ÖSV girl relieved

Comeback victory after glandular fever and Lyme disease

Jubilee day for Vorarlberg's ski hopefuls! While Lukas Feurstein from Mellau fulfilled his mission in Italy at the first attempt and was crowned Portuguese giant slalom champion, Amanda Salzgeber was able to celebrate a very special and long-awaited success in the far north.

"My goal was to win a national championship and score 20 FIS points," explained Lukas Feurstein, who seamlessly followed on from his performance in the USA tour on Tuesday at the Portuguese championships, where he finished tenth in the World Cup in Palisades Tahoe and 21st and 22nd in Aspen to score his first 45 RTL points. "Fortunately, I managed that here on my first attempt." And how: At the finish, the 22-year-old from Mellau was 1.93 seconds ahead of Francesco Santacroce (It). "It was quite a fairytale meadow and in no way comparable to a World Cup or European Cup race. But my speed was just right," said the army athlete happily.

Lukas Feurstein was also able to celebrate at Kronplatz.(Bild: AP)

Long ordeal comes to an end
The jubilation was even greater in Oslo Winter Park, 1500 kilometers further north as the crow flies. There, Amanda Salzgeber celebrated her first victory in a FIS giant slalom after contracting mononucleosis and Lyme disease in the spring of 2023. And just like her Head brand colleague Feurstein, the 22-year-old from Montafon won in impressive style: after setting two fastest times, the 2020 Youth Olympic champion finished 1.62 seconds ahead of fellow ÖSV athlete Anna Schilcher.

"I'm incredibly happy that I didn't give up and that I'm back now," said "Mandy". "It was a huge weight off my mind on Monday at the European Cup 'Giant' in Aal after my performance in the first run. It's brilliant that I was able to confirm it here." Sister Angelina was also delighted: she finished fifth (+3.31).