Ski World Cup: No World Cup medal: Ski hope Aicher with start number pech

A murmur went through the impressive stadium in the target area. Emma Aicher paused briefly and then cheers fist. The German ski hope has just missed a surprise on the World Cup departure, but did not grow after its sixth place in the royal discipline. “We will never find out,” said Aicher when asked whether there would have been more in it with an earlier start number when the American Breezy Johnson was victory. In any case, she was satisfied with her journey.

Piste in the blazing sun

With her sixth place in the Super-G and strong training services, Aicher had fueled slight hopes for the first German medal at the World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm in the past few days. But start number 30 proved to be a disadvantage in bright sunshine on Zwölferkogel.

Even outsiders from Andorra or Kenya were allowed to go to the slopes that were getting softer. The 21 -year -old started furiously, but then lost hundredths of hundredths of hundredths – and finally landed 0.27 seconds behind the podium. The second behind Breezy Johnson from the USA was the Austrian local hero Mirjam Puchner in front of the Czech all -rounder Ester Ledecka.

Next dampers for Weible-Winkelmann

It was a “super performance” by Aicher, said ex-skiistar Felix Neureuther as a TV expert at the ARD microphone. Kira Weidle-Winkelmann, four years ago in Cortina d’Ampezzo, as well as World Cup and this time on a disappointing day this winter only twelfth, praised her young teammate. Perhaps a different start number would have been a medal for Aicher, said the Starnberg woman.

Weidle-Winkelmann had already passed the route as the second. She did not feel bad and, in her opinion, did not drive badly, explained the 28 -year -old – and still seemed completely served. After 23rd place in the Super-G, she received the second bitter damper at this World Cup.

The American returnee Lindsey Vonn (15th) and gold candidate Sofia Goggia from Italy (16th) landed even further behind.

Fire baptism at World Cup four years ago

Even if she missed the medal coup this time, Aicher is becoming more and more a big hopeful in the German Ski team. In 2021, when she celebrated her World Cup debut in Cortina completely surprising and still without any World Cup experience, she already showed her talent. She contributed to bronze in the team event – and even a year later even to team silver at the Olympics.

She has made enormous progress not only in her parade discipline slalom, but also in the speed disciplines. Sometimes the failure rate is still too high among the daughter of a Swedish and a German. The calm with which she goes to work is remarkable for her age.

Ultimately, she was also “wonders” which start number she is driving, Aicher said after her bad luck in the World Cup descent. The German spectators seemed almost more to suffer with her than the ski hope itself.