All-rounder Emma Aicher has a lot of potential. Women’s head coach Andreas Puelacher believes it is realistic that she will regularly achieve top ten places in the future.
Emma Aicher is DSV’s great young hope. In the supreme alpine discipline, the 20-year-old once again flashed her great potential on Saturday (December 9th, 2023) and showed that she can keep up with the world’s best – if everything goes right.
With sixth place, she achieved her second-best World Cup result in the downhill. “I hope it continues in that direction“, she said afterwards in the Sportschau interview. She had only been better in the Super-G in Kvitfjell last season when she finished fifth.
Aicher with a lot of potential in all disciplines
Aicher, who was born in Sundsvall, Sweden and has already competed for Sweden, has only started for Germany since the 2020/21 season. Her mother is Swedish, her father is German. She currently lives in Berchtesgaden and is an athlete for the German Ski Association (DSV). He supports them in all disciplines.
“In terms of potential, it has a broad base“, says women’s head coach Andreas Puelacher. But we don’t yet know exactly where we’re going. Also with a view to top and podium places. Aicher is still in a development that started last year, says the 57-year-old Tyrolean further out.
Puellacher: Slowly start to specialize
Whether slalom, giant slalom, super-G or downhill – the 20-year-old competed in every discipline last season and was able to consistently impress. The all-rounder has opportunities in all disciplines, “but that won’t work out“, says Puelacher, who expects too much from his athlete. You have to slowly start to specialize.
Regular top ten places are realistic
However, the Austrian believes it is quite realistic that she will regularly achieve top ten places in the future. Especially in Super G and downhill. But getting there still requires a lot of work. “Emma is a brave skier. She has very good speed qualities. This makes you calm on the skis, never hectic“, explains Puellacher.
However, there is still a lack in the technical area and she also needs to improve on the fitness side. The coach also points out that she doesn’t yet know all the downhill routes. “You have to be careful not to overpower it.”
Progress also in the Technical disciplines
In the giant slalom, Aicher could finally close the gap that arose after Viktoria Rebensburg ended her career. She worked intensively on discipline in preparation for the season. “And it got better every time,” said the 20-year-old. Puelacher is also confident: “In the giant slalom she takes developmental steps that fit“But it will take a while before she gets into the top ten. In December she finished sixteenth in Canada’s Tremblant.
And also “She has the opportunity in the slalom, but there is still a lack of consistency“, said Puelacher. After all, she has already been in the top 15 in the finest technical discipline six times. Ninth place in January in Flachau was the strongest result so far between the closely spaced poles.
Puelacher would like more dynamism
However, the 57-year-old would be impressed by the youngster while skiing “sometimes wish for more temperament.“Otherwise be “dEmma is a very calm person“He can work with her comfortably because she accepts it very strongly and can also implement it.”That’s a quality that Emma has“, praised Puellacher.
In St. Moritz, Aicher felt what it was like when she was able to exploit all of her qualities: “It felt wild from top to bottom. Maybe it has to feel like this for it to happen quicklyt,” she described her journey. The all-rounder still lacks consistency, but the first podium place could soon be possible. No matter what discipline.
Source: Taufig Khalil