Lots of newcomers

One prominent name missing from the new ÖSV squad

Olympic heroes Katharina Liensberger and Johannes Strolz are back in the ÖSV national team.

(Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario)

Exactly 373 athletes appear in the Ski Austria squads for the 2024/25 season. A total of 78 of them made the leap into the national teams of their respective sports, the "elite squads" so to speak. Ten of them come from Vorarlberg - two more than in the previous season. Five of them in the alpine category!

While the injured Nina Ortlieb from Lech retained her national team status, former world champion Katharina Liensberger from Göfen returned to the top squad after a stable slalom season including a podium finish in Levi (Fin). Ariane Rädler made the leap for the first time, establishing herself among the world's best in both the downhill and the super-G. The Ländle is represented by two athletes in the men's event: In addition to the convalescent Christian Hirschbühl from Lauterach, who is hoping for a comeback in the new winter, double Olympic champion Johannes Strolz from Warth returned to the national team thanks to an extremely stable slalom season crowned by fourth place in Aspen.

Eva Pinklenig is still Austria's best female ski jumper and therefore also a member of the national team.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Regular guest gets reinforcement
There is also a returnee among the snowboard crossers: After a winter in the A squad, Julian Lüftner from Vorarlberg is back in the national team for the World Championship season, where Gaschurn's overall World Cup runner-up Alessandro Hämmerle is almost a regular. The Dornbirn ski jumper Eva Pinkelnig, the recovered Harder ski crosser Sonja Gigler and the Montafon ski mountaineer Daniel Ganahl are also still represented in the highest ÖSV squad category.

Magadalena Egger (.) and Emily Schöpf both made the leap into the ÖSV A squad.

(Bild: Peter Weihs/Kronenzeitung)

Numerous "promotions"
With alpine skiers Emily Schöpf, Mäggy Egger (both A squad), Lukas Feurstein (A squad) and Moritz Zudrell (B squad), snowboard crosser Elias Leitner (A squad), as well as the ski cross trio Leonie Lussnig, Nicolas Lussnig and Simon Fleisch (all B squad), a further eight VSV athletes were able to enjoy a "promotion". 
In addition, four new faces made it into the ÖSV: Lech speed girl Leonie Zegg is now a member of the C squad, as are Kleinwalsertal technician Marie Therese Haller, Montafon snowboard crosser David Erhard and SCA jumper Max Moosbrugger.

Luca Hämmerle (l.) is missing from the new ÖSV squad.

(Bild: Peter Weihs/Kronenzeitung)

Hämmerle not included 
However, there was no place in the squad for snowboard crosser Luca Hämmerle, as well as Nordic skiers André Fussenegger, Niklas Bachlinger and Kilian Gütl. Christine Scheyer had already ended her career before the World Cup final.

VSV in the 2024/25 ÖSV squads

• National team: five women, five men
  - Katharina Liensberger (alpine/up-and-coming skier)
  - Nina Ortlieb (alpine)
  - Ariane Rädler (alpine/up-and-coming skier)
  - Eva Pinkelnig (ski jumping)
  - Sonja Gigler (ski cross)
  - Christian Hirschbühl (alpine)
  - Johannes Strolz (Alpine/Advanced)
  - Alessandro Hämmerle (Snowboardcross)
  - Julian Lüftner (Snowboardcross/Advanced)
  - Daniel Ganahl (ski mountaineering)
• A-squad: four women, five men
  - Magdalena Egger (alpine/advancing)
  - Elisabeth Kappaurer (alpine)
  - Michelle Niederwieser (alpine)
  - Emily Schöpf (Alpine/Advanced)
  - Lukas Feurstein (Alpine/Advanced)
  - Elias Leitner (Snowboardcross/Advanced)
  - Daniel Zugg (ski mountaineering)
  - Julius Forer (ski freestyle)
  - Mathias Graf (ski cross/relegated)
• B squad: three women, nine men
  - Vanessa Nußbaumer (alpine skiing)
  - Victoria Olivier (alpine)
  - Leonie Lussnig (ski cross/progression)
  - Patrick Feurstein (alpine/relegated)
  - Jakob Greber (alpine)
  - Martin-Luis Walch (alpine)
  - Moritz Zudrell (alpine/promoted)
  - Noel Zwischenbrugger (alpine)
  - Johannes Pölz (ski jumping)
  - Claudio Andreatta (ski cross)
  - Simon Fleisch (ski cross/progressing)
  - Nicolas Lussnig (ski cross/progressing)
• C squad: four women, three men
  - Marie Therese Haller (alpine/NEW)
  - Amanda Salzgeber (alpine/relegated)
  - Angelina Salzgeber (alpine)
  - Leonie Zegg (alpine/NEU)
  - David Erhard (Snowboardcross/NEU)
  - Maximilian Moosbrugger (ski jumping/NEU)
  - Noah Schallert (Ski Freestyle)