Ski World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm: Vonn-Crash at WM-comeback-Austria “trembling” thanks to Venier

When the World Cup comeback from Lindsey Vonn ended with a painful crash, Kira Weidle-Winkelmann only wanted to scream about her own race. Both the star returnee from the United States and the Germans started to start the Saalbach-Hinterglemm ski World Cup. At the home win of the Austrian Stephanie Venier in the Super-G, the two athletes had to pull up angered. A sixth place by Emma Aicher was the great ray of hope from a German perspective.

Above all, the appearance of Vonn, however, caused a moment of terror in the 14,500 fans in the target stadium of Saalbach. The 40-year-old raced directly into a goal at a right curve at a high pace. The right arm was torn backwards, vonn broke off in a large snow cloud and did not continue. She immediately held her shoulder. After all, the former speed queen could slide alone into the valley and even wave the fans there. It was initially unclear whether she was injured.

Freud and suffering in the German team of two

At Weible -Winkelmann, the pain was only mentally after a completely disappointing 23rd place and 1.89 seconds behind – but violent. “Somewhere I have to scream very, very loudly now,” said the Starnberg woman when leaving the imposing target area. She had already noticed on the slopes that she couldn’t get going properly and then looked at the scoreboard at the finish.

Team colleague Aicher was very different, who almost as much acclaimed her sixth place as precious metal. “I came here and was so far from the top 10,” she recalled. “I am very satisfied with my skiing today and that I could show it from top to bottom.” Only 28 hundredths of a second were missing to bronze, which went to the simultaneous Kajsa Vickhoff Lie from Norway and Lauren Macuga from the USA. For Lie it was a strange déjà -vu: she had already shared third place at the 2023 World Cup – at that time with Cornelia Hütter from Austria.

Venier redeemed Ski-Nation Austria before bankruptcy worries

The new world champion Venier prevailed thanks to a famous ride with a tenth of a second ahead of Federica Brignone from Italy. She redeemed the Ski-Nation Austria, which had remained without a World Cup gold two years ago and was trembling with a further flash at the home event. “It sounds unreal,” said Venier on ORF as the new world champion. “Venier lets Saalbach shake,” wrote the “Kronen Zeitung” on her homepage.

While the Tyrolean came on the podium tears of joy, the first 22 -year -old Macuga grinned above her surprise coup. With a floppy hat in the flower pattern and brightly colored ski pants, she accepted the congratulations from teammate Vonn. This had imagined her return to the World Cup stage very differently after a six-year break.

Super-G of the men on Friday

Already in the departure training, the former World Cup winner, world champion and Olympic champion was clearly distanced. Then she also caught an infection and put a photo online a day before the Super-G race, which she showed with an inhalation device.

Vonn and Weidle-Winkelmann have the chance of reparation on the departure on Saturday (11.30 a.m.). Previously, the men are also on Friday at 11.30 a.m. with the Super-G. Routinier Romed Baumann, Youngster Luis Vogt and Simon Jocher are planned for Germany, who wants to try it despite the most violent pain after a herniated disc and a bruise.