Conclusion from ÖSV athletes

“It’s really bad!” Trembling in an unfamiliar role

Marco Schwarz had to risk a lot in the team combined and was ultimately eliminated.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The challenge for Austria's eight racers in the team combination while waiting in the finish area was greater than the nervousness of their own task. "It's really bad to share in the excitement, I'd rather ski down myself," said Vincent Kriechmayr as he watched the slalom, in which his partner Manuel Feller was eliminated. Even though Austria remained without a medal in the Swiss triple success, everyone was sure that this competition has a future.

In the new combined event, a speed skier is paired with a slalom skier and the times are added together. Austria sent top teams into the race, Daniel Hemetsberger/Fabio Gstrein finished fifth, Vincent Kriechmayr/Manuel Feller, Stefan Eichberger/Dominik Raschner and Stefan Babinsky/Marco Schwarz did not make it onto the results list after dropping out in the slalom. As all the ÖSV speed skiers had opened up a gap in the downhill, the slalom skiers had to take full risk.

As a result, there were also a few apologies. "It's a shame I didn't ski better, then he would have been in a better situation," said Kriechmayr. "You don't want to drag your teammate down or spoil a good chance. That pisses me off." Babinsky was disappointed after his run and said: "Sorry, Blacky, I had planned it differently. That wasn't the plan." Carinthian Schwarz took full risk. "If you don't take risks, you won't win anything. Mistakes can happen when you take risks."

"It's not funny to watch"
And Hemetsberger explained that the "slalom boys were put in an all-in situation" in which they had to go full throttle. During the slalom, the downhill skiers had the task of keeping their fingers crossed. This is not the Upper Austrian's specialty. "The competition is really good in principle. But not fun to watch, it made my stomach cramp. I thought I could relax, but it got worse from runner to runner," said Hemetsberger. "I said to Fabio that we needed two full throttle runs. If a mistake happens, I'm not angry, you only win at the limit."

Daniel Hemetsberger

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

Gstrein also spoke of "brutally high tension", he would like the competition to be advertised a little better so that everyone knows their way around. "Then it can become something casual." Personally, he had a "huge amount of fun" and shared in the excitement, but it was a "more exhausting day" than he had had for a long time. "It was very tense the whole day." Raschner said the team combination was "very cool" and hopes it will continue. The competition also has "potential" for Babinsky.

Feller hopes for a new edition

Feller pleaded for "definitely not abolishing it". Vinc still has one season left, so you can't leave it at that. "Maybe I'll persuade him to race in Crans-Montana too, then we'll turn the tables," said the Tyrolean. Kriechmayr has mentioned several times these days that this is his last World Championships; the next World Championships will be in Switzerland in two years' time.

"He was one of the best athletes at work today. It's a shame that I put him in the situation where he had to take so many risks," said Kriechmayr about Feller. "It would have been possible today if I had made my contribution in the downhill. I would have given it to Manu. I have to take the blame for that. I don't blame him. He had to try everything." He hopes that he will race the competition again - at the 2026 Olympic Games in Bormio.