Fourth in Kitzbühel

Hemetsberger: Cheers for World Championship ticket, tips from “Vinc”

Daniel Hemetsberger came fourth in the Kitz Downhill.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Daniel Hemetsberger narrowly missed out on the downhill podium in fourth place at the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel. However, the Upper Austrian managed a significant improvement and his best performance of the season so far. He also secured his World Championship ticket on Saturday. "I've already said to my colleague Scherer (ÖSV Managing Director Christian Scherer; note) whether I could please take part in the World Championships. I think I've made it now," said Hemetsberger.

Hemetsberger crossed the finish line in third place, but it was already clear to him "that it might not work out". A podium in front of a home crowd - like in 2022, when he came third in Kitzbühel - would have been nice. "I would also have liked it for Ski Austria. Nevertheless, I think I did a good run. And above all, I've made progress in my skiing," said the 33-year-old veteran.

His first words to the camera at the finish ("Thank you, Vinc!") were directed at his missing team-mate Vincent Kriechmayr. "That's exactly how I skied it today, as he told me, and it worked," reported Hemetsberger. "If he didn't hear it, I'll tell him again later."

"I've been talking for weeks"
 As Stefan Babinsky finished eighth, it was the first time this season that two Austrians finished in the top ten in a downhill race. "I've been saying for weeks that we're skiing well. And I've said that it would happen at some point. Now the time has come," said Hemetsberger, who had attracted attention in Val Gardena/Gröden in December with the statement that five ÖSV athletes could easily finish in the top ten this winter. The following races showed a different picture, the ÖSV team was not collectively strong in Val Gardena/Gröden, Bormio or Wengen.

"I got nervous several times"
 "We have to say a big thank you to our coaches. They've been telling us for weeks that we're skiing well. That was the only thing that kept us going, I got my nerves frazzled several times," explained Hemetsberger, for whom some of his worries about the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm have been resolved. "So far I've had relatively little on the credit side, you have to be honest."