"Krone" stoplight

Perplexity prevails before the start of the World Championships

"Krone" head of sport Peter Moizi writes about the ski circus in his column.

(Bild: GEPA, krone.at-grafik)

A drink at the Hahnenkamm Races in January 2024 for 20 euros, three days later in Schladming four glasses for the same amount. Just a small indication of how much the Alpine mecca stands out from the rest of the ski world. Anyone who manages to get a room in the Gamsstadt this weekend has to dig deep into their pockets, and a shopping trip to the high-end boutiques can even lead to personal bankruptcy.

Skiing has become expensive, the once popular sport is increasingly becoming a luxury item. The fans in Kitzbühel ignore the exploding prices because the recipe for success with the most dangerous downhill run in the world, the tradition, the glamor and the unique festival atmosphere is unbeatable.

Austria's men's team can only dream of this: crisis mood ahead of the 85th Hahnenkamm Races! Only five podium places in the 20 races so far this season, 1736 points behind Switzerland in third place in the Nations Cup. When checking into the hotel, at the bakery or in the press center: everywhere you go, people are talking about the red-white-red team's drop in performance, and just two weeks before the start of the World Championships, there is a sense of helplessness. While fans have been dreaming of victories and great moments in Kitzbühel in recent decades, this year they are hoping to avoid a debacle. Hardly anyone dares to utter the word victory, every podium finish in the Gamsstadt resembles a small Gams miracle.