“Steeper, bigger, more” - first impressions ahead of the women's EC race
The women are back on the Streif - before the European Cup races at the weekend, they were able to get to know the course during a slope inspection. The athletes give their impressions of the course - and reveal their party plans.
Nadine Fest instead of Vincent Kriechmayr, Nadia Delago instead of Dominik Paris, Jacqueline Wiles instead of Bryce Bennett - this weekend the women are the main characters on the Streif.
Between 1932 and 1961, women regularly raced in Kitzbühel, but over the past 64 years, the Streif has become an all-male affair. With one exception: in 2023, Lindsey Vonn conquered the spectacular race course at night. This year, the women are returning to the Streif for the first in a proper race. Two European Cup Super-Gs are taking place in Kitzbühel. The athletes start at Mausefallboden and finish at Oberhausberg. The starters therefore have to master the “Karussell”, the difficult “Steilhang”, the “Gschöss” and many other key sections.
On Friday, the athletes were able inspect the treacherous course during a slope inspection. It quickly became clear to some: the Streif has it all, it is more difficult than many other courses on the women's European Cup race calendar.
Brit Giselle Gorringe describes her first impressions: “It's incredible, we've seen the course so often on TV - but it doesn't do the course justice.” Dora Hofi Fridgeirsdottir from Iceland says: “It's just more - more of everything”. Even looking out of the start house was thrilling: “I just thought to myself: Wow, holy sh*t.”
German athlete Anna Schillinger could only think of one word when she saw the Streif: “Crazy”: “I've been looking forward to racing in Kitzbühel all season, because then you can say: yes, I've raced the Streif.”
Bigger, steeper, more prestigious doesnot only applies to the course, but also to the everything and everyone around it: local hero Valentina Rings-Wanner raved about the hospitality area with beanbags, snacks and drinks, the start house and the fact that ORF Sport Plus broadcasts the races live: “This is mega!” says the KSC athlete. “Normally we only have a small starting section - and that's it.”
A glance at the start list shows that Kitzbühel attracts world-class ski racers: Names like Nadia and Nicol Delago stand out. Nicol has already stood on the World Cup podium several times, while her sister Nadia won the bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Cande Moreno from Andorra and Jacqueline Wiles from the USA have also been competing successfully in the World Cup for years.
13 different nations are represented at the weekend - including Great Britain, Iceland, Switzerland - and Kenya with the ski racing athlete Sabrina Simander. They will all be writing a new chapter in women's ski racing on Saturday - when they plunge down the Streif.
And there will probably be a party or two afterwards - “It would be outrageous not to celebrate a little,” said Brit Giselle Gorringe and laughed. She and her British team colleague Barlett Honor have already inspected the Londoner pub - on Sunday after the second race, they might be celebrating at the notorious Pub: “I mean, anyone who conquers the Streif deserves an Aperol,” said Gorrine and everyone around her laughed.
Photo © K.S.C./David Hofer
