Downhill in St. Moritz

ÖSV girl admits: “I’m glad I made the decision

Downhill talent Leonie Zegg from Lech is back after injury.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"Back then, I didn't have an easy time with all the schoolwork and the upcoming A-levels. Somehow I had a bad feeling that day, I was already nervous at the start. Yes, maybe it was female intuition," says Vorarlberg downhill racer Leonie Zegg, looking back on April 5 this year.

The Friday on which the 20-year-old from Lech tore her inner ligament during a FIS giant slalom on the Glungezer and had to end her season prematurely as a result. "Fortunately, I was very well looked after by Dr. Katja Tecklenburg, knee specialist at the Medalp Sportclinic Imst, who has raced herself."

Leonie Zegg made the leap into the ÖSV C squad after her strong previous season with four European Cup results in the top 20.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Tecklenburg advised Zegg, who had previously made a name for herself as a member of the ÖSV support group in the European Cup with a sixth place in the downhill in Orcieres Merlette (Fra), to forego surgery and treat the injury conservatively. "It was tough at first, as the knee was extremely swollen and painful and I had to write my A-levels," reveals Zegg, who is glad of her decision in hindsight.

Preparation was short
"I'm doing amazingly well and I feel almost nothing," says the head skier, who ventured back onto the snow for the first time on August 27 on the Stelvio Pass. "My focus in preparation was on the giant slalom, which is why I only have a few training days in the speed disciplines." Seen in this light, her 13th place yesterday in training for the EC downhill double in St. Moritz is all the more impressive. Her goal: "I want to try to pick up where I left off before the injury as the season progresses."

Junior downhill world champion "got it wrong"
While Zegg - 2.19 seconds behind Elena Stucki (Sz) - made it into the top 15 straight away, the other Ländle starters were still holding back. Downhill Junior World Champion Victoria Olivier, who recently celebrated her first European Cup victory in the giant slalom in Hippach and is competing in her first EC downhill in St. Moritz, finished 28th (+2.91) in her first attempt. "Unfortunately, I had memorized the blind gates incorrectly and therefore made a mistake," reports the 20-year-old. 
Vanessa Nußbaumer also took it easy on her comeback after breaking her tibia and fibula, finishing in 37th place (+3.42). Amanda Salzgeber from Montafon finished in 40th place (+3.59).

Squadless Carinthian fastest Austrian
The best Austrian was Nadine Fest from Carinthia, who is without a squad and was able to come within four hundredths of a second of Stucki in second place. With her compatriot Carmen Spielberger (10th/+1.77), Nicole Eibl from Upper Austria (11th/+1.87) and Viktoria Bürgler from Salzburg (14th/+2.24), three more ÖSV ladies made it into the top 15.