Olympics: These are Austria’s hottest medal candidates

BADMINTON: Collins Filimon, born in Romania and naturalized on June 20, has been drawn into a difficult group with the Danish world number four Anders Antonsen. In his quest to advance to the round of 16 or win the group, the world number 112 is an outsider. There has not yet been a badminton medal for Austria.

ARCHERY: Elisabeth Straka is the third Austrian archer to qualify for the Olympics. Her goal is to be the first ÖOC representative to survive a knockout round and advance to the round of 32. Consequently, there has not yet been an Austrian medal in archery.

GOLF: Ryder Cup winner Sepp Straka is capable of anything. Three years ago in Tokyo he was in the medal race until the last round and ended up in tenth place. A medal would be a first. Sarah Schober and Emma Spitz have been nominated for the women’s tournament.

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JUDO: After two medals in Tokyo, Austria is once again sending medal contenders into the race. First and foremost, Japan’s second-placed Michaela Polleres in the weight class up to 70 kg, as she is seeded third in the rankings. Lubjana Piovesana (up to 63 kg) has also had a strong year so far. A sextet has been nominated, but Austria has no real chance in the mixed team competition.

CANOE: Austria’s whitewater trio knows the canal in Vaires-sur-Marne inside out thanks to numerous training stays. In the single kayak, Corinna Kuhnle, after two top ten finishes so far, can be expected to win a medal at her third Games, as can Felix Oschmautz, who came fourth in Tokyo 2021. Viktoria Wolffhardt is not expected to be at the top in the single canoe. The last medal for Austria to date was in 2008 in Beijing with bronze in the whitewater slalom for Violetta Oblinger-Peters.

CLIMB: Jakob Schubert, bronze medalist in Tokyo, is once again a title contender and is rated even higher due to the separation of boulder/lead and speed in the two-person combination. Gold in the women’s event seems to have gone to the Slovenian Janja Garnbret. Jessica Pilz, however, is one of the larger group of other medal contenders and is looking to top her seventh place from three years ago.

ATHLETICS: Lukas Weißhaidinger knows how to deal with Olympic stress and pressure, and after his bronze in Tokyo he is an even bigger favorite to win medals in Paris. Silver at the European Championships in Rome confirmed the path he has chosen, and the main competitors in the discus at the Summer Games are almost all Europeans. European javelin champion Victoria Hudson will be faced with a test of nerves and a handful of competitors from other continents. A red-white-red septet has been nominated in this sport.

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CYCLING – ROAD, MOUNTAIN BIKE, TRACK: The most realistic hope for a medal is in the women’s time trial. Both Anna Kiesenhofer and Christina Schweinberger are good enough for a podium place. In the road races, Tokyo Olympic champion Kiesenhofer and Schweinberger, or Felix Großschartner and Marco Haller, are less likely to have a chance. Großschartner is also competing in the time trial. Laura Stigger is considered strong in the mountain bike, but the medals are hanging high. On the track, U23 European champion Tim Wafler can be expected to take a top place in the omnium.

RIDING – DRESSAGE, JUMPING, VERSATILITY: A total of eight riders from all three disciplines made it to the Games; the chance of a medal for Austria has not been this high for a long time. Show jumper Max Kühner has a reliable partner in Elektric Blue. In eventing, Lea Siegl has set the top ten as her minimum goal. Dressage rider Victoria Max-Theurer has been nominated for the Summer Olympics for the sixth time. The last equestrian medal to date was won by the show jumping team in 1992 in Barcelona, ​​including Hugo Simon (silver).

ROWING: While the double sculls Louisa Altenhuber and Lara Tiefenthaler are aiming to reach the semifinals in their Olympic farewell in lightweight rowing, Magdalena Lobnig is eyeing another place in the final in the heavy single sculls. The Carinthian had to cope with a slipped disc she suffered in early April during her preparations, which resulted in little competition practice. Winning another medal after bronze in Tokyo would come as a surprise.

