Image: EXPA/JOHANN GRODER (APA)
It was the first medal at a major event for the red-white-red freeskiers. With 184.50 points, Müllauer was only beaten by the American Troy Podmilsak (187.75).
ÖSV teammate Matej Svancer (176.50) narrowly missed out on precious metal in fourth place. Olympic champion Birk Ruud (183.50) from Norway secured bronze. “That’s definitely my greatest success. It’s definitely the best thing that’s ever happened. It makes you want more,” said a happy Müller in the finish area. With a switch 2160, a jump with six rotations around its own axis, the qualifying winner made it onto the podium in the final. “Until I got up and drove away, I didn’t know what I was doing,” said Müllauer in an ORF interview about his spontaneous inspiration.
For the first time he managed to jump on snow. “I almost fell over when I landed,” said Müller, relieved. With two attempts with 89.75 and 94.75 points, Müllauer, who was the first red-white-red freeskier to win the Big Air World Cup in Quebec in 2019, was able to celebrate silver. With his last jump he pushed the 18-year-old Svancer off the podium. “I’m really sorry, I would have given him the same,” said Müllauer, who, like in the qualification, competed with a borrowed spare ski boot from the former Swedish world champion Oliwer Magnusson. “I owe him a bit, but that’s okay,” he said, laughing.
A turbulent World Cup had a happy ending for Müllauer. When he got to Georgia, his luggage arrived a few days late, he had dislocated his left thumb in the qualification for the slopestyle competition and his ski boot broke in the qualification for the Big Air. Nevertheless, in the past few days he had “getting better and better at my skiing,” said Müllauer. The qualifying win on Friday also gave me a lot of self-confidence. “I’m usually brutally nervous, that certainly took away a lot of my nervousness.”
Source: Nachrichten
