Alpine skiing – Roswitha Stadlober admits: “Switzerland motivates us”

A Swiss on the podium, an Austrian at the bottom of the box: Saturday, the Kitzbühel descent perfectly summed up the current dynamics of the two most powerful federations in alpine skiing.

In the wake of the superb second place won by the Friborg Alexis Monney (40th Swiss podium of the winter, men and women combined), ranked two places ahead of Daniel Hemetsberger, Roswitha Stadlober commented on the state of alpine skiing in her country and observed, laconically, the hegemony of its cumbersome neighbor.

Interview pour lematin.ch from the president of Ski Austria.

Roswitha Stadlober, what is your assessment for the Austrian team after the speed events in Kitzbühel?

With Raphael Haaser’s podium in super-G and Daniel Hemetsberger’s fourth place in downhill, we can be satisfied. We hope, of course, that the slalom racers will perform well this Sunday, and that we can get another podium here in Kitzbühel.

You have now been on the podium 13 times this winter, men and women combined. An insufficient record for a nation like Austria, right?

We would obviously like to celebrate more victories and podiums, but there is no point in simply expressing wishes. We have to continue to work hard and hope that we will be spared from serious injuries. I am then certain that things can be reversed quickly.

For six seasons now, with the exception of winter 2021-2022, Austria has no longer managed to dominate the ranking of nations. What are the reasons?

Austria has won this ranking more than thirty times. At the time, no one questioned this. It was only when Austria stopped winning this ranking that the subject came back to the table. Regardless, we want to dominate this hierarchy again.

And therefore return to Switzerland. How do you experience the hegemony of your historical rival?

The rivalry between Switzerland and Austria is beneficial for alpine skiing as a whole. Both nations push each other and want to be at the top.

How do you explain that Switzerland has caught up with Austria, then overtaken it for several seasons now?

Switzerland has done a lot of good things in recent years. This is what motivates us and this is the level we want to return to.

Swiss domination also coincides with the advent of Marco Odermatt…

Marco Odermatt is an exceptional athlete and a great personality. In the past, Austria has also had someone like Marcel Hirscher. He was also a very successful athlete and a great personality.

Austria is preparing to host the World Championships from February 4 to 16 in Saalbach. What are the expectations of your Federation for this event?

Historically, the Alpine Ski World Championships have their own rules (editor’s note: there are always surprises). I don’t think we’re among the big favorites, but we can still claim medals in several disciplines.