Wants the first victory

ÖSV ace: “I know I can go one better”

Stefan Rettenegger wants to finally celebrate his first victory this season.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Stefan Rettenegger was "the best of the rest" in the 2023/24 season. Only perennial dominator Jarl-Magnus Riiber was ahead of the Salzburg native in the final standings of the overall Nordic Combined World Cup in March, with two-time former world champion Johannes Lamparter also having to line up behind his compatriot. The 22-year-old is now set to take the next step in the pre-Olympic season, as the ÖSV ace has yet to win a race.

Rettenegger collected eleven individual podium places last winter - the first of his career. He came second five times and third six times. The only thing that didn't work out was the top podium. "Of course, winning a World Cup is the big goal. But I already realized last year that it's not easy," said the athlete in an interview with APA. "And I don't think it will be any different this year. Everything has to come together."

Jarl-Magnus Riiber

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

He has fond memories of the season's starting venue Ruka, as he finished third in the mass start at a World Cup victory ceremony for the first time a year ago. "That was a really nice start with the first podium. Ruka is always very special for us athletes." He is still quite young and still has some room for improvement. Apart from the home World Cups in Ramsau and Seefeld, the Trondheim World Championships would be a good place for his first victory, says Rettenegger. "I would really like a medal in the singles and hope to be in top form there."

A bit of room for improvement in jumping
Basically, he believes that he has trained well. There is still a bit of room for improvement in the jumping. "But it's just the start and then there's still a long season, so there's still a lot that can be done. I'm quite confident that I can still do it perfectly." On the other hand, despite a slight health setback suffered in mid-November, things should work perfectly again on the cross-country ski run. "I feel very, very good there. I've had a really great summer in terms of training."

He has also improved his sprinting, which could be important in the sprint finishes against Riiber and Co. As far as jumping is concerned, Rettenegger sees his competitive strength as a plus. "I know that I can then go one better. That's where I see my strength, that I can go that last step further." The two-time team World Championship bronze medallist from Planica 2023 already has one win this season under his belt, with "Retti" taking his first national title against strong internal ÖSV competition.

And his brother?
He is heading in the right direction. Because of the large bakken, Ruka perhaps prefers the better jumpers to the top skiers. But it won't be really important until the end of February at the World Championships in Trondheim anyway, where Rettenegger finished second behind Lamparter at the World Cup final in March. "Both jumps worked on the large hill and it also went really well on the small one. I really liked the course," he recalled.

Thomas Rettenegger

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Stefan, who is two years younger, rates his brother Thomas Rettenegger highly. "He jumps really, really well. He was able to take another step on the hill and is in really good shape. You have to count on him a lot." The 24-year-old has also taken a step forward in running, as he has been stable throughout the summer. Thomas Rettenegger can look back on one World Cup podium finish so far, coming third in the mass start competition in Otepää, Estonia, on January 7, 2023.