L Alpine skiing

Vincent Kriechmayr took the first podium place for an Austrian in the downhill this season in Kvitfjell. That only gave his coach some confidence. © ANSA / Stian Lysberg Solum

ÖSV coach sounds the alarm: “Outdated downhill team”

The ÖSV result of the penultimate World Cup downhill this winter in Kvitfjell set off alarm bells for head coach Marko Pfeifer - even though Vincent Kriechmayr finally took the first podium place of the season for the Austrians.

Kriechmayr took the first podium place in second place, but only Daniel Danklmaier (14th) and Stefan Babinsky (28th) were in the top 30. “We have an outdated downhill team,” warned Pfeifer. “We have three people in the 30, the other nations have significantly more,” said Pfeifer, referring to Switzerland (8), the USA (6) and Italy (5).


The ÖSV coach made it clear that things could not continue like this next season with the World Cup highlight in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. “We have to analyze it well and really push hard so that we don’t fall behind and find the connection.” The injury misery in the ÖSV team with patients like Daniel Hemetsberger, Marco Schwarz and Max Franz is well known. However, Pfeifer would have expected other, experienced runners to step into the breach in their absence. “For those who are established, it looks as if the journey is going backwards. “You have to be more serious, even if we don’t have many there,” he revealed. “I’ll think about something because you can’t drive over 30.”

Large group, but little success (yet).

However, due to the age structure, one should not expect miracles in a few months. “We have an aging downhill team that is still keeping us alive. We have to make sure we build something back up,” emphasized the head coach.

Austria head coach Marko Pfeifer. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

In the group of those who are in their mid-20s or just older, there are in principle enough athletes who could form the core of the speed team in the medium term once the “over-30s” like Kriechmayr, Striedinger, Hemetsberger or Danklmaier have left. Schwarz (28), Babinsky (27), plus Haaser (26) and Ploier (26), whom Pfeifer described as “hopes,” as well as Rieser (25), Manuel Traninger (25), Julian Schütter (25) and Felix Hacker (24). What they are missing - with a few exceptions - are several injury-free years with a fixed starting place to get to know the downhill routes. “We need downhill kilometers so that we can get better.”

Comments (0)

Confirm the activation link in our email to verify your account and write comments. Resend activation link
Complete your profile information to write comments.
Edit Profile

You have to sign into use the comment function.

© 2025 First Avenue GmbH