Weibrecht career best World Cup result in Kitzbuehel

By Published On: January 23rd, 2015Comments Off on Weibrecht career best World Cup result in Kitzbuehel

KITZBUEHEL, Austria — American Andrew Weibrecht was able to harness some of that Olympic mojo on Friday, skiing to his career best World Cup result, fifth place in the Hahnenkamm super G opener. Weibrecht has had a relatively quiet season, skiing to 10th in Beaver Creek but otherwise not able to rekindle the spark he demonstrated in Sochi — until today.

Weibrecht was outpaced by just over a half-second by Italy’s Dominik Paris, who grabbed the first super G win of his career and was followed by a pair of Austrians, Matthias Mayer in second and Georg Streitberger in third.

When he came through the finish, Weibrecht knew he had a solid run on his hands but wasn’t exactly sure where it would stack up. Running 15th and sitting in third at that point in the race, he was pumped to say the least.

“You never really know,” Weibrecht said. “It’s one of those things where I pushed really hard. I had a plan to really attack. Sometimes that’s good and sometimes you can overdo it. I felt like I skied my plan. It just worked out that today obviously was pretty quick.”

Weibrecht recently had two Europa Cup downhill starts in Zauchensee to help lower his points and gain some confidence. It seems to have worked.

“I had a good start to the season, but not a great start,” said Weibrecht. “I had a couple runs that were really competitive — in particular Beaver Creek — but I really wanted to start out 2015 skiing really strong and carry everything I had into the New Year.”

Friday’s set didn’t jump out at Weibrecht as one that would suit his style — pretty wide open and not highly technical — but he stuck to the plan and managed to surprise himself. It’s that kind of adaptability that gives him a boost of confidence heading into the World Champs on home snow next month.

“To not love the set and to have the run that I had, I’m really psyched. I feel really good about it, so it’s full game-on in Vail,” Weibrecht said.

Meanwhile, one would think the wide-open set could benefit a downhiller like Steven Nyman, and that proved to be the case as Utah native matched the second best super G result of his career, 13th. He hadn’t cracked the top 20 in the discipline since 2007.

“Kitzbuehel is interesting. It’s a sprint. It’s only a minute-ten, so you just have to go,” said Nyman. “Dominik (Paris) was able to risk it, and he got away with a lot and ended up with the win.

“For me, I skied pretty well,” added Nyman. “I was pretty balanced. I risked it on the Hausburg, but got bounced pretty low and didn’t really drive once I landed. It could have been pretty good probably in the top 10.”

More than anything else, Nyman credits a new ski model for helping to improve his super G skiing. “I just went with them. They’re new and I didn’t know if they would be very fast, but they were,” he said.

The result provides Nyman with good confidence heading into tomorrow’s marquee Hahnenkamm event, the downhill.

“It’s a good confidence builder, especially with the way I dropped into the Hausberg. It took a lot of guts to do the line I was trying, and the guys that were pretty fast were doing it,” said Nyman.  “You just make that decision right before. I think that will pay off because the Hausburg is something that has eaten me up in the past.”

Ted Ligety missed a gate on the final pitch after the Hausberg above the finish to record a DNF on the day.

Meanwhile, Bode Miller again ran POV for Universal Sports Network. He was expected to do the same in the downhill, but citing “back problems” it was revealed in team captains meeting he will not run the Streif in any way, shape or form on Saturday.

Perhaps more than any other racer, Paris will head into the downhill brimming with confidence. The Italian believes he won the race, his first super G, from the Hausburg through to the finish, and that’s something he can certainly use on Saturday.

“We will see what is up tomorrow,” said Paris. “I will make a good race. The first part I need to ski very good, and we will see what will happen after the Hausburg.”

 

The Scoop

By Hank McKee

1 Paris, Nordica/Nordica/Marker

2 Mayer, Head/Head/Head

3 Streitberger, Head/Head/Head

4 Theaux, Head/Head/Head

5 Weibrecht, Head/Head/Head

6 Striedinger, Blizzard/Tecnica/Tyrolia

7 Jansrud, Head/Head/Head

8 Kueng, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon

9 Innerhofer, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

10 Defago, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol

10 Franz, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

Men’s World Cup super G Kitzbuehel, Austria, Jan. 23, 2015:

  • It is the 21st of 36 races on the men’s 2015 World Cup calendar … the fourth of seven scheduled super Gs. … It is the first race of the four event 75th Hahnenkamm. … It is the 157th World Cup race hosted (at least in part) by Kitzbuehel. … The 15th super G. … Didier Defago is the defending super G champion. … The race will count as the first half of the Hahnenkamm combined.
  • It is the fourth career World Cup win for Dominik Paris, his second at Kitzbuehel having previously won the 2013 downhill. … It is his first Cup super G victory. … It is his first win, and fifth podium of the season. … It is the fastest winning super G time in Kitzbuehel World Cup history. … Winning margin is .06. … Top 11 are within a second. … Top 33 within two seconds.
  • It is the eighth World Cup podium for Matthias Mayer … his fifth in super G. … It is the second time he has finished second in a super G at Kitzbuehel, the previous in 2013 behind Aksel Lund Svindal. … It is his third second-place finish this season.
  • It is the ninth career World Cup podium for Georg Streitberger … the seventh in super G. … It is his third podium at Kitzbuehel, all in super G. … It is his first podium of the season.
  • It is a career best fifth place for Andrew Weibrecht. … His previous best a seventh, also in super G, at Kvitfjell last March 2. … Steven Nyman matches his second best career World Cup super G finish. … It is the ninth best World Cup result for Dustin Cook. … his fourth best of the season.
  • Marcel Hirscher (44th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 836-705 over Kjetil Jansrud (seventh in race). … Fritz Dopfer and Felix Neureuther, neither raced) are tied for third overall with 542pts each. … Ted Ligety (DNF) is eighth with 420pts.
  • Jansrud leads the super G standings 316-285 over Paris. … Hannes Reichelt (24th in race) is third with 207pts. … Weibrecht is eighth with 94 super G pts. …Cook is 13th with 76pts.
  • Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup 3039-2046 over France. … Italy is third with 1936pts. … The U.S. is seventh at 1211pts and Canada ninth at 413pts.

