"KRONE" STOPLIGHT

In the shop window! It’s boiling in Kitzbühel

"Krone" head of sport Peter Moizi writes about the myth of Kitzbühel ...(Bild: GEPA, krone.at-grafik)

It's boiling in Kitzbühel, the Alpine Mecca is bursting at the seams. The region is fully booked, all tickets for the downhill on Saturday are sold out. The party slalom is picking up speed, the hosts are rubbing their hands together. Everything is set up for a spectacle, but it remains to be seen what role the Austrians will play. However, this does not change the significance of the Streif adventure. Up to 300 million people worldwide watch live on TV, 1.2 billion follow the cult races at least briefly.

The myth surrounding the skiing highlight is undisputed, Kitzbühel has long since become a fixed star in the international sporting world. The Tyroleans now play in the same league as Formula 1 in Monaco, tennis in Wimbledon or El Clásico in Spain.

Streif champions achieve hero status, a triumph in the world's most daring speed race counts almost as much as an Olympic victory or World Championship gold. As a skier, there is no better stage to present yourself, nowhere else are you more in the spotlight. Kitzbühel has heralded great careers, but has also ended countless athletes' dreams. A magical place that will hopefully give the struggling Austrian team the strength it needs to get back on the road to success in time for the World Championships.