Switzerland celebrates the double victory of Marco Odermatt and Franjo von Allmen in the downhill classic in Val Gardena/Gröden. Vincent Kriechmayr and the ski nation Austria have a completely different result.
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- Marco Odermatt and Franjo von Allmen celebrate a Swiss double victory in the downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden on Saturday.
- The Austrians were less successful. While figurehead Vincent Kriechmayr didn't even make it into the top 50, Stefan Eichberger saved the ÖSV's honor with bib number 56.
- ORF expert Armin Assinger chooses clear words after the disappointing result.
For a long time, the downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden on Saturday smelled like an Austrian debacle. Not one of the proud ski nation's trump cards stood out, and there was no Austrian in the top 10 of the intermediate rankings - until Stefan Eichberger raced to 6th place with bib number 56 and thus saved the ÖSV's honor.
"I was so focused during the run, I noticed that I was going well compared to the training sessions," says the 24-year-old Eichberger on ORF and is delighted: "I definitely took advantage of the moment."
Team colleague Stefan Rieser also seizes his chance and finishes 16th with bib number 49. The rest of the ÖSV team, on the other hand, disappoint as they did on Friday in the super-G. Apart from Eichberger, only Daniel Hemetsberger makes it into the top 15.
Big frustration for Kriechmayr
Vincent Kriechmayr, still the big winner on the Saslong in 2022, only finishes in 55th place. The 33-year-old's frustration at the finish is correspondingly great: "Something has to change. If I keep riding at the back like this, I'll lose my hat. That's not my standard."
Armin Assinger, ORF expert and four-time World Cup winner, sounds the alarm after the disappointing performance in Val Gardena/Gröden. "There's a dog inside. You can't sugarcoat things any more, it's sobering," Assinger says clearly. "There has to be some momentum now."
The good news for the ÖSV trump cards: the next chance for the speed specialists is already next weekend. A downhill is on the program in Bormio on Saturday, followed by a super-G on Sunday.
