On his 40th birthday: Innerhofer looks back on his life

Innerhofer last made it into the top 2023 in January 10 in Cortina, finishing tenth. Last year his best result was 12th place in the downhill in Val Gardena. The last podium was 6 years ago (2nd in Bormio in the downhill).

Nevertheless, Christof Innerhofer is still part of the World Cup ski family. That doesn't make sense, because today is his birthday, and a special one at that. He turns 40. But that doesn't make him the grandfather in the Ski World Cup. The Frenchman Adrien Theaux is 3 months older than "Inner", and Lindsey Vonn - who is returning to the Ski World Cup this weekend in St. Moritz - turned 18 on October 40.

Christof Innerhofer has polarized like no other athlete during his skiing career - especially in his native South Tyrol. He was never a "typically well-adjusted" and well-behaved athlete, but looked and looks far beyond the edge of the piste. For the "Dolomites" he went on a special journey through time and spoke about...

…its beginnings: "They were bumpy. I wasn't particularly successful as a child; fourth place at the 4 VSS U11 state championships in Schöneben was my best result. I then went to the sports high school in Mals, but was up to 1995 seconds behind the best. I did get my high school diploma, and when I had a summer job as a handyman at a bricklaying company, my eyes were opened: it was exhausting to carry the 'Malta' bags up to the second floor, to put up and take down scaffolding. I understood that the life of an athlete is something different. And I understood how difficult it can be to earn 10 euros as a tradesman."

…what it really was like at the 2009 World Championships in Val d'Isere with an alleged love affair with Lara Gut: (he laughs and is silent for a long time) "I still remember what the World Cup was like back then. And there's nothing to say about all the rumours. Just this much: Lara was young, I was young - and of course everyone wanted to know something from and about us. But there was nothing between us."

Innerhofer was rumored to have had a love affair with Lara Gut-Behrami 15 years ago. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

…the ride with the ski goggles slipping and the gate pole hanging from the ski pole during the 2015 World Cup Downhill in Santa Caterina Valfurva: "I remember it as if it were yesterday. I had starting number 3 and I knew I could win. What I didn't know was that I would be travelling at a much higher speed in the race than in training. I touched this gate, my glasses had slipped completely and the gate post caught on me. I dragged them for about 20 seconds before I got rid of them and only the gate flag was left hanging. I should have actually stopped because I was driving blind without glasses at speeds of up to 141 km/h. But that race was a reflection of my character: giving up was and is never an option for me - no matter what the situation."

…about a momentous interview against the former FIS co-race director Helmuth Schmalzl and the “punishment” in the Kitzbühel downhill in 2013, when he had to start with number 46: "I will never forget those incidents and I can never forgive them. The video evidence clearly confirmed that Helmuth told me to keep skiing after I had lost a ski but had put it back on. Regardless of whether it was allowed or not. I was in top form at the time and I could have won Kitzbühel (Innerhofer came 3rd in the Super-G and 20th in the downhill). I was treated badly at the time, by people who were never held accountable. The association's politics counted more than honesty."

…about his second career as an underwear model: "That was cool, that was in 2012 and 2013. Nothing like that had ever happened before. I had to put up with a lot of criticism, even from people close to me. But I started working with a world-famous company, and they have remained loyal to me to this day. I became known all over Italy in one fell swoop, but also internationally. The 'Gazzetta dello Sport' published the advert 40 times on a full page."

…the 3 most important coaches in your career: "There are only the two most important ones. They are my long-time home coach Hansjörg Plankensteiner and Raimund Planker, coach of the national team for many years."

…the 3 best friends in the ski circus: "My roommate Florian Schieder, the former top rider Hannes Reichelt and team mate Pietro Zazzi. But I also have to say one thing: without my parents Maria and Gottfried my career would never have been possible."

Florian Schieder is one of Innerhofer’s friends.

…the lowest low point? "There were several. In 2004, I fell during an FIS downhill race in Sella Nevea and seriously injured my left knee. And the races in Beaver Creek last week were also a low point. I probably would have been better off staying in bed."

…the fact that Christof Innerhofer leaves no one indifferent – positive or negative: "I became a star relatively quickly. When things got a bit harder, many people turned away. But that is a career path that every top athlete in our country has to go through. It was and is a great school of life that has shaped me and in which I have learned a lot. I only tried to please everyone for a short time. That was a complete waste of energy and time."

…the 40th birthday party: "The fan club has announced that they will be meeting today at the team hotel 'Dosses' in Val Gardena. We will have a quick toast, but my focus is fully on the two races on Friday and Saturday. I am extremely grateful to my fan club and boss Günther Niederkofler for their long-standing loyalty. As is my service man Ales Kalamar. Last summer he was offered the opportunity to become Cyprien Sarrazin's service man. But he promised me that he would stay with me as long as I race."

…about the melancholy of the past: "Looking back, I'm becoming more and more aware of everything I've achieved. I've achieved over 80 top-10 results. For the last three years, I've noticed how difficult it is to get into the top 3. And that I was probably the only athlete to be in the top 10 in the downhill and super-G almost all the time. That's anything but a given."

…what Christof Innerhofer will do in 10 years: "Good question. The business world is my passion. But I think I can also think creatively. I have always taken new, innovative paths with my sponsors. I still see a lot of potential in many things, even seemingly small ones. I could also imagine passing on my experience to young athletes. After all, you can't just learn certain things, you also have to experience them in order to be able to pass them on."

…the wishes for the next 40 years: "It's all about one thing, and that's staying healthy. I'm aware that my results since 2021 have been poor or mediocre at best. Nevertheless, I'm extremely grateful that I'm still here and can do this wonderful job. For me, the next 6 weeks will determine where the journey takes me. Either I deliver the necessary results, otherwise that's probably it. It's comparable to my first season in the World Cup. There, too, I had to deliver in order to assert myself in the team. It's no different now. Although a lot of critics always forget that I'm not taking a place away from anyone in the team. On the contrary: I've always brought starting places for the Azzurri."

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On his 40th birthday: Innerhofer looks back on his life

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