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Men’s downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden, LIVE from 11.45 am

Can Vincent Kriechmayr (pictured) and Co. surprise in Val Gardena/Gröden?

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Val Gardena/Gröden is the scene of the second men's downhill of this Ski World Cup winter today. Will the ÖSV men achieve an unexpected success? We report live (ticker below).

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A rejuvenated team attacks
A rejuvenated ÖSV armada compared to last year is chasing its first win of the season. Vincent Kriechmayr will once again be the main source of hope, although he and the entire team were badly beaten in the Super-G on Friday. "The potential is definitely there," said the 33-year-old.

Vincent Kriechmayr

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

"It's one of our big classics, so of course we want to be among the front runners in the long downhill. Last year it might have been a bit of a challenge for us, but basically I'm in good spirits," said Kriechmayr, alluding to the fact that all-rounder Marco Schwarz was the best ÖSV racer over the original course in ninth place in 2023. Kriechmayr finished 12th in this season's super-G, with Stefan Babinsky in 14th place, only one other Ski Austria athlete finishing in the top 20 on Friday.

From Austria, only Stefan Eberharter (2001), Michael Walchhofer (2007 and 2008) and Max Franz (2016) have triumphed in the long downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden this millennium. Kriechmayr himself raced to success over a shortened course when he won in 2022. "If you want to call yourself a Val Gardena/Gröden winner in the downhill, you have to win from the top. That's the case in every classic, and it's the same in Kitzbühel. You have to ski over the mousetrap," said the Upper Austrian.

Waiting since March 2023
Kriechmayr's last ÖSV downhill victory to date came on March 15, 2023 in Soldeu. This time, the red-white-red federation is sending six skiers into the race, Stefan Eichberger, Felix Hacker, Andreas Ploier, Stefan Rieser, Vincent Wieser and Manuel Traninger, who have mainly competed in the European Cup to date. Together, the sextet has 28 World Cup appearances. Kriechmayr has 212 in his statistics.

Stefan Eichberger

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

However, according to the ÖSV coaches, the fact that the upcoming skiers, some of whom are no longer so young, all have good speed skills, fuels their confidence. "In the summer, we were also convinced that we could make progress in terms of skiing technique," said speed group coach Werner Franz, who has Eichberger and Co. under his wing.

ÖSV in "transition phase"
More of the established athletes than Kriechmayr have what it takes to climb the podium, according to the team. "Stefan Babinsky was extremely fast in training in the summer," said head speed coach Josef Brunner. Daniel Hemetsberger even predicted: "It's possible that we'll have five in the top ten one day." Men's head coach Marko Pfeifer, on the other hand, took a sober view of the future. "Up front, we have Vincent and maybe one or two others who could be in the top five. We are in a phase of change," he said.

Marco Odermatt

(Bild: Jean-Christophe Bott)

A top favorite for Saturday comes from Switzerland and is called Marco Odermatt, who is hungry for his first victory in Val Gardena/Gröden. Last year's winner Dominik Paris from South Tyrol and the US American Bryce Bennett are two Saslong winners on the start list. Super-G winner Mattia Casse from Italy was also extremely strong in the downhill training sessions. Odermatt's compatriot Justin Murisier was the first winner of the season two weeks ago in Beaver Creek.