Return is planned

Ulbing: “I’ve always felt a lot of pressure!”

Dani Ulbing is skipping the World Cup season.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Four Carinthian snowboarders start the new season in Beijing this weekend. Sabine Payer still has a score to settle in China, Martina Ankele is entering her first full World Cup season. Daniela Ulbing will not be taking part. The Olympic silver medallist from Beijing 2022 is taking a break. However, a return is firmly planned, as she reveals to the "Krone". . .

World champion at the age of 19, since then five victories in the World Cup in the singles, a total of 13 podium places. The crowning glory for Daniela Ulbing from Drobollach was silver in the parallel giant slalom at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. This year, she is surprisingly taking a break from the snowboarding circus. The "Krone" asked the 26-year-old for an interview before the start.

Ulbing celebrated Olympic silver in Beijing.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Daniela, your colleagues are starting in China on Saturday - where you won Olympic silver two years ago. Is there any nostalgia involved?
Not at all, it just feels right that I decided to take a break. I'm recovering this year so that I can enjoy traveling and racing again. I'm also looking forward to watching the others.

With your speed as a training partner, you're sure to be a hit with the ÖSV team.
I'm in constant contact with "Bine" (Sabine Payer), and I've also talked a lot with Claudia Riegler about my decision - I can already feel that they fully support me.

Claudia Riegler (right) supports Ulbing.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

You won gold at the World Championships at the age of 19 and have since subordinated everything to the sport - was the air out?
Of course I simply skipped many of the more relaxed phases in my life - I was already in the World Cup at 17. I always felt a lot of pressure - that also pushed me a lot. But now I just need less of that pressure to find the fun in snowboarding again.

She is currently working out in the gym with her boyfriend Felix (right).

(Bild: zVg)

How long before the season was the decision made?
An important moment was when I cheered on Felix (Oschmautz) at the Olympic Games in Paris in the summer. I really enjoyed watching him there. But I didn't really have the desire to be in that position again. The motivation for the Olympics has to come back to me.

But you want to be back at the 2026 Games in Italy - what are you doing to stay in shape?
I regularly go to the gym with Felix. At Christmas, I go on the slopes with Sigi Grabner, who I ride the board for. I'll be joining the ÖSV training in Bad Gastein at the start of 2025 to compare notes again - they always welcome me with open arms.

What are you using all your free time for now?
I'm doing a Master's in Applied Economics in Vienna, I'm playing tennis again and have more time for family and friends.

Vier Kärntner beim Auftakt dabei

Boarder carven im Schatten der chinesischen Mauer

Snowboard action in the Middle Kingdom! The entire parallel boarder squad left for China last week. The World Cup starts there on Saturday - completely new territory for the athletes, who have been used to starting the season in Carezza in mid-December for over ten years. "But that actually suits us," says Alex Payer from St. Urban. "Because it saves us the usual last training camp in Sweden - we arrived earlier to train here in Thaiwoo for a week." Which is of course an advantage for the ÖSV aces. Because the snow conditions are completely different to those at home. In addition, coaches Peter Kotnik and Jure Hafner have trained the Chinese team for four years - and therefore still have excellent contacts with the federation.

Sabine and Alex Payer start the new season in China.

(Bild: zVg)

"Culture shock is huge!"
"We trained right next to the Great Wall of China, we even went for a walk on it. The culture shock is great, the food is bad. But things are going well athletically," says Alex Payer, who is starting the season as a husband for the first time this year - he said "I do" to his Sabine in the summer.

Sabine Payer is entering her 15th World Cup season.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Not good memories of Beijing
The 32-year-old is therefore no longer going into her 15th World Cup season as Sabine Schöffmann, but as Sabine Payer. "I don't really know where I stand yet - so I'm already looking forward to the first race," says "Bine", who finished on the podium seven times last year and celebrated her home victory on the Simonhöhe. She doesn't have fond memories of her last time in China: At the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, she had to go into quarantine a few days before the first race due to Covid and was not even allowed to fly home with the rest of the team.

Martina Ankele is a permanent World Cup participant for the first time.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

While Daniela Ulbing is taking a break, Martina Ankele from Villach is a permanent member of the squad for the entire World Cup season for the first time. "It's all very exciting, the last few weeks of training in Austria have been good. A top 16 finish is my ultimate goal for the season," says the 22-year-old.

Fabian Obmann went on patrol in the summer.

(Bild: zVg)

Fabian Obmann completes the Carinthian quartet. The overall World Cup winner from 2022/23 has big plans. "Last season I was even on the podium more often than when I won the globe. The World Championships in the Engadin is the big goal," says the 28-year-old police athlete, who also went on patrol for the first time this summer. "It was really cool, I got an insight into all tasks - from traffic to minor drug offenses."

Kick-off on Saturday
It starts on Saturday in Mylin with the parallel giant slalom, followed by the slalom on Sunday. Next week, the aces will move to Yanqing for two more competitions.