Victory in giant slalom

ÖSV festival continues in South America

Patrick Feurstein struggled last year, but got off to a dream start in Argentina in the new season.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria's ski champions are already showing enviable early form in their preparations in South America. First and foremost is Patrick Feurstein from Vorarlberg. After the 27-year-old finished second in the South American Cup giant slalom in Ushuaia (Arg) on Tuesday, he went one better in the second race on Wednesday.

In the first race, the man from Mellau, who switched back to his long-time supplier Rossignol before the season, was 0.65 seconds down on Luca de Aliprandini (It), but in the second race on Wednesday there was no getting past the man from Bregenzerwald.

Another big attack in run two
Just like the day before, when he was extremely lucky to avoid a collision with a piste worker, the police athlete did not have a perfect first run on Wednesday either. The result: third place, 0.24 seconds behind leader Luca Aerni (Sz) and six hundredths behind the South Tyrolean Alexander Vinatzer. 

But just like in the first race, Feurstein attacked in the final, once again setting the fastest time in his run and pushing himself right to the top. In the end, Vinatzer was 0.12 seconds behind in second place, while Aerni was already 0.83 seconds behind in third. Feurstein also collected important FIS points, which could give him a slightly better starting number at the World Cup opener in Sölden.

Feurstein's Mellau club colleague Noel Zwischenbrugger was also delighted. Thanks to his sixth time in the final, he improved from 15th place at half-time to ninth (+1.42). Directly behind him, Fabio Gstrein from Ötztal was the third best ÖSV man in tenth place (+1.54).

Sensational victory in the women's race
There was a sensational victory in the women's race by Argentinian local hero Francesca Baruzzi Farriol, who came out on top 0.26 seconds ahead of the previous day's winner Asja Zenere from Italy and Lisa Nyberg (Sd/+0.48). An ÖSV trio finished directly behind them: Head returnee Stephanie Brunner came fourth (+0.55), the previous day's third Lisa Hörhager finished fifth (+0.92) and Carinthian Kathi Truppe took sixth place (+1.26). Elisabeth Kappaurer from Bezau had to miss out on a start due to illness.