Stefan Luitz stretched in the aim of facilitating the fist in the air, then immediately gave it a kiss for his girlfriend. On this fourth place after turbulent and exhausting days, the ski racer said that a podium place. “It was really a brutal fight. But I’ve accepted it and am real happy with me,“ concluded the allgäu on Wednesday, after the giant slalom in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, surprisingly, the Slovenian Zan Kranjec won, and an impressive series of successes of the Austrian world Cup Dominators Marcel Hirscher ended.
Luitz but confirmed the ascending Form after the recent turmoil of a forbidden oxygen Inhalation, and the threat of non-recognition of his first world Cup victory in Beaver Creek. On Sunday he had in the giant slalom of Alta Badia than 20. still disappointed the next day, there were ranked five in the Parallel giant slalom, a first light look. “The energy that I had, back in the now again,” said the 26-Year-old. “It is now more hopefully.”
A bit of could annoy Luitz, as the Frenchmen, Mathieu Faivre and place just eight hundredths of a second were missing. The second was Loic Meillards from Switzerland. Luitz had made a mistake less, he would be driven to the Podium. “There’s still a lot would have been in there, but is error-free, because for sure no one down,” he said and was right: Matts Olsson and Manuel Feller as the fastest of the first round were eliminated. After two exceptionally long passages Luitz said: “It was extremely violent, below you is a little bit of the juice.”
the head coach Mathias Berthold praised the “mentally very strong performance” of his protege, the oxygen-affair had put a lot of. “He is back on track,” he told the German press Agency. “At the moment, the mental is not so easy for him.” The successes are cause for optimism for the two outstanding giant slalom before the world Cup in Adelboden and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
That Luitz for very severe visibility conditions in front of Olympic winner and world champion Hirscher remained, an additional small success. “Of course it is good,” said the athlete from SC Bolsterlang. As the Sixth of the best ski racers in the world missed in the last 18 podium finishes in the series in the giant slalom, the Podium. “Of course, that’s not funny,” said the overall world Cup champion from Austria. “I’ve tried to Setup everything, what is possible. Today it has not worked, not one of them.“ Luitz said: “The Hirscher is only human. Today, he has made a few mistakes.“
Luitz was the ranks of the only German in the points. Alexander Schmid retired in the second race. “That was bitter, because I felt good.” Fritz Dopfer as a third Starter in Saalbach threatens to slip, therefore, in the start list, far to the rear. “This could be bad,” said the form of weak resident to the BR TV. On Thursday, a Slalom. Felix Neureuther will then be back at the Start. He had dispensed with the giant slalom.