Downhill in Kvitfjell

Women’s downhill in Kvitfjell – LIVE from 10.30 am

Cornelia Hütter finishes in third place in Emma Aicher's (right) maiden victory.

(Bild: GEPA)

Emma Aicher has celebrated her first World Cup victory in the second Kvitfjell downhill. The 21-year-old won a real thriller ahead of US lady Lauren Macuga (+0.03) and Friday's winner Cornelia Hütter (+0.19). Magdalena Egger also put in a good performance despite her high start number.

Cornelia Hütter from Styria took third place in the second part of the women's alpine double downhill in Kvitfjell on Saturday, another podium finish. The previous day's winner was 0.19 seconds behind first-time winner Emma Aicher after around one and a half minutes of skiing. The German had achieved her first podium finish in the Ski World Cup on Friday in second place. Just 0.03 seconds behind, the US American Lauren Macuga made her first downhill podium.

"Everything was decided from the last intermediate time to the finish, it was nerve-wracking," said Hütter, referring to the fact that she had missed out on victory. "I'll miss a few km/h," she thought to herself after the final jump, which was not ideal for her. "That's how it was." But a top 5 is always good. "And to be on the podium is mega." Her focus remains on the Downhill World Cup. "I think it's cool that, although it's been very difficult for me in recent weeks, I can get back on track." In the previous year, Hütter had made a strong showing with two victories.

Hütter still 16 points behind Brignone
Now, with two races left in the discipline World Cup, she has reduced her deficit to the leading Federica Brignone by ten points to 16 points. The Italian finished 0.14 seconds behind the ÖSV athlete in fourth place. Brignone's compatriot Sofia Goggia (+0.36) moved back into third place in the rankings as sixth on the day behind her compatriot Laura Pirovano. Hütter now has a very good chance of successfully defending her title in the shot put race.

The plan is still to "get the bullet back". "The form is right, especially the mindset. For me, it's very much in my head. Somehow mistakes and uncertainties creep in that actually have no place in my head at all," she said with regard to the races at the start of the year. Austria's currently best downhill racer showed her admiration for winner Aicher: "Emma pulled it off in a relaxed and pain-free manner. The only problem so far has always been that she has made a lot of mistakes. But she has an extreme flair for skiing."

Venier had to miss out
The other Austrians did not make it into the top 15. While super-G world champion did not start after a bout of angina symptoms, unlike the day before, downhill runner-up Mirjam Puchner and Magdalena Egger were 1.06 seconds behind in a race of close finishes. Christina Ager was 1.43 seconds behind. Nadine Fest (+1.64) and Ariane Rädler were also at least heading for World Cup points (+1.73). Michelle Niederweiser (+1.91) and Carmen Spielberger (+2.16) missed out on them.

Magdalena Egger

(Bild: GEPA)

Puchner was "really at a loss. It wasn't easy at the top. I'm actually extremely surprised because it went really well in training." She now wants to try again on Sunday in the super-G (10.30 am, live ORF 1). Hütter has not yet lost sight of the discipline World Cup despite being further behind. "I'm not giving up, because we still have four races left. I have to pull off the run the way I envision it in the inspection." In sixth place, she is 198 points off the lead in the Super-G World Cup.

All-rounder Aicher had been attracting attention for some time, not least at the World Championships in Saalbach. With her smooth style, the daughter of a Swede and a German also mastered the last part of the course with the final jump well and saved a minimal lead to the finish. "I was able to follow my plan quite well, I can do a lot with my feeling," explained the 21-year-old. Macuga is only a year older, she didn't mourn her victory: "It's my first downhill podium. And Emma skied phenomenally."