The fact that only 29 participants started at an alpine World Cup downhill shouldn’t detract from the performance of the athletes, but it doesn’t exactly indicate a mega event in sport. Ultimately 26 crossed the finish line, Sabrina Simader, who grew up in Upper Austria and started for Kenya, ended up at the bottom of the rankings – 4.33 seconds behind the celebrated world champion Jasmine Flury, with whom the Innviertel was also happy. The Swiss was the only one in the field who had strapped on a “device” from the ski company “Fischer Sports” based in Ried im Innkreis.
It should pay off. Flury also pushed the pace where there was a demand for shiny material given the rising temperatures. “It feels unreal. I can hardly believe that I’ve now won the gold medal,” said the amazed 29-year-old from Davos. “I had a good feeling on this snow. It kind of felt light.”
Nina Ortlieb, who loves Head, was also second. “I wasn’t entirely happy because I could have driven better. It wasn’t perfect. But overall I’m happy. I know where I lost the four hundredths. Everyone makes mistakes, I shouldn’t be sad,” said the 26-year-old. Incidentally, for the top three, the principle applied: visit late, be down faster. Flury, Ortlieb and bronze medalist Corinne Suter meet up regularly at the lift, so the rest of the top 20 are already up there. On the way to the finish, however, nobody could hold a candle to them.
author
Alexander Zambarloukos
Alexander Zambarloukos
