Austria’s Nordic combined athletes are looking forward to their home World Cup in Ramsau. The Salzburg Quartet is planning to do a lot for this.
Mario Seidl, Stefan and Thomas Rettenegger as well as Claudia Purker make up the Salzburg cloverleaf, which is fighting for top results at this week’s home world cup of Nordic combined in Ramsau. Since all four come from Pongau, it is only a short hop to the neighboring Ennstal, and the competitions take place practically on our doorstep the hill quite well,” Stefan Rettenegger grins. Who made a great start to the season, achieved his best career result with fifth place in Ruka and felt like more. “The jumping was really good in Finland, the running was better in Lillehammer. But I haven’t had a dream day where everything went well.” That should become reality this week when the men and women compete in two singles each. While Thomas, the brother of the junior world champion, is also aiming for points in the third station, the grapes are hanging higher at Seidl. As tenth in the World Cup, he is currently the best Austrian (right ahead of Stefan Rettenegger) and was close to the podium in Norway. “I’m happy about the start of the World Cup because I’ve had a difficult summer. Jumping is really fun at the moment and is easy to do. That gives you a lot of self-confidence,” explains the 30-year-old since last week. What makes him positive is that although he still sees room for improvement on the cross-country ski run, he was not far off the podium recently. “It’s cool that I can fight,” grins Seidl, “but I also see what I still have to do.” Lisa Hirner, the draft horse from Styria, is hoping for another podium place in the women’s race, the Tyrolean wants Annalena Slamik take another step forward. Purker, however, has to get fit again. A bad cold bothered her yesterday. But there is still a little time until the weekend. In any case, her trainer Bernhard Aicher is impressed by her development: “She has presented herself superbly lately, her development is very good.”
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