Ski crisis and a lot of criticism: In Austria it’s cracking – Alpine skiing
Katharina Truppe and the ÖSV women are in a crisis. © APA / GEORG HOCHMUTH
The ski superpower Austria is in crisis. Especially with women, things are not going the way the ÖSV bosses imagine. The first home race at Semmering didn’t bring any improvement either. The athletes are receiving harsh criticism and feel they have been treated unfairly.
December 27, 2022
From: cst/apa
In the current pressure situation, Austria’s ski women don’t exactly feel equipped with support. It is obvious that things are not going according to plan. At the First Semmering race on Tuesday War Katharina Liensberger as 13th the best Austrian.
“It’s not pleasant as an athlete,” Ramona Siebenhofer commented on the scolding of ÖSV finance officer Patrick Ortlieb, who recently drew a kind of oasis of well-being in the association in a negative sense. “He used to be an athlete himself, he should know better. He also has a daughter who is there.” And Katharina Truppe says: “If you’re already on the ground, then step down a bit again – well, I don’t know.”
“As a ski association, we have committed ourselves to top-class sport and not fair-weather sport.”
Patrick Ortlieb, ÖSV
Ortlieb, downhill Olympic champion in 1992 and today the Austrian SV’s string puller, had recently taken the athletes to task with harsh words. “As a ski association, we have committed ourselves to top-class sport and not fair-weather sport. And certainly not in hobby sports,” said Ortlieb on ServusTV. “You see, money doesn’t make you successful. We have to make the athletes greedier, hungrier and snappier again and let them loose on each other again.”
No relief in sight
Relaxation is not to be expected after the first of three races at Semmering. Katharina Liensberger (13th) was the best Austrian. The woman from Vorarlberg is trying to improve: “Everyone is trying very hard, everyone is doing their best. Everyone is very willing to work.” However, Lienskritberger notes that there was a major restructuring in the supervisory staff in the summer: “There is no one from the upper floors who actually knows how it was in the last few years. That doesn’t make it any easier and it will take some time for that to develop.”
Ramona Siebenhofer feels attacked by the criticism. © APA / GEORG HOCHMUTH
According to Alexandra Meissnitzer, Tacheles is in demand in the current crisis. “It takes merciless honesty now, you have to endure it. Top sport is not an existence on the flower meadow,” said the former world-class runner and ORF TV expert. “You probably have to listen to one or two critical words,” said Meissnitzer live on TV.