For six World Championship tickets

Carinthian ski aces far away from glorious times

Marco Schwarz is the only ray of hope - he has always won at least one medal at the last three World Championships.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

There are only 18 days to go until the home World Ski Championships in Saalbach. The "Krone" took a look at the chances of the six Carinthian World Cup athletes to take part. An eighth place by Katharina Truppe is the only top 10 result by a Carinthian athlete so far.

Carinthian skiers have been flying Austria's flag at major events for some time. After all, four Carinthians - Kathi Truppe, Marco Schwarz, Adrian Pertl and Oti Striedinger - took part in the 2023 World Ski Championships in Courchevel (Fr). So the Carinthian skiers have a good chance of taking part in the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach:

Katharina Truppe (90 percent): The skier from Altfinkenstein may not be having a great season - but she is still the third best Austrian in the slalom. The 29-year-old was eliminated in Flachau with a good split time: "At least I didn't ski like a shot cow recently - like I did in Levi this year." The team combination with one downhill and one slalom athlete appeals to her.

Kathi Truppe wants to attack in the slalom and perhaps in the team event.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Marco Schwarz (90 percent): Came back from injury (knee & disc) in December, said after ninth place in the giant slalom in Adelboden: "A step in the right direction - now it's a matter of rectifying the mistakes." Things are still mixed in the slalom. Nevertheless, he will be competing in Saalbach and was Carinthia's medal bank at the last three World Championships - once gold, twice silver, three times bronze!

Adrian Pertl (50 percent): The World Championship silver medalist from the 2021 slalom in Cortina has 13th place as his best result to date. He is battling with Matt, Strolz and Raschner for tickets to the home World Championships. Now the three big races follow with Wengen, Kitzbühel and Schladming. "For the top 10, I would have to attack once and stay clear."

Otmar Striedinger has his sights set on the speed disciplines at the home World Championships.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Otmar Striedinger (50 percent): The Eisentrattner already has three World Championship starts under his belt. In order to add a fourth in Saalbach, he will need strong results in Wengen, Kitzbühel and Garmisch. So far, a 22nd place in the downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden has been the highest of feelings for the 33-year-old speed specialist. In addition, young athletes who have not been able to achieve a top 10 result should be given preference.

Felix Hacker (30 percent): The athlete from Lavanttal raced into the points in his three World Cup appearances this year. He even finished 14th in the super-G in Bormio, but is currently competing in the European Cup, where he leads the overall standings. In Kitzbühel and Garmisch, he will be back in the "concert of the greats". But the World Cup course would suit him. Last year, he celebrated his first European Cup victory in the Super-G there.

Nadine Fest (5 percent): In the European Cup, the squadless Arriach skier raced to victory three times in four downhill races, finishing second once. "Of course I'm thinking about the World Championships at home, but at the moment it's brutally far away for me - I have to be honest," says the 26-year-old.