Austria scores worst downhill results in 25 years in tough opening
VIENNA -- Without a podium finish in the first three races, the Austrian downhill team is having its worst start to a World Cup season in 25 years.
Even with two-time World Cup downhill champion Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway sidelined because of a torn Achilles tendon, the former "Wunderteam" has failed to make any impact.
Hannes Reichelt was ninth in Lake Louise last month, then Max Franz in Beaver Creek and Olympic champion Matthias Mayer in Val Gardena both came seventh for the team's best results, making it the poorest showing in pre-Christmas races since 1989.
After harsh criticism by greats Stephan Eberharter and Michael Walchhofer in the Austrian media, and with six weeks left before the world championship downhill in Beaver Creek, the team wants to get back on track in the final downhill of 2014 -- at Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, on Sunday.
"During the start of the season they haven't taken their chances," head coach Andreas Puelacher said. "Now the guys are starting to take more risks. It won't be long until we are back among the best."
According to Puelacher, who took over from Mathias Berthold this season, it's all about changing minor issues.
"If we avoid the small mistakes, then we'll see fireworks soon," the coach said, adding his racers have been clocking good split times and been fast in parts of the races.
Austria claimed victory in two of the most appealing downhill races last season, with Mayer earning Olympic gold in Sochi, and Reichelt winning the classic Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbuehel.
Less than a year on, the euphoria in ski-mad Austria has disappeared, and former racers and other experts have been publicly discussing what's wrong with the downhill team.
"Some of them are coming down very passively, they just stick to the racing line they saw during course inspection and forget to let their skis go," two-time overall champion Eberharter said. "If I see them, I ask myself whether they really want to be fast? Do they really want to win?"
Eberharter's former teammate and now vice president of the Austrian ski federation, Walchhofer, also noticed a lack of the ultimate will to win a race.
"That's a mentality issue," said Walchhofer, the last Austrian to win the world downhill title in 2003. "It has nothing to do with training deficits. Either you manage to overcome the challenge, or you don't."
The firm words didn't go down well with the team. Klaus Kroell called the comments "unnecessary," and Reichelt added that "help from the likes of Walchhofer and Eberharter is always welcome, but they have my phone number. I'd rather see they call me than criticize us in some newspapers."
Reichelt, at least, did win a speed race this season -- the super-G in Beaver Creek.
"There isn't missing much in downhill," said Reichelt, who sat out the Sochi Olympics with a back injury. "It's just some small technical mistakes, a matter of centimeters in the turns."
Despite the lack of downhill results, Austria is enjoying a good start to the World Cup season with five wins and nine top-three finishes overall.
However, it is relying mainly on defending overall champion Marcel Hirscher, who has already racked up six podiums, including four wins, in technical events.
"What Marcel is doing is sensational," head coach Puelacher said. "Our speed teams should beat (overall leader Kjetil) Jansrud as often as possible. That would be of great help to Marcel."
Hirscher, in turn, might help the downhill team later, as he is considering a maiden start in the sport's fastest discipline in Saalbach on Feb. 21.
