The expectations of the German team at the Alpine Ski World Championships in Courchevel/Meribel are high. Because Lena Dürr, Linus Straßer and Kira Weidle are also among the favorites.
Three silvers, one bronze: The DSV team impressed at the last World Ski Championships 2021 in Cortina d’Ampezzo. And that although the expectations in advance were clearly subdued. No one in the German team was one of the top favourites.
With a completely different matter of course, the DSV team is now traveling to the upcoming World Ski Championships in Courchevel/Meribel, France (February 6th to 19th, 2023). The German team has fought its way back to the top of the world. Linus Straßer, Lena Dürr and Kira Weidle can count themselves among the medal favorites. While Weidle won silver in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 2021, Straßer and Dürr are still without individual World Cup medals. That should change.
Skinny with a tailwind
Lena Dürr travels to France with a lot of self-confidence. At the last slalom world cup in Spindlermühle, the woman from Germeringer celebrated her first world cup victory ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin. The American is the measure of all things in the technical disciplines and the clear favorite for gold in slalom and giant slalom. But the competitors around the Slovakian Petra Vlhova and the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami and Wendy Holdener should not be underestimated either.
Weidle wants to be back on the podium
In the downhill, Kira Weidle’s goal should be clear: the silver medalist from 2021 wants to get back on the podium. She has already underlined that she is in good shape with two podium finishes this season.
But the gold favorite is Sofia Goggia. The Italian celebrated four World Cup victories this season. The Slovenian Ilka Stuhec and the Italian Elena Curtoni are among the favorites, as is the Swiss Corinne Suter. There is still a question mark after her name. The 2022 Olympic downhill champion fell at full speed at the World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo and suffered severe facial swelling when she hit the snow. It is not yet clear whether she will start at the World Championships.
Also Strasser with chances of precious metal
Slalom ace Linus Straßer is constant, but also close to the limit. At the Gudiberg and in Schladming, the Munich player was unlucky. With two podium finishes this season, he has proven that he can be at the forefront when he comes through.
But the field is tightly contested. The slalom is firmly in Norwegian hands. The only 22-year-old Lucas Braathen finally made his breakthrough this season and is currently in first place in the overall slalom ranking. Behind him lurks the veteran Henrik Kristoffersen, who is just as much a medal contender as the Austrian Manuel Feller and the Swiss duo Daniel Yule and Loic Meillard.
Kilde and Kriechmayer favorites in the downhill
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde from Norway impressed with spectacular races this season. The Streif winner dominates the descent and still has a score to settle with the World Championships. In 2021 he missed the World Cup due to injury. Now, together with Vincent Kriechmayr, he is one of the top favorites for downhill gold.
Together with Marco Odermatt, the three should also be in a head-to-head race for victory in the Super-G. All three have been consistently on the road so far this season. Above all, Odermatt is currently amazing with his strong performances. He won eight World Cups this season, four of them in Super-G, the others in giant slalom. No other driver has won as often this season as the Swiss, who leads the ranking in the overall World Cup.
While Andreas Sander (downhill) and Romed Baumann (Super-G) still won silver for Germany at the 2021 World Ski Championships, precious metal is not expected in the speed disciplines, the performances are currently too inconsistent. Thomas Dreßen has fought back impressively after his long injury break, but a top placement at the World Championships still seems too far away.
Nevertheless: The German team has developed a new self-image and is once again establishing itself among the best in the world. Two years ago, Weidle, Sander and Baumann already caused a surprise. Maybe this time too.