The veterans Otmar Striedinger, Daniel Hemetsberger and Vincent Kriechmayr, who were born in this order in 1991 and are each 31 years old, are joined by Stefan Babinsky (26 years) who already has three years of World Cup experience. Julian Schütter (24) has nine World Cup appearances this winter, Andreas Ploier (25) three, for Manuel Traninger (24), Stefan Rieser (24) and Hacker (23) a Kitz race would be the debut. The line-up will be announced following the second training session on Thursday (12:15 p.m., live on ORF1, broadcast from 11:45 a.m.).
Kriechmayr held back on his young colleagues with the “stupid jokes” he heard before his first ride on the Streif. “A few have shown really good performances in the European Cup, they can ski really well. If you have the conviction, the experience down there is not so decisive.” The Upper Austrian still remembers his first time on the Streif very well. “I had my pants full. I slowed down so much in front of the mousetrap that I almost mightn’t get over it. I was, I think, six seconds down but felt so happy as if I had won.”
Kriechmayr reserved in kitz training
Vincent Kriechmayr wants to settle an open score on the descent in Kitzbühel. In the first training session on Tuesday, however, he is still covered and is in 40th place with a goal error.
Old hands give tips for Streif
Perhaps it was due to the good preparation of the Streif that the young squad was undaunted at the finish on Tuesday. “It’s a good day, I’m healthy, I’ve skied down the Streif, I can do what I like to do. It looked worse during the inspection, so you get respect. Then you go down and think, it wasn’t that bad,” reported Schütter, who has already scored five times in his first World Cup season.
All Kitzbühel dates
Thursday, January 19th
12:15 p.m.: Second practice session
(live on ORF1, broadcast from 11.45 a.m.)
Friday, January 20th
11.30 a.m.: Kitzbühel descent
(live on ORF1, broadcast from 10.55 a.m.)
Saturday, January 21st
11.30 a.m.: Hahnenkamm descent (live on ORF1, broadcast from 10.55 a.m.)
Sunday, January 22nd
10.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m.: Slalom
(live on ORF1, broadcast from 10 a.m. or 12.50 p.m.)
Unlike Schütter, Ploier got tips from his friend and roommate Hemetsberger. “I know how he feels, I think I was able to give him security and I hope that I can support him,” said last year’s third from Kitzbühel. Ploier confirmed that it took away his nervousness. “I had a very good picture with the information and went in well prepared,” reported Ploier. But just driving down the Streif doesn’t make a downhiller, the 17th from Bormio answered a corresponding question. “You have to be fast too.”
“Every Speedler’s Dream”
As the winner of the last two European Cup downhill runs, Rieser traveled to Gamststadt, where he also took part in training last year. “Length, speed, jumps. It’s all more in the World Cup. But I always have my same ritual at the start. The head doesn’t check whether it’s Kitzbühel or another race,” reported the man from Salzburg, whose goal for the season is a fixed starting place for the next World Cup season, which was won in the European Cup. “Kitzbühel is really great in between. Kitzbühel is every speedler’s dream,” said the 2020 Junior World Champion in Super-G.
Traninger knows the Streif from the European Cup, but the route is shortened. “At the start I was tense, while driving I noticed that – to put it briefly – it wasn’t that bad. It was relaxed and cool to drive.” After two cruciate ligament injuries, the youth Olympic champion from 2016 sees himself on the right track once more, confidence is coming back. A good team structure, as he finds it, is of course helpful. “The more experienced ones are happy to help us. We try to ski fast together. Of course it is an individual sport, but it takes several people to be successful.”
EC descents in comparison “Micky Mouse”
Hackers didn’t “find it that bad” either. “But at the Hausberg Kante the Hax’n are already on fire,” admitted the Carinthian, who showed up ninth in the first training session in Bormio at the end of December, but then tore a “brezn” in the downhill as a precursor. Both are cool experiences and overall it’s been a bad week. Compared to the Streif, the “Micky Mouse” European Cup descents, which are often carried out on less well-prepared pistes and easier terrain. The technical, icy come to him. “It suits me better in the World Cup, but that’s a huge leap.”
Team oldie Striedinger let the boys know that he would always be there with advice. “We want to act as a team, take care of the boys who are pretty good at skiing and are already making their way. They are young and motivated, we want to get them involved so that group dynamics develop. Everyone can benefit from the fact that we as a team are getting bigger and better once more.”
