Raphael Haaser wins sensationally for Austria at Alpine Ski World Cup in Saalbach

At the transition to the target area of ​​Saalbach, the ski racing drivers had to be a so -called key point on Friday over a steep, complicated crest. Exactly where the drivers can already see the audience in the target stadium, the racer Raphael Haaser had now arrived. The Austrian was in the lead that a medal seemed possible to be possible, and up to this point his giant slalom ride looked as clean and smooth as the ice slope below it. But then, on the crest, Haaser became a Haaser deer.

It hit his left arm into the air, Haaser’s skis went apart, screams in the stadium-for the moment it was feared that the 27-year position and rhythm would be lost. But Haaser now remembered the aesthetics of simplicity, he found back on track, brought 23 hundredths of a second ahead of the finish line – and let the beer mug fly in the stands for the first time. Three drivers later the foam splashed through the stadium again. Haaser, the Super-G specialist, had actually won the giant slalom-the second gold medal for Austria at this Alpine Ski World Cup in Saalbach.

And so the evidence slowly but surely condensed that the Salzburger news Two weeks ago it was not so wrong with their forecast of seven Austria medals at the home World Cup, three of which would shine golden. Before the Slaloms at the weekend, their six are already available, six more than the German Ski Association (DSV), four less than in Switzerland. The fact that the Tyrolean Haaser after silver in the Super-G still followed gold in the giant slalom has to be amazed even the residents of the clairvoyant.

Anton Grammel improves from 22nd to twelve

With this slope, Haaser, the waves and slopes, was playfully caught, better even than the Swiss Marco Odermatt, who had still conquered Haaser in the Super-G. The ski dominator of the past few years missed his second medal by seven hundredths of a second, he was conquered by his teammates Thomas Tumler (0.23 seconds back) and Loic Meillard (0.51). And from this surprise winner from Innsbruck.

From the slopes, Haaser is not one who will ever be the focus in the huge team of the Austrian Ski Association if he does not know how to prevent it. On Friday, however, there was such a day. “Incredible, I don’t know what to say,” said Haaser, who has not yet won the World Cup. He had ranked seventh in Sölden at the beginning of winter. He had to pause injuries for six weeks before the World Cup. A double strike like this would probably not even have believed himself.

The situation is similar with a competitor Haaser’s, Anton Grammel from the DSV, which will be more detailed in the future. The 26 -year -old Schwabe carvte carvte like a locomotive on rails through the giant slalom goals. Grammel was even faster than Haaser in run two and everyone else, he improved from 22nd to twelve. His teammates Fabian Gratz and Jonas Stockinger took place 18 and 26. Perhaps better times will start for the Germans in the long so unpopular giant slalom.