Successful World Cup debut: Tatjana Paller completed a sprint (19th) and a vertical race (17th) in Ponte di Legno.
National coach Thomas Bösl is also full of praise.
Lenggries - The
circuit was lit up as bright as day under the starry sky in the snow-covered Ponte di Legno.
The village at Passo Tonale had dressed up for its World Cup premiere.
After the Italian championship was a complete success in the same place last winter, the organizers of the “Adamello Ski Raid” passed their international baptism of fire last weekend: with a sprint and a vertical race.
National coach Thomas Bösl attested "the best conditions" after having inspected the demanding sprint course.
In other words, “bella figura” across the board.
In 19th place in the very first sprint competition
Tatjana Paller also cut a good figure at her World Cup premiere.
The 25-year-old Lenggrieserin took 19th place in the sprint and even improved by two positions the next day in the vertical.
The sprint course on the “Corno d'Aolo” piste, with an altitude difference of 80 meters, had it all: first 100 meters straight ahead in flat terrain, then a few switchbacks, a snow staircase cut into the steep slope to carry your skis on again a few switchbacks and finally the descent with giant slalom-like turns to the finish.
It was tight in the individual qualifying against the stopwatch.
Paller made it into the four six-person heats in 22nd.
As expected, Paller's performance was over in the quarter-finals.
“Not so bad,” said the Lenggrieserin, “after all, it was my very first sprint competition.” So she could at least learn from the competition where it was still missing.
"I definitely left a lot of time behind with the changes," said Paller with a smile.
Only four seconds behind overall World Cup winner Marianne Fatton
The next day, neither speed nor changing technique were decisive, but simply tactics and above all stamina, after all, the two-and-a-half kilometer uphill with 680 meters of altitude demanded a lot of grain from the 27 elite women.
The debutante was a bit surprised by the pace that the world leaders put on the hard, grippy snow right from the start.
Hush, and off was the first swing.
“I made sure that I didn't overpace at the beginning and then I fought my way forward bit by bit,” reports Paller.
The top group was no longer in view, but Marianne Fatton, the overall World Cup winner last winter.
“I suffered a lot on the last steep slope and came within four seconds of Marianne.
All in all, it was a cool first for me, ”says Paller.
National coach Bösl nodded his head in appreciation: "I am very satisfied with Tatjana's results."
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