Stock market transactions, vaccinations, the Olympics: Innerhofer speaks plainly

On Friday, November 12, 2021, he will celebrate his 15th anniversary: That's how long Christof Innerhofer has been in the Ski World Cup. In 2006 he made his debut among the world's best ski racers at a slalom in Levi with start number 70. Even now, at the ripe old age of 36, “Inner” is still among the elite.

But: things don't get any easier with age, even for the seemingly eternally young Gaiser. His back pain has always been a constant companion, and he also tore a cruciate ligament in his right knee in spring 2019. This is a thing of the past, but the detail fanatic Innerhofer still knows how to assess it accurately. “I don't have many good years left in which I can train at a top level. This year was a summer where I was able to actually train everything I set out to do. The last time that happened was in 2009.”

Innerhofer, who is known for spending a large part of his fitness preparation on the bike, has been able to train a lot with weights in the last few months. Something that was only possible to a limited extent in the past, mainly because of his back problems. And in doing so, he sends a declaration of war to the competition: “As a general rule, I don’t talk about results and goals. Only: I'm 36 and won't be able to deliver as many seasons at the top level anymore. This year I did everything, absolutely everything, to ensure that I can start in top shape.” The last victory was 9 years ago Last year, Inner came back from his cruciate ligament injury, a problem with his ski boots threw him off track (incorrect degree setting), and before Kitzbühel a corona infection cost him a huge amount of substance. Where he started anyway and surprised not so much himself as the entire ski scene with two fourth places in downhill and super-G. Once again, the winner of 2 World Cup races - but the last one was almost 6 years ago - showed what he's made of: Whenever you don't have him on your radar, he's always there.

Together with two 5th places in Garmisch, the Kitz results remained the outliers in an otherwise difficult season. Especially since his serviceman Ales Kalamar also missed many races because of Corona. “I had a lot of potential, but because of the circumstances mentioned, I reaped very little. Sounds like an excuse, but it was the facts.”

That's checked off. His gaze goes forward. Innerhofer is currently with the Italian speed team in Copper Mountain in the US state of Colorado. There are still 3 weeks until the speed riders' season opener in Lake Louise. “It's not tingling yet,” says Innerhofer, “but when I packed my bags at home and took my racing gear with me, I started to look forward to it.” Especially since he doesn't have to log a lot of downhill kilometers to get in shape. “I already have a few speed kilometers under my belt. There is more quality than quantity.”

Christof Innerhofer wants to throw everything into the balance again next winter. © APA/afp / JOE KLAMAR

Christof Innerhofer also has a clear opinion on the corona vaccination: “Every country has the right to set its regulations as it wants. The fact that the International Ski Federation FIS is not able to create uniform guidelines for everyone and give its athletes the opportunity to compete in every country - regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or not - is crazy. The speed drivers must be vaccinated if they want to compete in Canada. The slalom riders who don't have to go there don't need the vaccination. There is no consistent line, and that’s a shame.”

Otherwise, the 36-year-old's focus is on the essentials. Losing time on trivialities that he can't change anyway - that was once. Especially since the Olympics are scheduled for next season, and Innerhofer won silver and bronze at major events in Sochi 2014. So gold is still missing. “I’m not thinking about the Olympics. I feel good, I feel strong, I have a lot of fun riding and training. I feel that I have a lot of power. But all that is not enough. It also takes the necessary bit of luck. There’s no guarantee of anything.” “I’m not a bull who pushes out of the starting house. There are better, more unconditional racing drivers than me.” Christoph Innerhofer And Innerhofer benefits from something else: his experience. "That's correct. I have plenty of that. I am strong in my head. But there are even better drivers. I'm not a Taurus who pushes out of the starting house and doesn't think about anything. I do think, often too much. This prevents free, carefree skiing. There are better, more unconditional racers than me. They are not more merciless, but more indifferent. They think less.” Risky on the slopes, cautious on the stock market Innerhofer sees the development in the Azzurri speed team as positive. “After the resignations of Werner Heel and Peter Fill, Domme (Paris) and I were the sole entertainers. Mattia Casse is in a good mood again, Emanuele Buzzi is also on the rise again, Nicoló Molteni and Pietro Zazzi can surprise. We must never forget that we have lost an entire generation: Hagen Patscheider, Henri Battilani, Andy Plank and Matteo De Vettori were all junior world champions and have long since retired, Florian Schieder and Alex Prast are injured. You can't compensate for that." Innerhofer is happy about the consistency in the coaching staff: In the Azzurri's speed team these are primarily Raimund Planker and Michael Gufler, and at home Hansjörg Plankensteiner.

And then there is something else that immediately captivates Innerhofer like a perfectly drawn curve on bare ice: the stock market. “There is a lot to read about. Every day, every free minute. I am an old-schooler like the major American investor Warren Buffett. Guys like that are my heroes, not Cathie Wood, who likes to make risky financial market bets. I would rather miss out on something than invest in the worst way possible.”

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Stock market transactions, vaccinations, the Olympics: Innerhofer speaks plainly

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