Kitzbühel hero Dreßen celebrates a remarkable comeback after 32 months of suffering

Created: 11/26/2022, 10:46 p.m

By: Marius Epp

Thomas Dreßen mastered the famous descent from Lake Louise.

© Frank Gunn/dpa

Germany has its alpine ski hopes back: Thomas Dreßen makes a strong comeback after two operations and a long period of suffering.

Lake Louise - The five-time World Cup winner Thomas Dreßen (Mittenwald) made a remarkable comeback at the Downhill World Cup in Lake Louise/Canada.

In his first World Cup race in two and a half years, the former Kitzbühel winner took a strong eighth place in 1:49.00 minutes after 35 starters.

The entire world elite had already crossed the finish line at this point, and the track became increasingly slower as the clouds grew.

Alpine skiing: Thomas Dreßen is making an impressive comeback after 32 months

"I'm super happy with the ride," said Dreßen: "I felt nervous at the start.

It felt like coming home.

Then I thought: Now I have to deliver.

I did that quite well.”

The 29-year-old, who raised his fist in the finish area and uttered a primal scream, had not competed in a World Cup since March 2020.

Since then, Dreßen has had to undergo hip and knee surgery.

He only tried his luck at the 2021 World Cup.

In the meantime, Dreßen married his Birgit.

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German downhill skiers strong in Lake Louise

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde from Norway (1:47.98) secured victory with a lead of 0.06 seconds over Austrian Daniel Hemetsberger and a tenth over last year's overall World Cup winner Marco Odermatt from Switzerland.

Romed Baumann (Kiefersfelden) also presented himself strongly.

The World Cup runner-up in 2021 in Super-G finished tenth, Dominik Schwaiger (Königssee) finished twelfth.

Like Dreßen, who secured starting number four, it was their turn very early.

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Alpine skiing: Thomas Dreßen is eighth in Lake Louise

The race on Lake Louise's "Olympic Downhill" course, on which Dreßen won in 2019 on the first start after a cruciate ligament rupture, was the first World Cup downhill of the season.

The two competitions planned for the beginning of October on the Matterhorn had previously been canceled due to the weather.

The World Cup in Canada was also not under a good star at first, on Friday the race was postponed at short notice "due to the current weather situation and the forecast for the rest of the day".

For the men it was only the second race of the season after the World Cup opener in Sölden (giant slalom).