Model athletes, failures, injuries: the tops and flops of the ski season

A confident Cornelia Hütter won two races. Vincent Kriechmayr wanted to “put his hat on.” But all eyes were on the comebacks of two superstars.

The Christmas break for the ski men is only very short. Training will continue in Bormio on December 26th. The women will race at Semmering on the 28th and 29th. An interim balance after the first third of the season.

Plus: Cornelia Hütter

The Styrian is experiencing the best phase of her career and is leaving a trail of success on the slopes. World Cup medal in 2023, downhill ball in 2024, she started this season with impressive victories in the downhill in Beaver Creek and in the super-G in St. Moritz. “I just feel good and feel what I want to feel,” says the 32-year-old, who is currently Austria’s best hope for brilliant moments at the home World Cup.

Plus: Julia Scheib

The Styrian ended a long dry spell with her third place in Sölden. For the first time since 2019, an Austrian made it back onto the podium in the declared problematic discipline of giant slalom. Thanks to her, the ÖSV women’s team is in a better position this winter than the weakening men.

Plus: Lindsey Vonn

What a crazy idea! After a break of more than five years, with a partially artificial knee joint and now 40 years old, Lindsey Vonn was back in a starting house. But the speed queen impressed in her comeback in St. Moritz with 14th place. Her announcement is a warning to the competition: she wants to risk more in the next race. We can only hope that she stays healthy until the 2026 Olympics in Cortina.

Plus: Stefan Eichberger

It doesn’t speak well for the Austrian downhill team if a runner with number 56 has to save the honor of the ski nation in Val Gardena. However, what speaks even more for Stefan Eichberger is how quickly he gained a foothold in the World Cup. The Styrian has five appearances to his name, and the 24-year-old raced into the points four times on routes that were completely unknown to him.

Plus: Lucas Braathen

The Norwegian (24) is back as Lucas Pinheiro Braathen for the Brazilian association and brings youthful enthusiasm and a lot of color to the World Cup.

Plus: Matthias Mayer

In December 2022, the three-time Olympic champion surprisingly announced his retirement in Bormio. In January 2024 he was taken away by the police in Kitzbühel after a misfire. Mayer will return to the racing track in February 2025. The 34-year-old will be in action as a forerunner at the home World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Many at the ÖSV hope that Matthias Mayer will get back into racing in the 2025/’26 Olympic season. The downhill team could use the three-time Olympic champion.

Plus: Marco Odermatt

In the giant slalom, the Swiss season began with two failures. But the 27-year-old quickly got back on track. Four wins, a second and a third place – victory in the overall World Cup comes from Odermatt again this year.

More: Feurstein family

It’s too early to let out the famous “Yabbadabbadoo” scream, but Patrick and Lukas Feurstein have already made a sporting exclamation mark this year. The cousins ​​from Mellau in the Bregenzerwald were both already on the podium: Patrick in the giant slalom in Val-d’Isère (2nd), Lukas in the Super-G in Beaver Creek (3rd).

Minus: Vincent Kriechmayr

5th, 6th, 12th, 55th – the performances cannot keep up with the potential of the double world champion. Let alone the high demands that the ambitious Upper Austrian places on himself. “He drives too much with the crowbar,” complains ÖSV Alpine boss Herbert Mandl. After finishing 55th in the Val Gardena downhill, Kriechmayr became fatalistic. “If it continues like this, I’ll throw my hat on you.”

Minus: series of failures

The previous year was Manuel Feller winning the slalom ball represents reliability in person. But this season started with four failures in a row for the Tyrolean. He proved that the 32-year-old has not forgotten his job by finishing fourth and seventh in the slalom – despite being in poor health.

Minus: Marcel Hirscher

Marcel Hirscher won the overall World Cup eight times in a row, so the fanfare surrounding his return was huge. In the first race as a Dutchman, the 35-year-old impressed with the third-best running time. But then there wasn’t much going on. Didn’t qualify in Levi, was eliminated in Gurgl, and then the cruciate ligament tore during giant slalom training. After the first serious injury of his career, Hirscher leaves his future open.

Minus: injury

The hymns of praise Mikaela Shiffrin They were already scheduled for their 100th victory, but they haven’t appeared yet. The best female ski racer in history was injured on December 1st in Killington. It is still unclear when she will return to the slopes.

Minus: Raphael Haaser

The Tyrolean was considered a beacon of hope for the home World Cup and a contender for three disciplines (giant slalom, super-G, downhill). But after seventh place in Sölden, things went downhill. In Val-d’Isère he strained his cruciate ligament – a six-week break. “Haaser’s injury is a catastrophe. That really hurts,” said ÖSV coach Marko Pfeifer.

Minus: Franziska Gritsch

A year ago, the Tyrolean broke away from the ÖSV and has been going her own way with her trainer friend ever since. The solo project didn’t get Gritsch’s career going. This season they only managed 27th and 25th places.