The slope in Kranjska Gora is not exactly one of the ÖSV women’s favorite slopes. There has only been one podium place for the Austrians in the last decade – Catherine Troupe came third in the slalom in 2020. The last podium finish in giant slalom was 17 years ago, in 2007 Nicole Hosp.
But things didn’t go so badly at the home races at Semmering recently Katharina Liensberger, Julia Scheib and colleagues. In the giant slalom, Scheib finished sixth with a best time after a slow first round, and Liensberger came third in the slalom. Now the ÖSV technicians also want to be involved in the hunt for the “Golden Fox” trophy.
Scheib was in poor health before the race at Semmering. The 26-year-old has now recovered and is fully fit for the giant slalom (9.30/12.30/ live ORF 1). In order to make it onto the podium for the second time after the opening race in Sölden, she has to lay the foundation for this in the first run this time, “full butter in the first round,” as the Styrian calls it.
Austria’s giant slalom team got the finishing touches on the Reiteralm. The slalom crew completed their first pole training in the new year at Weißensee in Carinthia.
Liensberger in rhythm
Katharina Liensberger comes to Slovenia with a lot of self-confidence. The Vorarlberg woman is in fourth place in the Slalom World Cup standings, ahead of the injured Mikaela Shiffrin (200) and behind the Swiss Camille Rast (255 points), the German Lena Dürr (235) and Semmering winner Zrinka Ljutić from Croatia (209 ). “I have found more confidence in my swings again,” said Liensberger and hopes for more consistency. “It’s good that we’re now in the racing rhythm. It’s happening in quick succession.”
The technicians continue with a slalom on Sunday (10 a.m./1 p.m./live ORF 1). The men, on the other hand, don’t have their next race until Tuesday with the night slalom Madonna di Campiglio.