Ladies first – today (10:00 a.m. / 1:05 p.m., ORF 1) the ladies open the ski winter on the Rettenbachferner in Sölden with the giant slalom. The big hunted is again last year’s winner Mikaela Shiffrin, who is aiming for her fifth big crystal ball. However, with restrictions. “I had certain problems in preparation, I don’t feel very well yet,” said the 27-year-old American. “I love Sölden, maybe the positive emotions will help me when I’m on the mountain.” Shiffrin has won here twice, once less than record triumphant Tina Maze from Slovenia.
The Austrians have been waiting for a win in Sölden for eight years – in 2014 Anna Veith won ex aequo with Shiffrin. Eva-Maria Brem achieved her last success in a World Cup giant slalom on March 7, 2016 in Jasna. This year, too, the grapes are hanging high in the opening event under the new management team around ÖSV racing manager Thomas Trinker, technical trainer Georg Harzl and his Italian “special representative” Livio Magoni, who once led Petra Vlhova to flights of fancy.
Mörzinger in attack mode
Katharina Liensberger is considered the most promising candidate in the eleven-person ÖSV field, which also includes Elisa Mörzinger (SU Böhmerwald) from Altenfelden. The World Cup third in giant slalom finished fourth in Sölden in 2021.
This year the 25-year-old from Vorarlberg is trying to get started with a new set-up. “We rolled everything out from the beginning according to his methods and incorporated many technical exercises,” said Liensberger about the cooperation with Magoni. Head coach Trinker is hoping for three top 15 finishes.
Mörzinger, who had to break off the past season due to a bony tear of the syndesmosis ligament at a threader on February 17, fought for her Sölden starting place in the ÖSV internal qualification. In contrast to Stephanie Brunner, who is pausing because of a knee injury, the 25-year-old is back in attack mode. “Determination, discipline and ambition are the essential ingredients for me to be able to finish at the front,” said Mörzinger, who is aiming for the top 15 with confidence. “The most important thing is to have fun. Because what you enjoy doing, you do well.”
American lovers of winter sports can also get an idea of this. The Austrian Ski Association has signed a two-year media rights contract with the US media group NBC. Included are red-white-red World Cup events in the categories of alpine skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined, snowboarding and freeskiing.
On Sunday (10:00 a.m./1:05 p.m., ORF 1) it will be seen whether the Swiss-Norwegian phalanx can be broken through. In the past season, only Marco Odermatt (5/including Sölden) and Henrik Kristoffersen (3), who is supposed to make Marcel Hirscher’s ski brand Van Deer socially acceptable, appeared in the RTL winner lists.
Kristoffersen wants more. “The possibility of a podium or a win is much higher now than it used to be,” said the former Rossignol rider. The competition for Manuel Feller, Marco Schwarz, Alexis Pinturault and whatever their names are will try to put a spanner in the works for the 28-year-old. (Alex)
Source: Nachrichten
