HKR Kitzbühel

Team Tirol takes Juniors Race title ahead of the USA

22.01.2025

Thrilling prelude to the 85th Hahnenkamm Races. Team Tirol clinched the title at the Longines Future Hahnenkamm Champions just ahead of Team USA, who were competing in this event for the very first time. Third place in the international junior race for the best 14- and 15-year-old skiers went to Germany. The fastest girl and boy were from Team USA.

On Wednesday afternoon, spectators were treated to thrilling scenes on the historic hill before the World Cup race takes place there on Sunday. After the first heat of the Longines Future Hahnenkamm Champions, known in short as the Juniors Race, Team USA was in the lead. Team Tirol, however, held their nerve and overtook the Americans in the second run. The winning team comprised of Emma Gosch, Ella Dickson-Turner, Emilia Kirchmair, Vincent Schmid, Severin Wieser and Finn Neururer. This was Team Tirol’s seventh victory in the Juniors Race.

Team USA, however, had no reason to be disappointed with their performance. To achieve second place on their very first appearance at the Juniors Race and on such a challenging slope is an extraordinary achievement. Kira Hiebert, Katie Rowekamp, Sayla Rowe, Kieran Hildreth, Charles Lemerond and Olliver May all attend Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, whose alumni include Mikaela Shiffrin and Nina O’Brian, amongst others. What’s more, the fastest skiers came from Team USA. Kieran Hildreth set the day’s best time for the boys, with Katie Rowekamp achieving the same for the girls.

After winning in 2024, Germany came in third this year, thanks to the efforts of Carla Oberhuber, Eva Höcht, Paula Kiese, Ben Horvath, Lukas Pfanzelt and Elias Mund, who won the boys’ slalom ahead of Finn Neururer. Fourth place went to Team Austria II, followed by Team Austria I. Michael Huber, Hahnenkamm Race OC Chief, was delighted with the teenagers’ performances and said to the boys: “I hope to welcome you back to Kitzbühel as World Cup racers sometime soon.” To the girls, Michael Huber said: „The Women’s Europacup is taking place on the Streif in March, and we are keen to do even more for you in future.”

Each team in the Juniors Race consists of three girls and three boys and all of them compete in two slalom runs – even if they are eliminated in the first heat, for which they are issued with a time penalty. The times of the best two athletes are added together. Prize money of no less than €20,000 is offered, whereby the winning team receives 3,700 euros and the tenth-placed team 1,300 euros.