Veith comeback?

“I’m only 35, so I still have a bit of time”

Anna Veith presented her feel-good campaign together with carpe diem.

(Bild: Ulrich Aydt)

Mum-of-two Anna Veith is taking off as Austria's fitness motivator. But she's not (currently) thinking about a Lindsey Vonn-style ski comeback.

Double mom, working. Not an easy balancing act for Anna Veith (35) either. Especially when, as a world-class skier for many years, you also want to integrate sport into your busy everyday life. Anna launched a new project in Vienna yesterday, not just for herself, but also for the many, many other people who know this "problem" all too well. Together with carpe diem from the Red Bull Media House, the Salzburg native is now providing fitness videos for people to take part in. "Short and efficient. And in all levels of difficulty," said Veith at the presentation in the Audi House of Progress on Kärntner Straße in Vienna. Tips on nutrition, recovery, awareness and (mental) health are available via carpediem.life/anna on top. Motivated, fit as a fiddle, still "in love" with the sport, a feeling for skiing that few others have - doesn't that automatically make you think: Anna Veith could easily do what 40-year-old Lindsey Vonn can, couldn't she?

Anna Veith in one of her fitness videos

(Bild: Philipp Carl Riedl)

"Wildcard offers an option"
"The question was bound to come up," said the Olympic champion, triple world champion and two-time overall World Cup winner with a smile. "But I'm only 35, so I still have a bit of time." In any case, Lindsey's latest performances also inspire her long-time companion: "40 is obviously not really an age! What Lindsey is showing is really good. And I believe she can do much more." The decisive factor is quite simply that her knee works. "Lindsey has incredible experience and is obviously physically ready. Even if it might annoy many in the ski circus, her comeback is extremely good for skiing as a whole." Nevertheless, Veith currently feels no urge to think about top-class sport again.

"Never say never"
"I have completely different goals at the moment, I have a wonderful life with my family and I'm really enjoying it." But: "The new wildcard offers a new option. You don't have to race a whole season again, you could just choose one race, for example." So the motto is "rather unlikely, but never say never".

Veith doesn't have much contact with the current local ski aces. Most of all with Tamara Tippler, who as a young mom wants to give it another go. "A wild hen, I take my hat off, she still has a score to settle with the sport," says Anna. And Veith also knows how the entire Austrian team is feeling just before the big home World Championships in Saalbach.

Veith in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper

(Bild: Ulrich Aydt)

She doesn't really want to give her red-white-red successors any great advice, but she makes a small exception for the "Krone": "The pressure and distraction are naturally huge at a home World Championships. The trick is to focus on yourself and your own strengths. And to tweak things so that you can deliver your best performance at the World Championships." Anna knows exactly what she is talking about, as she has won a total of nine medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships (four of them gold).