Kriechmayr took his place on the podium – for the eleventh time overall in the Ski World Cup and the second time in Lake Louise – having finished just behind the Italian Dominik Paris and only 49 hundredths behind fellow Austrian Matthias Mayer. The ambitious Upper Austrian, who before Sunday’s race had felt he had a lot more to give despite his strong performance in the Downhill, was naturally delighted.
“I tried to ski with more feeling than yesterday when I was too aggressive,” said Kriechmayr after the race which should be a real confidence booster for the tasks ahead. Overall it had been a “good race”, he said, even though it “still wasn’t good enough” with regard to the higher podium places he has set his sights on.
The experienced Fischer racer Max Franz also marked his comeback weekend in the World Cup with a satisfactory result. Following a fractured heel bone last January, the 30-year-old Carinthian first placed 28th in the Downhill before just missing out on a top ten finish in the Super G, coming eleventh.
Katharina Huber continues to improve in Killington Giant Slalom
Katharina Huber’s performance in the Giant Slalom also gives grounds for optimism. On Saturday, the young Lower Austrian was the 60th and last racer in the first run in Killington, qualifying for the second run in which she came a creditable 20th. Following her impressive eighth place in the Slalom in Levi the 24-year-old has now picked up points in what was only her third World Cup Giant Slalom. ÖSV teammate Katharina Truppe was also among the points with 18th place in the Giant Slalom as well as German Marlene Schmotz with 21st place.
However, next day’s Slalom turned into a disaster for the two Austrian Fischer athletes Huber and Truppe. The weather made conditions harder and harder as the race went on, and both racers skied out. Only Marlene Schmotz was able to catch World Cup points in the slalom with a satisfactory 14th place.
