The first men’s downhill run on the Streif in Kitzbühel took place an hour late. Will the Austrians succeed in turning things around at home? With the sportkrone.at ticker you can be there live!
Here is the live ticker:Here is the interim result:Due to light snowfall and poor visibility on parts of the route, the departure was postponed by an hour. Vincent Kriechmayr and the currently injured Aleksander Aamodt Kilde each celebrated a downhill victory on the Streif last year, and this year the signs point to Marco Odermatt. The Swiss is in great form as a Wengen double winner. For Austria today it’s about the first podium place of the season in this discipline, after a skeleton team on the Lauberhorn, the quantitative optimum is exploited with an octet. “The whole life is purely a matter of the head” The claim of the 2021 world champion is greater than two fifth places in Bormio and Wengen. “The whole of life is purely a matter of the head. And when it comes to skiing, confidence is very important. You can see that with the front two, they drive with such broad chests and push themselves to the limit,” said Kriechmayr, referring to Odermatt and the Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin. The Upper Austrian had recently lost this self-confidence, but the Streif final training was promising for him a turnaround. Kriechmayr had found the basic speed he had recently missed, so he can push himself to the limit again. “I live from my good skiing. And if I don’t feel comfortable, then I can’t attack. Then I’m very prone to mistakes and sloppy.”Of course, depending on Odermatt, it could definitely be a close race. “Whoever ultimately drives the most corners down there and hits them best is in front. Of course an Odermatt is the big favorite, it is in outstanding shape, but it also only cooks with water,” said Kriechmayr. “I’m definitely not one of the top favorites. But I would still like to win. Full attack, full risk. This is the only way you have the opportunity to fight at the front.”Pfeifer is “in good spirits” Given that Austria has only had six top 12 finishes in five outings this season so far, head coach Marko Pfeifer is a sought-after interview partner. “I already know the situation from the slalom a few years ago. But I’m in good spirits,” said the Carinthian. “If one or the other has a good run, they will be on the podium. The training gives us confidence, I hope that they have the confidence to do it. I don’t want them to put too much pressure on themselves because then you’ll be inhibited.” That’s easy to say, says Pfeifer. “Vinc has to ignore the fact that he has to save the nation with his podium finish.” The mood in the team was good, and there was also encouragement from Arnold Schwarzenegger. “We had a relaxed evening. Arnie came by and gave us a few motivating words. In English. But that was really cool. If we implement that, it will work out.”Like Kriechmayr, Stefan Babinsky is also fully fit, he has no after-effects from his fall in the second training session and wants to add another good result to his tally of two sixth downhill places this winter. “I want to put the good feeling I’ve built into practice.” He hasn’t missed the podium so far in his career that he’s convinced that the hundredths or tenths will definitely come back again. The cold weather will make the undertaking a challenge, but he will be ready. Daniel Danklmaier also knows that you won’t get very far on the Streif if you show great restraint: “It means accelerating from top to bottom, you won’t always be able to ski top and feel good. But the skis must always point downwards. Even if it’s Kitzbühel and you have respect.” Yes, you have to want to go down, explained Otmar Striedinger, who recently had a cold. “It doesn’t forgive very many mistakes, but no downhill course in the world does.” “Extremely on the edge” Daniel Hemetsberger assumes that a ride at the limit will be necessary for victory. “I think you have to drive extremely hard.” The knee is currently causing problems, but there are hopes of being pain-free at the start, otherwise it will be critical. “If you drive in a nail and your foot hurts, you don’t step on it. That’s how it is.”Hemetsberger has been riding with a torn lateral meniscus since a crash in Beaver Creek. Nevertheless, he wants to have an active ride and land between five and ten. He favors Odermatt at the front. “The victories have made him stronger. He has a brutal run, he is more relaxed than ever before. He does his things very conscientiously and is currently driving like a berserker. And it’s perfect skiing.”
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