Austria still top

No changing of the guard! Switzerland still has some catching up to do

Vincent Kriechmayr, Franjo von Allmen and Alexis Monney (from left to right)

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Austria is still the clear number one. Where Switzerland still has some catching up to do - a column by "Krone" editor Sebastian Steinbichler.

ÖSV Alpine Director Herbert Mandl had set the target for the home World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm of preventing the Swiss from reaching double figures in the medal table. They did not succeed. The top nation lived up to its role as favorites and won the country comparison with 13 medals (five gold) in the end.

Austria followed in second place with seven podium places. Thanks to the two victories by Stephanie Venier in the super-G and Raphael Haaser (giant slalom), the home event in Glemmtal, described by Ski Austria President Roswitha Stadlober as a "winter fairytale at all levels", ranks 23rd in the eternal domestic medal tally from a sporting perspective (below). After the gold-less World Championships in Courchevel/Méribel in 2023, the sixth ever, there was a clear increase this time with seven medals.

(Bild: „Krone“)

Chamonix remains in first place with six golds in 1962, ahead of Vail (1999) and Saalbach 1991. Speaking of Saalbach and back to the eternal red-white-red ski rival: The Swiss celebrated the second most successful World Championships in their skiing history on the Zwölferkogel over the past two weeks. For the second time in a row, Loïc Meillard and Co. were also at the top of the medals table.

However, there is still a long way to go before we can speak of a changing of the guard. At least if you take a look at the eternal medal haul. The "number one skiing nation" Austria still has a commanding lead of 90 medals (313:223). So there are still categories in alpine skiing where Switzerland has some catching up to do.