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11 hundredths in Semmering, 5 hundredths in Zagreb: Katharina Liensberger is getting closer and closer to her first World Cup victory.
At the Sljeme slalom, the Vorarlberg woman once again demonstrated her strong form, but once again it was not enough for the entire front. On Sunday, it was World Cup leader Petra Vlhova who wrested the victory from Liensberger’s hands.
“It was a fight on the edge. That makes me very happy that I was able to take second place,” said Liensberger, who was anything but disappointed in the ORF interview. There is no trace of the dispute with the bad luck of the hundredths: “I hope that the hundredths are on my side at some point.”
ÖSV coach Johannes Zöchling is sure that sooner or later his protégé will be able to celebrate his first victory. “The speed is correct, he skis well. I think it’s just a matter of time.”
Liensberger: “It’s crazy to always be on the podium “
The Zagreb race was decided in the last meters by the steep slope. Vlhova, like Liensberger, did not stay flawless on the salt court, but the Austrian won a lot between late goals and saved the fourth fastest running time in the decision. Vlhova, on the other hand, was only eleventh, but it was enough for Zagreb’s second win after last year.
“I just struggled, made sure to stay on course and pick up speed and take it with me,” says Liensberger. “I wanted to make the most of my possibilities, I wanted to push and be fast. “
For the 23-year-old, it is seventh on the podium in her World Cup career, after the race in Semmering she finished second for the second time in a row. “It’s crazy to always be on the podium, always showing my performance and seeing how I develop. That’s wonderful, “says Liensberger.
Vorarlberg’s wife remains modest when it comes to success. After his failed material change ahead of the 2019/20 season, which cost him valuable preparation time and departure at the opening of the World Cup in Sölden, he knows that professional sport can quickly go in the other direction.
The fastest Liensberger slalom lady in the world
But Liensberger didn’t let that stop him either, and now he’s finally reached the top of the world in slalom. The old duel between Shiffrin and Vlhova has turned into a four-way battle this season and Liensberger is right in the middle.
A closer look at the slaloms from the previous season shows this. Liensberger is the only rider to reach the podium in all four races. If you add up the slalom times from all four seasons, Liensberger is the fastest overall, followed by Vlhova and Shiffrin.
What else is missing for the 23-year-old to also be number one in the race? “Give a hundredth of a percent even more and push even more,” says Liensberger. “I will give everything to make sure there is enough time for the front line.”
His competitors also know that Liensberger is poised for a World Cup victory. “The girls are really fast, including Katharina,” says Vlhova after her successful win at the end, referring to the high level in slalom. “I always have to be on the edge, because they challenge me tremendously.”
This is also reflected in the World Cup qualifications. In the overall World Cup, Vlhova leads with 615 points ahead of Gisin (487), Shiffrin (385) is third. With just five points down, the Liensberger ranking list spits fourth (380). It’s even closer in the Slalom World Cup: Vlhova (350) leads ahead of Gisin (285), Liensberger (280) and Shiffrin (235).
Will Liensberger put an end to ÖSV’s lack of victory for six years?
In its special discipline, slalom, ÖSV’s flagship has shown strong development in recent years. Although he ranked 44th overall in slalom in 2016/17, he moved up to 14th the following year. In seventh place in the 2018/19 season, he ranked third the year before and made it to the podium in the general classification.
“Those are steps where I can see that the direction is correct. However, I do not just want to measure myself by the results. It is important for me to improve my skiing skills step by step and develop continuously,” Liensberger said in the interview of LAOLA1 after last season.
Development continues, as recent races show, and with it the hope that Liensberger will end the six-year slalom victory for the women of ÖSV (Nicole Hosp, November 2014 in Aspen).
Text as: © LAOLA1.at
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