Olympia 2018: Kettledrumbeat: Olympia for Anna Veith comes to an end

Stephanie Venier with best time in practice, Ramona Siebenhofer as fourth and Nicole Schmidhofer after eighth place and coach’s decision on Monday in Jeongseon have made the jump into the ÖSV team for the Olympic downhill on Wednesday (3.00 a. m. CET). Cornelia Hütter (15th) had already had her place for sure. Anna Veith (21st) and Tamara Tippler (23rd) were left behind.

While Tippler made a serious and painful mistake at the top of the second practice session and so he made his way into the top four in 23rd place. far missed, Veith was not surprised by 21st place and 2.36 seconds behind Venier. After the barely missed gold in the Super-G last Saturday, the Olympic efforts and the silver celebration had robbed the Salzburg woman of her last energy.

“Anna was at issue. However, after her great Super-G-Silver she is a bit shattered and needs regeneration time for the next World Cup races and a good season’s end and will therefore fly home as soon as possible”, explained Jürgen Kriechbaum, Head of Women’s Racing Sports, after a conversation with the Salzburg woman.

Veith had already hinted at this in the target area before,”I’m not doing well in terms of energy. I realize that the extreme strains have taken me along here,”said the two-time overall World Cup winner, who only got back to business in the Olympic Winter after a long break from injury,”I realize that I’ve been here a long time and would need every ounce of it”.

Veith hadn’t really expected a nomination after her second practice session,”I’m too far away for that. The backlog is sobering, albeit not surprising,”said the Super-G runner-up.

I would have been able to take a break today and went into downhill training fitter tomorrow,”said Veith,” but I don’t blame anyone for it. I knew right from the start that this is not a descent that plays into my hands. I want the fastest people to go and get a chance.”

That’s why Veith stopped the topic immediately after the decision against her. Olympia feel “really good” in the rear view mirror, though:”When I think of the Super-G, I still feel like I’m losing my Gansl skin. It is madness, as my way has been in the last years and I can get to the heart of it. To have done that means a lot to me.”

Veith will think about how her “comeback” could continue in summer at the latest:”I had completely lost the timing for corners at the start of the season,”she made it clear that things are much better in the Super-G than in the downhill.

“So I have to consider the direction in which it is heading and where the priorities will be in the future,” Veith said. When I get back into the giant slalom one hundred percent, I have to skip downhill runs.” The giant slalom is somehow more tangible.”You can get three times that in a short time than in the downhill.”

Tippler didn’t hold back her tears.”Of course I wanted to be there. It’s bitter when you start with a huge mistake and then you don’t have the speed,”explained the Styrian, explaining her problems with the difficult diagonal drive “It’s a bad feeling when you jump only ten meters where you’re normally 30 meters away. Then anyway, I’ll know the cheese’s been eaten.”

The Styrian will still be in training on Tuesday.”At least I can test some equipment.”

Lindsey Vonn came third in the second practice behind Venier and Sofia Goggia, although she was halfway up the finishing slope with her arms wide open. US countrywoman Mikaela Shiffrin also took part, was 16th. and then went straight to slalom training for the combination. It remains to be seen whether Shiffrin will use her fixed seat for the special downhill run.