The start of the last World Cup weekend will be on Saturday with the giant slalom runners (09.00/12.00), in which the Swiss Marco Odermatt is the winner of the discipline and Feller defends third place, as well as the slalom runners (10.30/13.30/all races live ORF 1), in which the sovereign Ball winner Slovakian Petra Vlhova is. Here, too, ÖSV, in the person of Katharina Liensberger, who recently won her first win of the season in Aare, is concerned with securing third place.
For Austria’s men, the World Cup final has so far been extremely pleasing with Vincent Kriechmayr’s victories in downhill and super-G in Courchevel. “Things should continue this weekend, both Manuel and Stefan deserve to be at the top of the giant slalom,” said the outgoing racing director Andreas Puelacher. “We’ll do everything we can to fight for the podium again. The boys are well prepared and are looking forward to the final.” Stefan Brennsteiner had recently finished fifth and second in Kranjska Gora and achieved his first podium finish of the season.
“But that was in completely different conditions than here, so it’s all the more appealing that you can bring it here too,” said Brennsteiner to the APA – Austria Press Agency. He didn’t like the conditions on the way to second place in the team competition on Friday, he needed more counter pressure. “It’s brutal skiing when it’s so smooth. Everyone will hope that there will be a clear night and it will pick up. It just looks nicer then, there’s more dynamic in the sport and more cornering speed. But if not, it’s up to you adjust to that and have a good race.”
Patrick Feurstein, who will be there on Saturday like Brennsteiner, Feller, Marco Schwarz and Raphael Haaser, did well on the salt slope in the team competition. With discipline winner Odermatt, Justin Murisier, Loic Meillard and Gino Caviezel, Switzerland is sending the stronger team this winter into the race. With regard to the men’s Nations Cup, the ÖSV quintet must therefore try to keep the current ten points behind Switzerland within limits. Because in the slalom on Sunday, Austria has a greater number of points than the Confederates are capable of.
Feller can also make friends with the conditions on Saturday and ideally get in the mood for the showdown on Sunday in the slalom. He doesn’t think he has a chance of getting a ball anymore, but this slalom season has had a few surprises in store. The women have their final goal run on Saturday, Katharina Liensberger, Katharina Truppe, Katharina Huber, Katharina Gallhuber and Chiara Mair are qualified.
“Spring is getting closer and closer. But you just have to take the conditions as they are, you have to adapt. All in all, if you’re in a good mood, they’re really cool. I’m still fully motivated and I’m really happy. I want to two good results in the top ten and thus finish the season well,” explained the Carinthian troops. Liensberger arrived with a lot of self-confidence and is ready for a repeat – last year she won the last two slaloms of the season. The Vorarlberg native did part one in Sweden and is ready for more.
Source: Nachrichten
