The alpine season is entering the home stretch. The German team’s balance sheet before the speed final in Saalbach is sobering, plus the resignations of Thomas Dreßl and Josef Ferstl. The prospects of the World Ski Championships in a year’s time are worrying.
Before the final serve in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, the mood in the German alpine team is clouded. All in all, the past World Cup winter was “not difficult to assess because it wasn’t a good season for us,” said DSV sports director Wolfgang Maier in an interview with BR.
DSV boss Maier: “Too little for the effort”
Apt words given the poor line-up that the DSV sent to the last speed weekend (live on ARD and at sportschau.de). Only Kira Weidle, 18th in the downhill ranking, is even qualified for Saalbach. It wasn’t enough for Andreas Sander as the best German downhill skier with 36th place, nor was Simon Jocher (26th) and Emma Aicher (28th) in the Super G.
Alpine skiing: overall ranking, men arrow right. Alpine skiing: overall ranking, women arrow right
Even slalom ace Linus Straßer with his victories in Kitzbühel and Schladming and overall slalom runner-up Lena Dürr are not enough to brighten Maier’s mood. “That’s actually not enough for the effort we’re putting in,” the boss stated. In total there were only 28 top ten placements (43 last year), the last time there were fewer were in 2006 (19).
Dreßen and Ferstl leave a “dent”
Making matters worse is the “dent” (Maier) that occurred at the beginning of the year due to the resignations of the former Kitzbühel winners Thomas Dreßen and Josef Ferstl. Maier is now missing “two or three runners who can prove themselves among the world’s best. (…) We are no longer so broadly positioned in Germany that we just need to turn around and immediately find a replacement for Josef (Ferstl) or for Thomas Dreßen.”
Youngsters Vogt and Aicher are not ready yet
The ski association has great hope and at the same time pressure of expectations in Luis Vogt. The DSV has “a few good people – for example Luis Vogt, who we have to develop so that he can take this place,” said Maier.
Emma Aicher, on the other hand, has already made it to the World Cup at just 20 years old. But the native Swede lacks consistency. She rarely manages to complete a complete run without errors. She was able to prove her potential at the end of the season: in the slalom, not actually her regular discipline, in Are, Sweden, Aicher took seventh place.
“Dry” dress rehearsal in Saalbach
Almost demonstratively, Maier only wants to look forward, and he holds his athletes accountable: “If you have failures, then you have to move away from always blaming someone else for them.”
Despite the lack of German men, the first step towards a turnaround is the season finale in Saalbach. The knowledge gained is important because next winter the World Ski Championships will take place at the same location. The route in the Kitzbühel Alps “is very familiar to us,” said Maier: The former speed team was “developed here during its time of success.”
Despite setbacks: “Don’t be afraid” of the Alpine Ski World Championships
This is also why, the 63-year-old assured, he is “not afraid” of a World Cup disaster. “I believe that a great World Cup will be held here (in Saalbach, editor’s note). I also think that we are stabilizing in one area or another (…) so that we don’t have a decisive but can play a role in the medals.”
