Almost like mom

Close to tears! ÖSV boss trembled with her daughter

Roswitha Stadlober and Teresa Stadlober

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/GEPA pictures)

Cross-country skier Teresa Stadlober just missed out on her first World Championship medal again. Just like her mother Roswitha, she only managed "tin" for the second time! But the ÖSV president was almost in tears beforehand ...

However, the Radstadt native took the bitter outcome of fourth place in the snowstorm of Trondheim in front of over ten thousand fans in her stride. "It's not bad luck, the other three were simply better. That's sport, that's part of it. But it was so close and it's a shame to lose it at the end," said Stadlober after the dramatic 10 km race.

Roswitha Stadlober

(Bild: Krone.tv)

With her second fourth place at the World Championships after the 2021 skiathlon in Oberstdorf, she somehow followed in the footsteps of her mother Roswitha Stadlober. As a former ski racer, the ÖSV President, who twice came fourth at the Olympics, experienced the nail-biting finish, ultimately 2.9 seconds behind bronze, up close as a supervisor on the side of the course. "I thought to myself: just not fourth, but it happened again. She was so close again, closer than ever. But that's sport, and that's what it's all about," said Stadlober.

ÖSV President shivered at the side of the course
The interim lead halfway through the race pushed the head of the federation, who was equipped with spare poles, to her limits. "I thought to myself, now it's over, I was almost in tears, but it's only over at the finish line." Her daughter was the last of the top skiers to start the individual race very quickly and even overtook the leading top star Therese Johaug halfway through the 10 km.

Teresa Stadlobe

(Bild: GEPA)

Of course, the ÖSV athlete was also informed of the sensational intermediate result. "That was amazing, I've never heard of me being ahead of Johaug in an individual start," said the 32-year-old, who ultimately eased off a little, but decisively. "I was already struggling in the second lap and slowed down a bit, but I gave it my all. Of course, it's a shame to end up in fourth place."

Need to take a breather and focus on 50 km
She will have to nibble on the "metal" a little. "I'll have to catch my breath a bit, precisely because I was so close." Despite the bitter end, she took a lot of positives with her. "It gives me a lot of motivation, especially the improvement on the skiathlon, where I was very disappointed. But today I was liberated."

The Stadlober family - father Alois was also on duty as sports director for the ÖSV cross-country skiers, brother Luis as ORF co-commentator - also want to toast their strong performance. "Of course, it was a great race, when has an Austrian woman ever led in a World Championship race, and in Norway too," said Roswitha Stadlober. The fourth-placed athlete still has a chance in the 50 km skating marathon on Sunday: "The cards will be reshuffled there. It will be a completely different race, I'm certainly fully motivated for the last race."