Luck for Felix Hacker

Carinthian trio make it into the World Cup

(Bild: AFP/MARCO BERTORELLO)

A Carinthian ski trio will be racing with the "big boys" in 2025/26. Even for Kitzbühel crash pilot Felix Hacker, there was a happy ending to the season.Meanwhile, talented Elisa Eisner is making her debut in the European Cup this week.

A strong European Cup year! Three Carinthian athletes secured their World Cup ticket for the next ski season. After the cancellation of the European Cup downhill races in Kvitfjell this weekend, Nadine Fest is the winner of the downhill classification despite her absence! She is also firmly in first place in the super-G.

"That was my goal, it really takes a lot of pressure off because I've done it," says the 26-year-old from Arriach. However, she missed out on the World Cup final in the USA after finishing 21st and 32nd in the super-G in La Thuile (It). "That really hurts, but I was really tired - the season with the European Cup and World Cup was really tough," said Fest.

Carmen Spielberger from Guttaring has also secured her ticket to the "big ones" with second place in the European Cup downhill rankings. She was eliminated in the last super-G in Kvitfjell on Monday, missing out on a starting place in this discipline.

The cancellation of the last downhill in Norway was particularly pleasing for Felix Hacker from Lavanttal - despite a serious knee injury, which he sustained at the World Cup in Kitzbühel, he remains third in the downhill rankings with a one-point lead and is therefore guaranteed a place in the World Cup again.

However, there is no shortage of "supplies" for the European Cup - Oscar Heine (Klippitztörl) finished on the podium once this year. Technician Elisa Eisner (Union Klagenfurt) is making her European Cup debut this week in Norway after four victories in FIS races.