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Vincent Kriechmayr became world champion in downhill and super-G in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2021
Photo: GEPA pictures/ Mario Buehner / imago images/GEPA pictures
World champion Vincent Kriechmayr only came twelfth in the downhill of the alpine ski racers in Wengen, but caused a sensation with his start alone.
The Austrian had not done any training before and started the race with a special permit.
Kriechmayr had tested positive for the corona virus last week.
After another test, which was negative, the authorities gave him permission to travel to Switzerland on Wednesday afternoon.
He had already missed the downhill training sessions in Wengen on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Alibi training for Kriechmayr
According to the regulations of the World Federation Fis, however, participation in at least one training session is mandatory for starting in the downhill.
After being given the green light by a jury decision on Thursday afternoon, Kriechmayr drove out of the starting gate at 9.44 a.m. on Friday.
After a few meters, the 30-year-old broke off the journey and went on to inspect the track as normal.
The action taken by the FIS was not well received by the other nations.
"It's not at all about Vincent Kriechmayr, but about the regulations that are there so that everyone knows what they have to do," said the Alpine Director of the Swiss Ski Association, Walter Reusser, ZDF.
“The Fis had no hearing at all.
Then we said we'd do a protest.
Fis also rejected him.
There are various athletes from different nations who don't start here because they stick to the rules.
Suddenly they are simply tipped over in one evening.
It is not correct that an athlete does not have to do any training.
It's against security."
Kilde wins again
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, meanwhile, is continuing an impressive comeback season.
The 29-year-old Norwegian, who tore his cruciate ligament last January, celebrated his fifth win of the season in the first of two downhills in Wengen and confirmed his role as a medal contender at the Beijing Olympics.
Kilde won on the Lauberhorn route, which was shortened by a good 45 seconds, ahead of Swiss Marco Odermatt (+0.19 seconds).
The day before in the Super-G, the order had been reversed.
Odermatt also leads clearly ahead of Kilde in the overall World Cup.
This time ex-world champion Beat Feuz (Switzerland/+0.30) was third.
Weak DSV performance
The German starters could not confirm their strong performances from the Super-G with places four and six.
None of the quintet made it into the top 20, the slowest was Vice World Champion Andreas Sander, who said about his performance on ZDF: »At the moment the worm is in there.
Nothing goes together.«
Sander ended up in 41st place, ahead of him were Dominik Schwaiger (24th), Romed Baumann (27th), Josef Ferstl (33rd) and the young Simon Jocher (38th) - that's how poorly placed a German team was in the Last departure six years ago.
The second descent follows on Saturday, then over the almost 4.5 kilometer long total route.
mfu/sid/dpa
