Despite weather worries

Kriechmayr triumphs in the Beaver Creek super-G

Vincent Kriechmayr(Bild: GEPA)

Strong performance by Vincent Kriechmayr in the super-G in Beaver Creek: The Upper Austrian took advantage of the opportunity in a race characterized by changeable weather conditions and, after finishing second at the season opener in Copper Mountain, took victory today!

Kriechmayr put a whole 0.56 seconds between himself and second-placed Norwegian Fredrik Möller, with giant slalom world champion Raphael Haaser 1.03 seconds behind in the last remaining place on the podium. Marco Odermatt, winner in Copper Mountain, was only fifth (+1.23). Stefan Eichberger in sixth (+1.28) and Stefan Babinsky in ninth (+1.44) completed a very strong team result in the top field from an ÖSV perspective. Also doing very well: Lukas Feurstein (+1.81/14th), Daniel Hemetsberger (+2.04/17th) and Marco Schwarz (+2.54/19th).

However, patience was required until Kriechmayr's 19th success in the World Cup was secured. The race was interrupted several times due to the weather. "Of course I'm happy about my performance. It fits, but I would have preferred it otherwise. Of course it has a bad aftertaste, I think it was only really fair up to start number 14," said Kriechmayr on ORF. He had last won the World Cup in February 2024 and now slipped into the jersey of the discipline leader. Haaser had already finished third in the first race of the season. "I think the whole team is in good shape. That certainly whets the appetite for more," said the Tyrolean.

The result:

Repeated interruptions
With poor ground visibility and snowfall, Kriechmayr set a real benchmark time with the early number 6. He took 1.28 seconds off his team-mate Eichberger, who was leading at the time, with a run without any visually recognizable mistakes. Odermatt, who was immediately behind Kriechmayr, was already over a second behind at the first intermediate time. It cannot be ruled out that the wind also played a significant role.

Haaser was "only" seven tenths behind Kriechmayr at the top. With the snow already much heavier, Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen crashed, apparently unharmed. The race was then interrupted for a long time before it continued in extremely changeable conditions, sometimes even in sunshine. Kriechmayr only really had to worry about his second Beaver Creek victory after 2017 because of the external influences, before the race made it into the classification with the 30th starter in accordance with the regulations.

The wind remained a factor right to the end. Marco Schwarz didn't seem to benefit from it either. "I can't complain, it's an outdoor sport. It may not be 100 percent fair, but the best are ahead," said Schwarz, who was nevertheless not sparing with self-criticism: "I have to work on taking my balls in my hands even when visibility is poor."