Austria’s alpine ski men have made a dream start to the World Championship season. In the first three races only in the Super-G of Lake Louise the victory did not go to the ÖSV. But Vincent Kriechmayr is leading the overall World Cup ranking for the first time.
“I am really very satisfied”, said Herrenchef Andreas Puelacher before the change from Canada to Beaver Creek (USA). That’s where his boys are supposed to go.
And there Marcel Hirscher joins the team. The Levi slalom winner flew to Denver on Monday and will compete in the final giant slalom on Sunday at the Birds of Prey. Hirscher hadn’t even ruled out a Super-G race in the end.
The seven-time overall World Cup winner and young father will meet a speed team that arrived with a lot of self-confidence. Above all Max Franz (downhill victory) and Kriechmayr have shown great and also helped the ski brand Fischer to a fresh shine. In addition, there were strong team performances in Canada.
“The boys have done really well. Above all, I like the technical quality we have,” Puelacher was impressed. Here and there – as for example with Olympic champion Matthias Mayer – there are minor tuning errors. “But I’m really looking for little things right now.”
For Puelacher, too, things can therefore go on like this. “The biggest problem we’ve ever had is in Lake Louise, we’ve fixed that. Now we’re looking forward to Beaver Creek.” The bird of prey piste there is known to be much more demanding. “That should even accommodate us.”
Of course, Kriechmayr’s overall tour is only an early snapshot, but it is also an indication. Like Mayer, the speed rider from Upper Austria would even be a potential candidate for the big crystal ball at some point, thanks to the inclusion of the giant slalom and intensive parallel training. Even in Beaver, Kriechmayr and Mayer could get a chance in giant slalom. “I trust them to qualify for the second round,” said Puelacher.
All in all, however, one must dominate in two disciplines in order to have a chance of winning the overall ranking. No one knows how much longer deer will drive. “You have to think long term. We need to be ready when the opportunity presents itself. There can always be injuries, diseases, or form crises.”
Kriechmayr is currently driving in an enviable early form. “He recalls his two victories at the finale in Aare: “But without his gap at the top he would have been unbeatable in the Super-G of Lake Louise”, Puelacher is convinced.
The 27-year-old Kriechmayr is also the personified self-confidence. “I want to be ready on every track and win as much as possible. I’m far too ambitious not to want to,” he says, making high demands on himself.
Beaver’s just in time. There he scored his first World Cup points and won his first Super-G race a year ago. “I have a lot of self-confidence. I want to get more podiums and win races.”
Despite the narrowly missed victory in Lake Louise (winner Kjetil Jansrud: “I wouldn’t have had a chance against Vinz with a normal ride”) Kriechmayr currently feels better on the downhill. “Besides, this is the supreme discipline for me. Being fast in a descent is a cool feeling,” he says, looking forward to the Birds of Prey. “A truly legendary departure.”
In Beaver Matthias Mayer also wants to get involved again. In Canada, the Olympic champion made no secret of the fact that he is currently plagued by coordination problems. “Some things don’t fit together as well as in the past years,” the head driver puzzled. “I missed half a second in every race. I need to do better this week.”