SKIING: Austria the unlikely underdogs in downhill, says coach

BORMIO, Italy – When it comes to Alpine ski racing, Austria has always taken the sport seriously, with fans following it with near-religious fervor and the achievements of past champions setting high expectations.

As the world’s top ski racers gather for the Milano Cortina Olympics, the spotlight on Austria will be intense – but this time, expectations are surprisingly low.

The men’s downhill, which kicks off the Olympic Alpine skiing program on Bormio’s challenging Stelvio track on Saturday, highlights this shift.

Austrian men have claimed gold seven times in the Olympic downhill, with legendary names like Toni Sailer, Franz Klammer, Leonhard Stock, Fritz Strobl, and Matthias Mayer still remembered fondly. But with Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt and Italy’s Dominik Paris leading strong teams, it would be a surprise if an Austrian stood on the podium this weekend.

“Downhill would actually be a little bit surprising if we take a medal,” Austria’s Racing Director Marko Pfeifer told Reuters. “We’ve had just one World Cup podium this season from Vincent Kriechmayr, so we are a little bit the underdogs – but that can also be an advantage.”

The 34-year-old Kriechmayr is currently the highest-ranked Austrian in the World Cup downhill standings in sixth place. But Austria’s prospects look brighter in the super-G, where Kriechmayr, Stefan Babinsky, and Raphael Haaser hold second, third, and fourth positions behind Odermatt.

Babinsky, 29, who earned super-G podiums in Wengen and Kitzbuehel, enters his first Olympics confident. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of Austrian legends Hermann Maier, who won super-G gold in Nagano 1998, and Matthias Mayer, who took the event in 2018 and 2022.

“I would call it a childhood dream,” Babinsky said. “You train your whole career for these moments, but you still have to deliver your best performance on the day. It’s a huge privilege to represent Austria at the Olympic Games.”

Overall, Austria has won 121 Olympic skiing medals across men’s and women’s events – nearly double the total of Switzerland, their traditional Alpine rivals. While the competition will be fierce, Pfeifer says the rivalry is mostly friendly.

“It’s good to have this fight between Austria and Switzerland,” he said. “Between the races, there is a close relationship. I think it’s more the media, but the coaches are a bit pushy too.” -Additional reporting by Marleen Kaesebier in Bormio Editing by Toby Davis/Reuters