The complete Streif “pleasure”
3.3 kilometers, 800 meters in altitude, almost two minutes full throttle – on Sunday the Kitzbühler Streif was 100 percent again after the route was shortened on Friday due to the wind.
Hemetsberger was the first to be allowed onto the track in the second sweep race. And the 30-year-old, who finished tenth in the first edition, inaugurated it with a great ride, the time stopped at 1:57.58 minutes.
Starting number four, Andreas Sander, was the first of five German athletes to take to the track, but he couldn’t keep up with the best time. Sander was 2.19 seconds behind Hemetsberger, who Johan Clarey (+0.27 seconds), who had finished second two days earlier, was also unable to dislodge from the top position. The Frenchman ended up fifth.
Odermatt awarded the victory at the last gates
Shortly thereafter, Marco Odermatt took the lead with a furious drive. The Swiss took the risk from top to bottom and ended up 0.69 seconds ahead of Hemetsberger. Small mistakes in the last few meters prevented the lead from being more than a second.
These mistakes not only prevented the larger lead, but also the fact that the lead lasted for a particularly long time. Beat Feuz caught up in the final sprint and was 0.21 seconds ahead of Odermatt at the finish.
Shortly thereafter, Friday winner Alexander Aamodt Kilde left the track, but made a few mistakes and was 1.21 seconds behind the leader. In the end, only sixth place remained for the Norwegian.
Baumann lacks “the looseness”
It was even more disappointing for the German alpinists. In the end, Sander was 3.09 seconds behind the winner. His colleagues Romed Baumann (+1.9 seconds), Josef Ferstl (+2.56 seconds) and Dominik Schwaiger (+2.63 seconds) also stayed below them Opportunities.
“I’ve set myself so many goals and then I just didn’t ski easily. Unfortunately, today wasn’t enough for me“said Baumann, who also promised: “But the ease will come back. I’m not completely far from the best.“
As a World Cup runner-up, Sander now even has to worry about his place at the Olympic Games in Beijing. “Of course, if you’re performing like I’m doing right now, I wouldn’t set myself up as a coach either“, he said. “I am at a loss.“
Status: 01/23/2022, 14:53