"Krone" stoplight

Delivered

"Krone" head of sport Peter Moizi writes about the World Ski Championships in his column.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/GEPA pictures)

Alpine boss Herbert Mandl clapped with fans, beaming with the sun. "It's unbelievable what our team has achieved here!" Christian Scherer, Secretary General of the Austrian Ski Association, is often asked about the secret of success. The answer sounds simple. "Although the omens were anything but good for us before these World Championships, we always remained calm"

Just like Katharina Liensberger, whose career has been paved with ups and downs. Double world champion in Cortina in 2021, slalom silver a year later and team gold at the Olympics in Beijing. Liensberger was considered a new star, but instead of further triumphs, an inexplicable slump in form followed. A sporting fall into the abyss, never-ending criticism and even fear for a place in the team. With bronze in the slalom, the 27-year-old returned to the big stage and Kathi thanked the fantastic crowd all the more humbly, dedicating the race to her late grandmother. Beautiful emotions.

Medal number seven for Austria, six different heads. Stephanie Venier and Raphael Haaser outshone everything with their World Championship titles, each taking a second medal. A successful haul. No matter how the team managed after the poor results, they delivered at the World Championships despite the pressure.