Speedteam under pressure

“Don’t force anything”: ÖSV downhill racers need success

Will the ÖSV downhill team around Vincent Kriechmayr manage a big turnaround in Val Gardena/Gröden?

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

In the winter of 2023/24, the ÖSV downhill team had a historically bad season in which Vincent Kriechmayr and Co. went without a win in the supreme discipline. It is clear that this was a one-off slip-up - a lot was done in the summer to make up for it. "We can do a lot better than last year in the downhill," said men's head coach Marko Pfeifer before the start of the season. The second race is scheduled for this weekend in Val Gardena/Gröden.

In the first downhill in Beaver Creek a week and a half ago, the turnaround did not work out. Kriechmayr finished fifth as the best ÖSV racer - then there was a gap until 17th place, which Stefan Babinsky took. 24-year-old Stefan Eichberger finished 20th in his first race in Beaver Creek. "It's simply about getting the performance right," said Kriechmayr, who generally doesn't do much with fifth places. "You need your head for that, you need to be relaxed."

Stefan Babinsky

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The current generation of ÖSV skiers do not have an intense love affair with the Saslong. Since Max Franz's triumph in 2016, the red-white-red ski fans have been waiting for an Austrian victory in the downhill over the entire distance. Last year, Marco Schwarz finished ninth in the classic, preventing a total ÖSV failure. It was fitting for a season in which many speed athletes were set back by poor form or injuries.

Work on turns in summer
According to Pfeifer, during the summer preparations, work was carried out on the turns typical of the upper section in Val Gardena/Gröden. "There were a lot of high-speed turns over there, but also technical elements," reported the Carinthian. All in all, "we made really good progress" in terms of skiing overseas. Kriechmayr said: "Of course you try to eliminate the weaknesses - just like everyone else. I think things should be a bit better at the top now."

This winter, those responsible - alongside team leader Kriechmayr - are relying above all on Babinsky, to whom ÖSV Alpine boss Herbert Mandl attested "huge progress" in Sölden. Pfeifer explained that Daniel Hemetsberger, who had to abandon the pre-season in February due to knee pain, and Daniel Danklmaier had improved physically. "It's important that we finally get through the season injury-free with the speed riders," he said.

Herbert Mandl

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"A compact team is slowly forming again in the downhill, but it certainly needs more time and experience, especially on the difficult courses," emphasized Mandl. "Especially in downhill racing, where you need a certain amount of experience and younger skiers stagnate very early on due to injury, you can't force anything."