Could Katharina Huber imagine a worse nightmare? The 29-year-old Austrian has made some World Cup starts – 121 to be precise. But she had to miss the one who is of the greatest importance to her. Cruel.
Katharina Huber was looking forward to competing this Saturday at the giant of Semmering, a resort located less than an hour by car from her hometown, Leoben. However, she was not able to savor a single moment. Bib No. 49 on her shoulders, the local of the stage completely missed her start, in a two-stage sequence.
First, one of her poles slipped as she launched, causing a loss of balance that she managed to correct. But in the process, her skis crossed her heels, causing her to fall flat on her face. The Austrian crashed into the first door and hit a camera with her helmet. Result: his race lasted only two and a half seconds.
On the other hand, her failure will follow her for a little while. Because it left some pretty scratches on her face, as she showed on Instagram, and because the sequence will definitely be a staple in end-of-year bloopers.
This being said, Katharina Huber can put things into perspective: she is not the only one to have experienced such a misfortune. In 2015 in particular, Frenchman Julien Lizeroux (11 World Cup podiums and two at the Worlds to his credit) started the Méribel slalom with an improbable – and involuntary – roll which disqualified him.
For the artistic note, however, it was something other than Katharina Huber.
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