Pfeifer alerted to Kvitfjell: “Outdated downhill team”

Although Vincent Kriechmayr came in second to take his first podium place of the season, behind him only Daniel Danklmaier (14th) and Stefan Babinsky (28th) were in the top 30. “We have an outdated downhill team,” analyzed Pfeifer. “We have a lot of work ahead of us in the spring and in preparation.”

• Also read: Kriechmayr second in Hintermann victory in Kvitfjell

Raphael Haaser (38th), Otmar Striedinger (41st), Stefan Rieser (43rd), Christoph Krenn (49th) and Andreas Ploier (51st) did not make it into the points on Saturday. “We have three people in the 30, the other nations have significantly more,” said Pfeifer, referring to Switzerland (8), the USA (6) and Italy (5). He made it clear that things could not continue like this next season with the World Cup climax in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. “We have to analyze this carefully and really give it our all to ensure that we don’t fall behind and catch up.”

The injury misery in the ÖSV team with patients like Daniel Hemetsberger, Marco Schwarz and Max Franz is well known. However, Pfeifer would have expected other, experienced runners to step into the breach in their absence. “For those who are established, it looks as if the journey is going backwards. Then we have to get more serious, even if we don’t have many there,” he revealed. “I’ll think about something because you can’t drive over 30.”

The Austrians have a particularly difficult time on not so demanding routes with lots of waves and long curves like in Val Gardena and Kvitfjell. This has been known for a long time. “We have to analyze what we need to work on so that we can take a step forward,” said Pfeifer. It is quite possible that the coaching staff will soon be reorganized. Group coach Josef “Sepp” Brunner’s days could be numbered after this winter.

Outdated downhill team

However, due to the age structure, one should not expect miracles in a few months. “We have an outdated downhill team that is still keeping us alive. We have to see that we can build something back up,” emphasized the head coach.

In the group of those who are in their mid-20s or just older, there are in principle enough athletes who could form the core of the speed team in the medium term once the “over-30s” like Kriechmayr, Striedinger, Hemetsberger or Danklmaier have left. Schwarz (28), Babinsky (27), plus Haaser (26) and Ploier (26), whom Pfeifer described as “hopes”, as well as Rieser (25), Manuel Traninger (25), Julian Schütter (25) and Felix Hacker (24). What they are missing – with a few exceptions – are several injury-free years with a fixed starting place to get to know the downhill routes. “We need downhill kilometers to get better.”

Of the potential speed heroes of the future, only Vincent Wieser is significantly younger at 21. However, there is no need to worry about this fact, says Pfeifer. “We have the runners available that we now have on the market in the World Cup and European Cup. We can’t do magic now and unearth a young runner within a year. That’s a fact. But I still believe that with certain runners around the middle There are 20, there has to be more inside,” he explained. “I expect them to be fighting for places in the World Cup, because otherwise it’s bleak anyway.”