“Insane”: Ski coach in the crossfire of criticism

The two ski racers Amanda (23) and Angelina Salzgeber (21) have ended their careers before their World Cup debuts. In an interview with the Kronen Zeitung (print and online editions), both cited Roland Assinger as a reason for their decision, thus renewing criticism of the women's head coach and the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV).

July 15, 2025

From: apa/dl

The daughters of former athletes Anita Wachter and Rainer Salzgeber complained about a "top-down" approach to communication and a lack of appreciation. "It's simply insane that your dream has been taken away from you like this. How one person can influence your entire future," said Angelina Salzgeber.

The Vorarlberg native was dropped from all ÖSV squads in spring 2025. She suspected that her criticism of Assinger in an otherwise confidential online meeting had something to do with it. Her sister, who was returning from a cruciate ligament tear, still had C-squad status, but announced her resignation internally. She personally told Assinger "that it also has to do with the way you treat female skiers," according to Amanda Salzgeber.

"It's just insane that your dream has been taken away from you like that. How one person can decide your entire future." Angelina Salzgeber

A few months ago, Super-G World Champion Stephanie Venier had already publicly expressed similar criticism of Assinger. "It's always a shame when a talented athlete retires," said ÖSV General Director Christian Scherer in response to an APA inquiry. He declined to comment further and referred to Sports Director Mario Stecher. Stecher was unavailable for comment. He told the Kronen Zeitung newspaper: "But ultimately, we live in a performance-oriented society. It's all about performance." ÖSV Alpine Director Christian Mitter declined to comment on the matter when contacted.

Keywords Winter sports Alpine skiing OSV Roland Assinger