Alpine World Cup
Back in front of Vonn: Big victory for Ski-Juwel Aicher
Ski racer Emma Aicher wins the Super-G in Tarvisio. Almost three weeks before the Olympics there is another announcement – also to Lindsey Vonn. And there are other German encouragers.
Emma Aicher calmly watched from the finish area as one competitor after the other struggled to achieve their best time. The ski jewel continues to fuel hopes of a German Olympic coup. Almost three weeks before the opening of the Winter Games in Italy, Aicher won the Super-G in Tarvisio. The form curve of teammate Kira Weidle-Winkelmann, who came eighth, also continues to point upwards. Is there a black, red and gold piste festival in Cortina d’Ampezzo in February?
Coach is already daring to make comparisons with Vonn
“There’s still a long way to go,” said 22-year-old Aicher to ZDF after her fabulous ride. She just wants to concentrate on her skiing and also get a few good days of training. The fourth World Cup victory of her career should certainly give her further momentum. The SC Mahlstetten athlete said she did well from top to bottom in Tarvisio. This meant that she was once again faster than the long-time speed queen Lindsey Vonn.
The American had to be content with second place – as with Aicher’s triumph in the second downhill run from St. Moritz in Switzerland in December. Aicher versus Vonn: Is there a little private duel on the horizon? The strong World Cup comeback of the 41-year-old, who has been on the podium with remarkable regularity so far this winter, is definitely a kind of motivation and inspiration for the young German.
Women’s national coach Andreas Puelacher is even daring to make initial comparisons. “Emma is on the same level as Lindsey in terms of feeling,” he said recently. In terms of skiing feeling, of course – especially in the fast downhill and super-G disciplines. Whether in the gliding passages or curves – this is where Aicher’s good instinct comes into its own.
Already seven German podium places
She is now the German alpine team’s biggest Olympic hope – but by no means the only one. When the Italian Nicol Delago won the downhill from Tarvisio on Saturday, Weidle-Winkelmann finished second on the podium. The German women have already achieved a total of seven podium places this season: four by Aicher, two by Weidle-Winkelmann, one by slalom specialist Lena Dürr.
“The shape is right,” said Weidle-Winkelmann. What she referred to herself personally also applies to her colleagues. In Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Starnberg woman completely unexpectedly raced to World Cup silver in the downhill in 2021. Since then, she has rarely been able to match her performance back then. Will the 29-year-old be able to get back on track now, shortly before returning to the Dolomites?
Aicher also has fond memories of Cortina, where he contributed to Germany’s bronze medal in the team competition at the World Cup five years ago without any previous World Cup experience. This time she no longer arrives as an unknown, but as one of the favorites. And that in several disciplines.
dpa
