsuccessful experiment with a private trainer and a new service man. Now came the first podium since their victory in Åre in March 2022.
The support team around neo-head coach Roland Assinger was expressly praised by Liensberger. “A lot has changed for the better since the start of the season. Really brilliant, the other girls on the team also did a great job,” said the 26-year-old. Several of her colleagues presented themselves as if they had changed compared to the previous year. Katharina Huber finished eighth, Katharina Gallhuber came 13th on her comeback following a long injury break, and Katharina Troupe came 16th.
After the first round, a high-speed course set by ÖSV coach Klaus Mayrhofer, things looked even better. With four in the top eleven, the Austrians were a complete surprise. Shiffrin coach Karin Harjo set the course for the final in a much more twisted manner, but her technically perfect protégé didn’t know how to take advantage of this following a fall in training beforehand. The Austrians had a similar fate, with the exception of Liensberger.
The bottom line was a surprisingly positive start to the slalom run in the far north. “We are hugely proud of all the girls. The fact that they get it across like that makes me proud,” said technical trainer Mayrhofer. “It’s a dream for us, a great start. But we have to stay on the ground.”
Liensberger initially drove with start number 21 through a clean, steep slope and the second best time in the flatter final sector to fourth place. As the leader of the “2nd class” behind the top league, she was six tenths behind third-placed Shiffrin. Not an insurmountable hurdle, as the second round showed. With the second best running time, Liensberger intercepted the mistaken American.
Huber also exceeded expectations, especially in terms of performance. As fifth at halftime, the Lower Austrian was even on course for a new top result in slalom. In 2019 she also finished eighth in the World Cup in Levi. Gallhuber’s 13th place in her comeback following a break of over 600 days from the World Cup was already a small victory for her. The Lower Austrian, who won slalom bronze at the Olympics in 2018, basically completely destroyed her knee – once more – in August 2022.
Troop once more managed a strong first round, but not a strong second round. “On steep slopes I have to drive even more brutally and generally make fewer mistakes.” It was difficult, but doable, said the Carinthian, who was shortly followingwards replaced by Liensberger as the last slalom podium rider in the ÖSV (3rd in Killington a year ago).
Vlhova extended an impressive streak. Since 2014, the winner has always been either Shiffrin or Vlhova. Both now hold the Levi record with six successes each. “I’m very happy with my performance today. Especially in the second run it worked the way I wanted it to,” explained the Slovakian following her 20th Slalom World Cup victory. “I’m also a bit shocked that the lead is so big.”
However, the Swiss Wendy Holdener (12th) and the Swede Anna Swenn Larsson (19th) experienced disappointments at the start. Madison Hoffman (25th), however, scored the first World Cup points for the Australian ski women in 22 years.
Franziska Gritsch, the best Austrian in the opening giant slalom in Sölden (10th), was eliminated in the first round following line problems. She shared this fate with Marie-Therese Sporer and Nina Astner. Lisa Hörhager (38th) and Stephanie Brunner (40th) missed the second round of the best 30. They have another chance on Sunday (10 a.m. and 1 p.m./live ORF 1).
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