World Ski Championships ticker

Men’s Super-G – LIVE from 11.30 am

Vincent Kriechmayr

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The first men's World Championship race is on the program! Our ÖSV stars attack in the Super-G. We will be reporting live from 11.30 am - see ticker below.

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Here are the intermediate results:

Stephanie Venier has shown the way, Vincent Kriechmayr, Raphael Haaser, Lukas Feurstein and Stefan Babinsky want to follow suit. The World Championship medals in the men's super-G in Saalbach-Hinterglemm will be awarded today, and the Austrian racers are considered hot candidates, not least because of their home advantage. The course setter is ÖSV group coach Sepp Brunner. Switzerland with Marco Odermatt and Franjo von Allmen are the favorites.

There have been four winners in the five World Cup races up to Saalbach. Odermatt won in Beaver Creek and Kitzbühel, the Italian Mattia Casse in Val Gardena/Gröden, the Norwegian Fredrik Möller in Bormio and Von Allmen in Wengen. Canadian James Crawford is the defending World Cup champion. The Austrians made it onto the podium in every super-G apart from Val Gardena/Gröden: Kriechmayr was second in Bormio and Wengen, Haaser showed up as Kitzbühel runner-up, Feurstein climbed the podium in Beaver Creek in third place. The fourth ÖSV starter is Babinsky, who prevailed in the internal qualifying duel against Daniel Hemetsberger.

ÖSV Alpine Director Herbert Mandl

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof/Krone.at)

"This is certainly one of the strongest disciplines for us," said ÖSV Alpine Director Herbert Mandl. With extra training sessions on the "Schneekristall" World Championship course, Austria's federation has tried - most recently in January - to gain a small advantage. "The weather didn't always play along and we didn't train on the finished race slope. But still, we trained a few times, of course, which was useful for us," explained Mandl. "You know the jumps, you know the transitions. That gives you a bit more confidence."

Kriechmayr's knee in focus
There is still a small question mark over Kriechmayr's fitness, who has been suffering from an inner ligament injury in his right knee since his fall in Wengen. The 2021 double world champion took part in downhill training on Wednesday, but had to take a break on Thursday. "I only ever have a bit of a problem after training," said the ÖSV medal candidate. Cancellation was not an option for him. "With the adrenaline, that's not an issue." He sees no disadvantage. "I was able to rest. The others have had more stress, I'm fresh. What more could you want?"

Haaser, who was also struggling with a knee injury before the home event, says he is completely pain-free. "I just have to call up my performance and show the skiing that I'm capable of," emphasized the Tyrolean. At a major event, it's only about the first three places, "everything else is more or less uninteresting". The fact that Brunner set the course was not necessarily an advantage. "Most of the time, when your own coach sets the course, it backfires. That's why I don't want to overestimate it now, but it's certainly not a disadvantage either."

Raphael Haaser

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Feurstein sees himself as an outsider
Mandl is optimistic about the chances of Kriechmayr and Haaser. "Above all, I hope that Vinc can ski reasonably pain-free," he said. Feurstein is still struggling a little with his bruised boot edge, "which is proving to be a little more stubborn than we had hoped". The Vorarlberg native said that he was still unable to complete the desired amount of training. "That's just part of it now, but it doesn't bother me in the race."

He only sees himself as an outsider, said Feurstein. "But you can always surprise at the World Championships. That's what I'm going to try." Babinsky reported a good atmosphere within the team. "We're all in a good mood, we've all trained well," said the Styrian. "At the World Cup, one, two, three counts - that's the way it is."

Odermatt doesn't mind missing super gold
For the Austrians, the Swiss are the favorites. "The Swiss are certainly high on the list. But there will also be one or two from another nation who will have their say," said Haaser. "The Swiss have put themselves in the role of favorites. Marco has two wins this season, Franjo has one and I think Stefan Rogentin is also very strong on the slope," was Feurstein's assessment.

Odermatt, on the other hand, sees the ÖSV athletes in a good position. "The Austrians have probably already skied down here 50 times," said the Swiss, who has yet to win a super-G medal at a major event. Three years ago at the Olympic Games in Beijing he was eliminated, the following winter he finished fourth at the World Championships in Courchevel. "It doesn't matter what gold medal I go home with so that I would be satisfied," said Odermatt in Saalbach. "It's clear that I haven't been able to win a medal in the super-G yet, but at the same time the downhill is somehow the supreme discipline, so I'd rather have that in the bag already."