Gold for Team Shiffrin

World Championships: Women’s Team Combined – LIVE from 10 am

Kathi Truppe (left) and Stephanie Venier can celebrate bronze.

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

Stephanie Venier and Katharina Truppe won the bronze medal in the women's combined team event at the World Ski Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm on Tuesday. After the downhill and slalom, the duo were only beaten by Breezy Johnson/Mikaela Shiffrin from the USA and Lara Gut-Behrami/Wendy Holdener from Switzerland.

Mirjam Puchner/Katharina Liensberger finished in fifth place, Cornelia Hütter/Katharina Huber in sixth.

It was Austria's fifth medal, following gold in the super-G for Venier and silver for Raphael Haaser (super-G), Mirjam Puchner and Vincent Kriechmayr (both downhill). Venier thus claimed her second precious metal.

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS SATEINMAURER)

The super-G world champion skied her race with the necessary confidence and risk, she was satisfied and could not blame herself, she said after seventh place. Truppe also did her job well, but it was just not enough to take the lead in the meantime - and yet it was still precious metal.

Immerlustig came out on top
"The top meant well today with the hundredths. I actually thought that the 14 hundredths behind Wendy would be too much. But like this - it's a dream," said Truppe. "I was much more nervous at the start than usual because I knew that I wasn't racing on my own." Venier had demanded "all in" from Truppe, after which the jubilation in the "Immerlustig" team was boundless. "We were sooo happy, I think you could see that."

Puchner/Liensberger dropped back to fifth after finishing third at half-time. Third place was a good starting position for Kathi, the downhill runner-up had said, taking the precaution of saying: "We win together, we lose together." Liensberger explained that she had not got into the rhythm. "It wasn't an optimal run. But it was a cool event, we'll do better next time."

Mirjam Puchner created a good starting position for her partner Kathi Liensberger.

(Bild: GEPA)

Cornelia Hütter/Katharina Huber also missed out on the podium. Hütter came sixth and was not looking forward to the shaking afterwards. "When I see my name there and I can't do anything, that's a combination that makes it even worse."

"I hope Kathi has something in her bag of tricks," said Christina Ager after her 17th place in the downhill. Katharina Gallhuber, however, then had a standing start during her run and ultimately only finished 21st out of 26 teams. "You gain confidence through good races, I haven't had many this year," said Gallhuber.

Dream debut for Shiffrin at the World Championships
Shiffrin only returned from injury on January 30th, finishing tenth in the World Cup slalom in Courchevel. She has now won her 15th World Championship medal, her eighth in gold. After her triumph in the downhill, Johnson is the first double world champion in Saalbach.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

The result:

Nothing came of a medal for Germany. Behind the US American Lauren Macuga (with Paula Moltzan/finally fourth), the German Emma Aicher was second in the downhill, but Lena Dürr did not complete the slalom as planned (17th). It was the other way round for Switzerland: Gut-Behrami only came twelfth in the downhill, but Holdener managed to turn things around.