The Austrian Olympic Committee has chosen a place steeped in history to create the outfit for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina to present.
Most legendary Patscherkofel high above Innsbruck, where Franz Bracket In 1976, the entire nation was ecstatic with his victory in the Olympic downhill, and the countdown to the coming Winter Games began.
Von Anna Gasser above Alessandro Hämmerle up to Katharina Liensberger – several Austrian Olympic champions walked along the freshly sugared catwalk at 1,965 meters above sea level.
“The dress looks really smart,” said Anna Gasser. The 34-year-old from Carinthia has recovered from her serious shoulder injury and is aiming for her third gold medal in Big Air in Livigno two-time Olympic champion above . . .
If I’m honest, it makes me a little nervous. There really isn’t much time left and 100 days until the opening doesn’t sound long.
Maybe this injury took some of the pressure and doggedness off. Because the goal changed from one day to the next. And if there’s something positive about the injury, it’s that I’m going into a season rested. And I really feel the fire and motivation again.
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Anna Gasser high above Innsbruck
- the status quo after the long forced break
I’m finally back on snow and can start jumping next week. And then hopefully I’ll get closer and closer. I’m probably at 75 to 80 percent at the moment, but I’m certainly still a long way from my highest level.
- the importance of training for an experienced athlete like her
It’s generally more about quality than quantity. I’ve learned that over the years. It’s better to train a little less but with quality than too much. I’ve made this mistake in the past. But in my current situation I urgently need training jumps so that I can build up a good feeling again.
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The Aigner sisters are looking forward to the Paralympics
- their timetable to the Olympics
In November I will definitely skip all competitions and concentrate entirely on training, probably in December too. At the moment the plan is for me to start in January and only jump three more competitions before the Olympics. I hope that’s enough for me to be at 100 percent during the games.
- their jumps and tricks
I’m not worried about the jumps I’ve shown before. I should have had a good drink of it. It’s not easy to play a sport where you are judged and dependent on how someone finds your jumps. That’s why it’s always good to have a little element of surprise.
- the development in their sport
The leaps I made in my early days are not nearly enough today. The jump with which I became Olympic champion in 2018 would not be enough to take part in the finals. Our sport is evolving so quickly and the boys are putting so much pressure on it – I know that I not only need to reach my old level, but I need the next step.
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Cross-country skiing star Mika Vermeulen is completely in his element
- their goals for the Olympics
My injury certainly didn’t make it any easier to compete for the gold medal. But a medal would really be a dream and a perfect end to my journey.
- the appeal of winter games in the middle of Europe
I experienced three games, all more or less in Asia. These games have the fascination that they take place in the middle of Europe. That’s why I continued for another four years. The Olympics are a big stage for our sport and presenting it there is a great opportunity. And these games are a nice end because that’s where I started my career. I celebrated my first World Cup victory in Big Air in Milan.