After sobering results at the Downhill World Cup in Zauchensee, ski racer Kira Weidle has achieved the long-awaited liberation. The 25-year-old from Starnberg was only beaten by world champion Lara Gut-Behrami from Switzerland on Saturday. “It was really fun. That’s the key to my success too. Finally back on the podium,” said Weidle, who finished second in a World Cup for the first time in her career.
Only a tenth of a second separated the downhill specialist from Gut-Behrami, who reported back impressively after her forced Corona break of about four weeks. Third was Ramona Siebenhofer from Austria (+0.44).
“The tenth annoys me a bit, but you can’t complain about second place. That means a lot to me at the moment,” said Weidle, looking at her bumpy start to the season. Tenth and seventh place in Lake Louise and 39th in Val d’Isere were “not the results I had hoped for”, admitted the native of Stuttgart looking back. Frustration and disappointment were great.
“It’s one hundred percent a head issue,” Weidle said recently and sought professional help. A mental trainer should help you to deal better with your own expectations and with external pressure. The success in Zauchensee now proves her right. “I think things are going in a good direction now, although you shouldn’t overestimate that. At the end of the day, she has to ski well,” said women’s national coach Jürgen Graller.
On Saturday, Weidle also benefited from the elimination of the big favorite Sofia Goggia, who had been around four tenths in the lead in the meantime. The Italian and gold favorite in Beijing, who had won all three downhill runs so far this season, crashed into the safety net after a driving error. She didn’t appear to have been seriously injured at first.
For the German Ski Association (DSV), Weidle’s second place was the best result so far this Olympic winter. However, the wait for the first women’s victory since Viktoria Rebensburg’s triumph in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 2020 continues. This Sunday there is still a Super-G in Zauchensee on the program. Weidle is not one of the favorites here.