Race canceled

Vinc celebrates first “victory” due to Garmisch cancellation

Vincent Kriechmayr is benefiting from the cancellation.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Austria's men's skiers are still missing a podium place before the World Championships in the Downhill - Kriechmayr was able to celebrate because there is no Kandahar race today.

Driving snow on Friday, fog on Saturday - the second training run for today's planned Kandahar race in Garmisch also had to be canceled yesterday. This meant that the last competition before the World Championships in Saalbach also had to be canceled.

From hell, the fog enveloped Kandahar. "Unrideable, no chance" was the message on the race radio.

(Bild: Sven Thomann)

However, there were not many angry faces to be seen on the way to the cars. After the many crashes and injuries this winter, everyone was probably happy to get to the gold hunt in good health.

"I don't like half measures"
And the idea of doing half a training run in the sunshine until the fog bank in hell to save the de Kandahar downhill failed because of the athletes. Speaker Justin Murisier (sz) made a survey at the start, FIS Race Director Markus Waldner announced: "If a training session, then only a full one." Daniel Hemetsberger agreed: "We didn't want to boycott the race, we would have been ready. But I don't like half measures."

No training, no race: Marco Odermatt also left.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

This really infuriated the Austrian Burkhart Schaffer, head of the US downhill team: "For me, this is a refusal to work by the riders," he raged. Sepp Brunner, downhill boss of Ski-Austria, was not so incensed. But he also regretted the cancellation: "We've been on the upswing since Kitzbühel. We could have built up our confidence before the World Championships."

Kriechmayr remains in the top group
At least the red-white-red downhill squad celebrated its first "victory" of the season as a result of the cancellation: Vincent Kriechmayr remains number 11 in the World Cup Start List (WCSL) and slips into the top group at the World Championships due to the absence of the injured Cyprien Sarrazin. Brunner: "That was a big worry. Now Vinc will be happy at home." The race against time due to his Wengen injury is on

The Austrian federation will nominate its World Championship team today. For the title fights in Méribel/Courchevel two years ago there was complete equality, the squad was made up of 12 women and 12 men. According to reports, this time there will be a "more male" World Championship team. It is expected that 13 men and 11 women will be in the hunt for medals.