Too old? Too shy?
Desperate DSV team throws itself into the Streif “Inferno”
January 18, 2024, 8:14 a.m
In Wengen, Thomas Dreßen fought back tears. In Kitzbühel he made a decent impression – and then missed the second training session. Either way, the Germans are just outsiders. The Alpine boss struggles and looks for the reasons for the misery.
It is the most famous and legendary descent in the world. Top speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, jumps of around 80 meters, a maximum slope inclination of 85 percent. The Streif demands everything from the alpine ski aces. The Swiss record winner Didier Cuche (five successes) described the almost two minutes over the thundering ice to the “WAZ” a few years ago: It was “a ride through the inferno”. If you’re in shape, the race is good for you. If you don’t, you’ll have problems.
And anyone who saw Thomas Dreßen fighting back tears after the race in Wengen last Saturday probably doubted that he would be there in Kitzbühel this week. But there he is. Battered, puzzling – and with hopes. The 30-year-old is emblematic of the great suffering of German alpine athletes. They have supporting roles at the big skiing party, where tens of thousands of fans and many celebrities such as the Austrian Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger and singer Andreas Gabalier are expected.
“I looked at all of it”
But they really want to get out of these. But how? Dreßen skipped the second training session. “DNS” was written after his name, “did not start”. He had already tested his battered right knee on the first test drive on Tuesday. Because there are two runs on the legendary Streif on Friday and Saturday (11.30 a.m./ARD and Eurosport), he didn’t want to risk anything. “I want to protect my knee, I looked at everything yesterday and know what the criteria are,” he said.
After his emotional outburst last Saturday in Wengen, in which he appeared almost desperate because of his physical problems, the 31-year-old seems willing to throw himself into the Streif – six years after his sensational victory at the same place. “The knee felt good. It was a controlled ride for me, I looked at everything and consciously left a bit of air in one passage or another,” he said about his ride on Tuesday.
“We always had a slack, but…”
Dreßen’s right knee is a big problem, but not the only problem in a team that could urgently need the best German downhill skier in World Cup history healthy and in good shape. A ninth place for Romed Baumann in Val Gardena in mid-December – the German speed drivers, who were so strong two years ago, have not achieved anything more this winter.
Alpine boss Wolfgang Maier therefore draws a sobering interim conclusion in the former flagship division before the season’s highlight. The previous season’s performances in the premier discipline were “more than disappointing,” he told the sports information service: “We’ve always had slack, but the fact that we’re collectively lagging behind like this – I don’t know when in my long time that’s been the case.” There had been a “considerable decline in performance” in recent races, he told the German Press Agency. The team obviously lacks self-confidence. “You’re not driving confidently.”
“Are we too old?”
The experienced Maier puzzles over the reasons for the misery. “Are we too old? Are we still willing to take the risks that are required? Are we still willing to drive the way you have to in order to be successful?” There are no quick solutions, which is why Maier finds Dreßen’s ongoing problems all the more bitter. “Unfortunately we can’t get it under control,” he said, “we would need a leader like Tom.”
Last but not least, Baumann is willing to reverse the trend – even if it is on the Streif. “The plan was that I would draw a line in the sand here and concentrate on the essentials again from the first trip,” said Baumann. “I did quite well in the first training session.” He finished tenth on the first trip and only 47th on the second, but “I slipped up a bit there,” he said. Andreas Sander, who came second in the World Cup three years ago, also wants nothing more than a new start. After his twelfth place in the second training session, which was also the last, he said: “One hopes. But hoping doesn’t help at the moment. That’s not enough.” Sander wants to work on the material until Friday, “but that,” he admits, “is not my problem.” Rather? “The self-confidence is not right.” A coup on the Streif would be just in time.
But the favorites are different. The two-time overall World Cup winner Marco Odermatt, for example. The Swiss high-flyer already has seven victories this season; he recently celebrated his first World Cup successes in downhill in Wengen. Former world champion Vincent Kriechmayr at his home game or the in-form Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin should also be able to do something for themselves – especially after the injury-related loss of the Norwegian speed dominator Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.