“I know that I’m fast,” said Vincent Kriechmayr. Yesterday he was confirmed with third place in the Ski World Cup Super G in Val Gardena. The Gramastettner is well aware of what is still missing so that he can climb onto the podium on today’s descent (11.45 a.m., ORF 1). “You always have to move to the limit, that was easier for me last year.”
The direction was right yesterday: When Kriechmayr with starting number eleven swung out of the lead as the leader, he happily stretched his forefinger in the air. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde was 27 hundredths of a second faster afterwards, Matthias Mayer pushed himself in between. Nevertheless, after the races in North America that were not entirely satisfactory for him, Kriechmayr exuded confidence: “It was definitely a Super-G, and I think that’s how I want to do it.” In the camel hump he was “a bit too direct”, in the Ciaslat he made a left turn a bit too cautious, the Super-G world champion analyzed on the spot. “Well, it was definitely a good trip, but perhaps the Alzerl was missing on these two passages. That explains the deficit.”
Kilde is the hunted
Mayer had gambled and chose the high starting number 19 – in order to have better light above and before the last jump due to the falling sun. “But then it didn’t do me any good, because that’s exactly where I lost it,” said the Carinthian with a smile. Nevertheless, it was enough for fourth podium place in the fifth speed race. The ÖSV-Asse want to show the learning effect today in the descent. The best placement on the Saslong was a seventh place for both of them – Mayer 2014, Kriechmayr 2015.
The man to beat is Kilde. The Norwegian won the third speed race in a row with the Super-G. “I have a good balance, I can feel my body better. The material fits perfectly,” said the 29-year-old. Like Franz Klammer, Michael Walchhofer and Kristian Ghedina, Kilde has now won four races on the Saslong. Only Aksel Lund Svindal has triumphed more often with seven wins.
Now Kilde will continue on Sunday with the giant slalom in Alta Badia. “That’s the plan. I would like to do a little giant slalom.” Before the turn of the year, two super-Gs and a downhill run in Bormio are on the program.
Source: Nachrichten
