After all, Roland Leitinger was able to achieve a pleasing result in the problem discipline in Sölden with second place. The Tyrolean Manuel Feller was able to get on the podium in the giant slalom in Val d’Isere after leading at half-time. Otherwise, however, it hurts to look at the list of results. World Cup hope Stefan Brennsteiner only made it to 15th place. Patrick Feuerstein (18th) and Raphael Haaser (19th) (brother of Ricarda Haaser) just made it into the top 20. On Sunday in the slalom, Fabio Gstrein was 14th still the best Austrian. But not only the results, but also the list of injuries hurts.
In addition to Leitinger, Adrian Pertl, the slalom runner-up in the world championship, is now out of the season after a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a meniscus injury in his right knee. In the giant slalom on the Face de Bellevarde he got stuck with his skis on a gate pole and fell and was operated on Sunday in Hochrum. The comeback of ball winner Marco Schwarz did not lead to a successful final qualification after 35th place, but the realization that the ankle holds. “I will now analyze well, treat well and take a little break. I need the training days, ”said the Carinthian, who had only completed two training units beforehand.
Nevertheless, the men are looking forward to the season with a lot of optimism, after all, the slalom season has only just begun. Let’s look positively into the future, the shape fits. The speed is there. Of course, I would have liked to have taken a podium, but I’ll keep fighting. I will continue to accelerate and not retreat, but attack ”, said the winner of two slaloms last winter (Flachau, Lenzerheide).
Men’s racing director Andreas Puelacher is very satisfied with Feller. “You can see that he’s in shape. In the giant slalom he showed how good he is with his podium. Unfortunately, he set up the slalom after very good interim times. It can happen.”
Two Super-G decisions in the Alpine Women’s World Cup in St. Moritz at the weekend, two fifth places for Ariane Rädler and Ramona Siebenhofer. It wasn’t enough for the red-white-red speed armada in the Engadine, which racing director Christian Mitter said a little wistfully. “We have done below our value,” said the Styrian. With more luck, “a podium place would have been possible” on both days. Some have not reached their potential.
Two good rides in different conditions in terms of weather and route length did not bring any ÖSV runner dry. Rädler surprised on Saturday with her best World Cup result so far, errors prevented more on Sunday – 17th place for the Vorarlbergerin. Vice versa, Siebenhofer had already been canceled in the first Super-G after a mistake in the upper part of the track and was only 41. The women’s next Saturday will continue with the downhill in Val d’Isere