SHOOT: Alexander Schmirl has shown, not least with his 2023 World Championship title in the small-bore rifle three-position competition, that he has the quality to win medals and can also handle pressure well. Martin Strempfl had also secured a quota place with the air rifle last year. In June, three more were added, which went to Sylvia Steiner, Andreas Thum and Nadine Ungerank. Once a reliable medal guarantor, the last sport shooting medal at the Olympics was 20 years ago (bronze by Christian Planer in 2004 in Athens).

SWIMMING – POOL, OPEN WATER, SYNCHRONIZED, JUMPING: The eleven-man crew goes into the games with a wide range of quality. Felix Auböck travels as European champion in the 400 m freestyle, Simon Bucher and Martin Espernberger as World Championship runners-up in the 100 m and third-placed in the 200 m butterfly respectively. A podium place is possible for each of the trio, currently most likely for Auböck. The gold-winning European Championship medley relay team is aiming for a place in the final. Auböck is also competing in the 10 km open water in the Seine, but specialist Jan Hercog is rated higher there, although not in the medal range like the synchronized swimmers Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri, last year’s world champions. Diver Anton Knoll is aiming for the 12-man final from the tower. Austria’s last swimming medal to date was in 2008 in Beijing with bronze for Mirna Jukic in the 100 m breaststroke.

SAILING: Austria’s team is nine people or six boats/boards strong, Valentin Bontus in the new discipline Formula Kite has catapulted himself into the circle of favorites as bronze medalist at the World Championships. Lara Vadlau/Lukas Mähr (470er) and Benjamin Bildstein/David Hussl (49er) are definitely good for the medal race, as always a lot depends on the wind conditions and the luck factor – for example at the start. Rio bronze medalist Tanja Frank is again in the Nacra 17, this time with Lukas Haberl. In 2021 in Tokyo, Austria came away empty-handed.

TAEKWONDO: Marlene Jahl is fighting for glory despite the handicap of a shortened preparation due to a broken foot and the late nomination in the over 67 kg category. Austria has not yet won a medal in this sport.

TENNIS: Sebastian Ofner feels at home in Roland Garros, where he was eliminated in the round of 16 last year and in the third round this year. However, the road to the medal matches is probably too far for him. No great feats can be expected from Julia Grabher, the consequences of a wrist injury mean that she will not go into the tournament with any top-level playing experience. The only medal for Austria to date was in 1912 in Stockholm with double silver for Felix Pipes/Arthur Zborzil.

TABLE TENNIS: There will be little to be gained against the Asian dominance on the way to the medal fight. Sofia Polcanova is of course entering the tournament as a top 16 player and as such is aiming for the round of 16. Daniel Habesohn would also be very happy with that, the Viennese does not have to think any further up. There has not yet been a table tennis medal for Austria.

TRIATHLON: Lisa Perterer, Julia Hauser, Alois Knabl and Tjebbe Kaindl are not in a position to be named in international medal forecasts. A top 15 ranking in the individual competitions could be achieved, however. The only medal won so far, by Kate Allen, was gold in Athens in 2004.

GYMNASTICS – ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS: Trampolinist Benny Wizani had to re-plan his preparations after tearing his cruciate ligament in March and is aiming for the final of the best eight. Charlize Mörz shone this year with the first ever World Cup victory in women’s gymnastics for Austria. She can be trusted to do well in the floor final and wants to “present herself well” there. Austria’s only medal winner in gymnastics to date was Julius Lenhart in 1904.

VOLLEYBALL – BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Drawn against the Czech world champions David Schweiner/Ondrej Perusic and the Brazilian ex-world champions Evandro/Arthur, even advancing from the group of 24 is a challenge for Julian Hörl and Alexander Horst. A win against the Canadians Sam Schachter/Daniel Dearing is the first goal. The top two in each group, as well as the two best third-placed teams, advance to the round of 16. The remaining four third-placed teams play play-off matches for the last two tickets to the knockout phase. There has not yet been an Olympic medal for the red-white-red team.