Stephanie Venier

A great time! 12th anniversary – 12th podium

For the first time this winter, Stephanie Venier had reason to celebrate at her home race in St. Anton: the podium dozen is now complete.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Stephanie Venier returned to the podium in second place at the Super-G in St. Anton yesterday on a very special date for her.

January 12, 2013: A 19-year-old Tyrolean stood at the start in St. Anton with bib number 53 and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Laughing because it was her first time competing in such a World Cup downhill - crying because the task seemed almost impossible. "I thought to myself, do I really want to do this to myself? The whole career, skiing down like that - it's not that much fun."

But Stephanie Venier went through with it. And twelve years later, on exactly the same day, she was not only back at the start in St. Anton, but even on the World Cup podium at the finish of the super-G. For the twelfth time in her career to date. A little surprising, as the Tyrolean hadn't had the best of starts to the season ("I was plagued by the December slump"). But the fifth place in the downhill the day before was a real liberation: "You simply sleep better and get up better again."

Venier and surprise winner Lauren Macuga ("Are you looking for a crazy US girl? Here I am!") also benefited from the short patch of sunshine over the Arlberg with bib numbers 15 and 17 - industry greats Federica Brignone and Lara Gut-Behrami had to contend with extremely flat light.

Hütter ill
And Conny Hütter, winner of the super-G in St. Moritz, was hit by a flu attack that even the use of Neocitran the evening before couldn't stop. "I had actually hoped my strength would last longer. But from halfway through the race, the pressure I wanted to exert evaporated like fairy dust." The result was only 23rd place - and the order to be healthy again by the time she arrives in Cortina.

Haaser satisfied
After her disappointing performance in Saturday's downhill, Ricarda Haaser managed a very successful super-G in 8th place. The third top 10 finish for the woman from Achensee this winter in the third discipline: eighth in the giant slalom in Killington, fifth in the downhill in Beaver Creek and now ninth in the super-G. "That was much better in terms of the attack than on Saturday. And three top 10s - that's good, it also helps me to improve my starting number," Haaser hoped.

In the overall World Cup, the Italian Federica Brignone made the leap to the top with 160 points in St. Anton. Compatriot Sofia Goggia dropped out twice - without injury.