Rettenegger is ready

Young star chases first victory with new sprint strength

Stefan Rettenegger finished on the World Cup podium eleven times last winter.

(Bild: EPA/Ole Martin Wold)

Stefan Rettenegger made his big breakthrough on the combined circuit last year. However, the man from Pfarrwerfen wants to go one better in the World Championship winter. He wants to win his first World Cup victory and win an individual medal at the World Championships in Trondheim.

High-flyer and shooting star. After his best season in his still young career, the bar is set high for combined skier Stefan Rettenegger ahead of the World Cup opener in Ruka, Finland, on November 29: "It's not the easiest task to confirm last year. A lot has already come together."

However, the 22-year-old wants to go one step further, which is why he has increased the intensity and volume of his training in preparation: "I've stuck to the idea I've had in previous years."

Rettenegger also worked specifically on his weakness in sprinting: "We focused on making me faster in the final meters."

Winning a race is my big goal. I am sure that I have what it takes. I think I can beat everyone.

Kombi-Jungstar Stefan Rettenegger

Last season, the lack of finishing speed on the cross-country ski run prevented her from winning her first World Cup with eleven podium finishes. "If you could choose as an athlete, many would have already won. Winning a race is my big goal," says the man from Pfarrwerfen.

Of course, the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim, Norway, are also a big topic for the winter duo: "I'd like to win an individual medal there. I did really well on the hill at the World Cup, and the cross-country course was also great for me."

For many, Norway's high-flyer Jarl Magnus Riiber is once again the top favorite, Stefan is looking forward to the duels with the Viking: "He certainly won't have forgotten how to do it, but we're no nose pickers either."