The DSV riders actually wanted to celebrate their first medal at this World Ski Championships in the team competition. But the final stop was in the quarterfinals against Austria. Nevertheless, the team remains confident.
So far, the Alpine Ski World Championships have been disappointing for the DSV: no medals in the combination, no medals in the downhill and also in the Super-G the German starters went away empty-handed. The team competition at the start of the second week of the World Cup should bring the change. The team wanted to win a medal like in Cortina in 2021.
The way to the precious metal was difficult for Team Germany from the beginning, because the first opponent Sweden could just as well have been a final opponent. Lena Dürr, Andrea Filser, Linus Straßer and Alexander Schmid mastered the hurdle in the round of 16, but also because two Swedes made big mistakes in their runs.
Terminus Austria
In the quarter-finals, the next “chunk” was waiting for the Germans with the Olympic champions from Austria. Andrea Filser lost her duel and Linus Straßer was also unable to win against Dominik Raschner, who was outstanding. “If everything doesn’t fit”Straßer later said in an interview, “It’s already over.”
But it wasn’t quite over yet, Lena Dürr saved a few hundredths of a lead in her duel and kept the hopes of the Germans alive. The burden was now on Alexander Schmid’s shoulders, who had to set an extremely good time to save the German team into the semi-finals.
At the time, however, he had no idea: “Personally, I didn’t realize that we were behind and that it was all up to me. In the end, I always have to focus on myself. I wanted to stay with myself and I knew that I generally always had to risk everything.”
Schmid risked a bit too much, slipped and sealed the early end of the DSV team. “Something like that just can’t happen, I’ll take that on my cap a little bit”said Schmid after the race and continued: “Of course it’s bitter that the whole team is involved.”
Alpinchef Maier: decent performance
DSV Alpine boss Wolfgang Maier defends the team: “If you want to compete for a medal in this team competition, you have to push yourself to the limit. That can happen.”said Maier to Schmid’s slip and spoke of a total “decent performance” of the German team: “We were eliminated against the Olympic champions, you can accept that, we have to accept that in sport.”
Linus Straßer also took the elimination in a sporty manner: “Of course you’re a bit disappointed, of course I would have liked to have reached the semi-finals”said Strasser, “But it’s a fast-moving competition, that’s part of it.” The look of the great German slalom hope goes into the future: “The revenge will come again at some point.” Maybe on Wednesday, when the DSV athletes will go for gold, silver and bronze again in the parallel event.