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ÖSV coach: “That’s what Vinc asked me after his crash”

Vincent Kriechmayr complained of pain in his right knee after his crash.(Bild: GEPA)

After a brutal crash, Vincent Kriechmayr, currently the only podium skier in the ÖSV men's speed team, could be out indefinitely - just one week before the home races in Kitzbühel. Men's head coach Marko Pfeifer was one of the first to speak to him after Kriechmayr's crash and has now revealed what "Vinc" asked him. According to him, it was mainly about his time ... 

Saturday in Wengen was a black day for the Austrian downhill team. Kriechmayr's crash in particular caused worry lines to grow. "He is our leader in the speed team, that would be very, very bitter for him right now," said men's head coach Marko Pfeifer.

"Of course, I hope it's not too bad," emphasized Pfeifer. According to him, Kriechmayr had complained of pain in his right knee, which now needs to be clarified. "I think we'll have to wait for the MRI in the evening, then we'll have clarity." The Carinthian did not want to take part in speculation about the severity of the injury.

Marko Pfeifer(Bild: GEPA)

Pfeifer was well positioned on the course and saw his athlete's fall live. "Vinc was the first to ask: 'How fast was I going? It's incredible what makes athletes tick," Pfeifer reported on his brief exchange of words with Kriechmayr, who had been thrown into the catch fence around the finish S with great force. "I thought to myself, there's no such thing, because he did get a bit of damage to his face and incisor."

"We're in a transition phase"
 Pfeifer explained how the crash happened: Kriechmayr entered the right-hand bend "at a very cheeky angle" and then "got a bit of a snap". It then pushed him into the back. "It happens so quickly, we know there are extreme forces involved." The topic of safety in skiing has flared up again in recent days around the Lauberhorn races and is being discussed intensively.

The loss of Kriechmayr would certainly be a big blow for the Austrian team, which includes a number of skiers with hardly any World Cup experience. "We are in a period of upheaval, that would be very, very bitter," said Pfeifer. "Nevertheless, we'll all have to support the other guys and do our best. Of course, we also know that it won't be easy with podium places in the speed category."