The unusual career path of Alex Vinatzer

At the last minute, the zero in South Tyrol's medal tally was polished up. It would have been the second title fight after 2021 in which our national association would have come away empty-handed. Alex Vinatzer was there for the last South Tyrolean World Cup medal in 2019 - in the team event in which the “Azzurri” won bronze. Together with Simon Maurberger, the then 19-year-old was a decisive factor in winning medals and taught the established stars one by one the fear.

The tall Wolkensteiner drew attention to himself on the international stage a year earlier: at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, when he was just 18 years old, he defeated Alexis Pinturault in a direct duel in the team event. That year, Vinatzer also sporadically took part in a few Marlene Cup races. That alone describes the character of the down-to-earth man from Val Gardena, who quickly climbed the career ladder. The 23-year-old was only denied a victory in the Alpe Cimbra Cup (formerly the Topolino Trophy). Vinatzer first caused a stir at the EYOS 2017 European Youth Games in Erzurum, Turkey, where he won gold in the giant slalom and slalom. At the Junior World Championships in Åre in the same year, he was the youngest runner in the entire field, finishing fourth and missing out on precious metal by 0,05 seconds. He got that in Davos in 2018, where he was only beaten by Clement Noel. However, it was clear: he was 2,77 seconds behind. Yesterday it was the other way around: Noel came fourth, 0,03 seconds behind.

Not via the state squad route Alex Vinatzer did not go the usual state squad route. Together with his long-time private trainer Marco Senoner, he decided to attend high school at the ski high school in Stams in North Tyrol. “I looked at it at an open day and it was the right decision,” he reflects. “I was at home and training took place in Kühtai, Pitztal or Seefeld.” Matteo Canins, who is currently mainly active in the European Cup, also took this route. And why technicians and not speed drivers, as the Val Gardena tradition would have it? Vinatzer: “Because I was simply too slow there. I found it increasingly easier in slalom and giant slalom.”

In 2014 at the Grand Prix races: Alex Vinatzer (center of the picture) and Tobias Kastlunger (left).

Alex Vinatzer comes from a family of hoteliers, his parents Christoph and Nadia run the Hotel Savoy in Wolkenstein, where his older brother Ivan (25) can often be found. Offspring Mattia is 12 years old and also an enthusiastic skier. “Maybe there will be two Vinatzers in the World Cup,” the slalom bronze winner from yesterday once said jokingly. Although Vinatzer never felt like laughing throughout his career. It was 2 years ago when, after a brilliant start to the season with places 2 and 4, he slipped into a horror January: he was eliminated in 3 races in a row or even missed qualifying for the second round.

Others would have failed because of it, not Alex Vinatzer: He fought his way back and finished the season with fourth place in the World Cup slalom in Cortina d'Ampezzo and the same result in the World Cup final in Lenzerheide. This year too his season was mixed: on the one hand 4 top 3 placements, on the other 10 finishers. Reason to be nervous? Not Alex Vinatzer. He has nerves of steel. And is there when it matters most. Just like on World Cup Slalom Sunday, February 4, 19.

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The unusual career path of Alex Vinatzer

Alex Vinatzer won a bronze medal at the World Championship Slalom in Courchevel on Sunday. This is the highlight of his career so far.

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