Best time three times

This 23-year-old dominated the qualifiers for Sölden

Noel Zwischenbrugger was number one in the ÖSV internal qualification on the glacier in Sölden.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria's men's skiers have already completed the first - internal - test of strength. On Wednesday, Vorarlberg's Noel Zwischenbrugger and local hero Fabio Gstrein secured the last two free tickets for the World Cup opening on October 27. Impressive: 23-year-old Zwischenbrugger was the fastest in all three runs.

"When I said that I'm not yet at 100 percent at the moment, that was of course complaining at a high level," smiled Noel Zwischenbrugger after beating local hero Fabio Gstrein (who secured the second vacant ticket), Carinthian Adrian Pertl and Styrian speed specialist Stefan Babinsky in all three runs at the ÖSV internal qualification for the World Cup opening on the Rettenbachferner race slope on Wednesday and achieving the best time. "By that I meant that I could certainly do better. But the performance in qualifying was definitely very good."

One thing is certain: the 23-year-old will be the third Mellau racer to compete in the season opener on October 27 alongside his cousins Lukas and Patrick Feurstein. "When you're competing in the World Cup, you naturally want to score points," emphasizes the Atomic pilot, who will probably start the race with a number around 40.

A feat that Noel has only achieved once in eight starts - right at his debut last December, when he qualified for the final run on the notorious Face de Bellevarde piste in Val d'Isère with number 57 in 23rd place, in which he was able to finish 13th with an absolute best time.

The ÖSV team for Sölden

Stefan Brennsteiner (Salzburg)
Manuel Feller (Tyrol)
Lukas Feurstein (Vorarlberg)
Patrick Feurstein (Vorarlberg)
Fabio Gstrein (Tyrol)
Raphael Haaser (Tyrol)
Vincent Kriechmayr (Upper Austria)
Noel Zwischenbrugger (Vorarlberg)

Further training on the race slope
Today Noel and the rest of the ÖSV men will complete another training day on the race slope before he can recharge his batteries for his Sölden premiere at the weekend. Where the fine-tuning for the race on Sunday (10 a.m. or 1 p.m.) will take place next week is still open.