 

Results

 1  16  291459 PARIS Dominik 1989 ITA  1:09.99  0.00
 2  20  53902 MAYER Matthias 1990 AUT  1:10.05  +0.06  0.93
 3  13  50858 STREITBERGER Georg 1981 AUT  1:10.33  +0.34  5.25
 4  27  192746 THEAUX Adrien 1984 FRA  1:10.50  +0.51  7.87
 5  15  530939 WEIBRECHT Andrew 1986 USA  1:10.56  +0.57  8.80
 6  18  54005 STRIEDINGER Otmar 1991 AUT  1:10.67  +0.68  10.49
 7  21  421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR  1:10.77  +0.78  12.04
 8  17  511139 KUENG Patrick 1984 SUI  1:10.80  +0.81  12.50
 9  11  293006 INNERHOFER Christof 1984 ITA  1:10.82  +0.83  12.81
 10  22  510727 DEFAGO Didier 1977 SUI  1:10.84  +0.85  13.12
 10  10  53817 FRANZ Max 1989 AUT  1:10.84  +0.85  13.12
 12  5  150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE  1:11.07  +1.08  16.67
 13  39  533866 NYMAN Steven 1982 USA  1:11.11  +1.12  17.28
 13  34  511513 CAVIEZEL Mauro 1988 SUI  1:11.11  +1.12  17.28
 15  2  191740 CLAREY Johan 1981 FRA  1:11.12  +1.13  17.44
 16  25  292514 HEEL Werner 1982 ITA  1:11.15  +1.16  17.90
 17  4  511383 FEUZ Beat 1987 SUI  1:11.19  +1.20  18.52
 18  8  51215 BAUMANN Romed 1986 AUT  1:11.20  +1.21  18.67
 19  30  100558 COOK Dustin 1989 CAN  1:11.22  +1.23  18.98
 20  6  53980 KRIECHMAYR Vincent 1991 AUT  1:11.23  +1.24  19.13
 21  12  511313 JANKA Carlo 1986 SUI  1:11.26  +1.27  19.60
 22  32  202059 FERSTL Josef 1988 GER  1:11.27  +1.28  19.75
 23  26  511352 VILETTA Sandro 1986 SUI  1:11.35  +1.36  20.99
 24  19  50742 REICHELT Hannes 1980 AUT  1:11.36  +1.37  21.14
 25  9  194364 PINTURAULT Alexis 1991 FRA  1:11.46  +1.47  22.68
 26  45  380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko 1986 CRO  1:11.49  +1.50  23.15
 27  31  53936 DUERAGER Markus 1990 AUT  1:11.56  +1.57  24.23
 28  63  192932 FAYED Guillermo 1985 FRA  1:11.60  +1.61  24.84
 29  41  561217 KOSI Klemen 1991 SLO  1:11.67  +1.68  25.92
 30  61  294277 KLOTZ Siegmar 1987 ITA  1:11.71  +1.72  26.54
 31  33  53933 SCHWEIGER Patrick 1990 AUT  1:11.75  +1.76  27.16
 32  57  191964 POISSON David 1982 FRA  1:11.83  +1.84  28.39
 33  38  990081 CASSE Mattia 1990 ITA  1:11.95  +1.96  30.24
 34  43  380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO  1:12.01  +2.02  31.17
 35  58  293141 VARETTONI Silvano 1984 ITA  1:12.11  +2.12  32.71
 36  42  934643 GOLDBERG Jared 1991 USA  1:12.14  +2.15  33.18
 37  7  51327 PUCHNER Joachim 1987 AUT  1:12.17  +2.18  33.64
 38  46  560447 SPORN Andrej 1981 SLO  1:12.19  +2.20  33.95
 38  44  200379 SANDER Andreas 1989 GER  1:12.19  +2.20  33.95
 40  52  561067 PERKO Rok 1985 SLO  1:12.25  +2.26  34.87
 41  54  103271 THOMSEN Benjamin 1987 CAN  1:12.37  +2.38  36.73
 42  64  194167 MUZATON Maxence 1990 FRA  1:12.49  +2.50  38.58
 43  68  430429 BYDLINSKI Maciej 1988 POL  1:12.67  +2.68  41.35
 44  3  53831 HIRSCHER Marcel 1989 AUT  1:12.77  +2.78  42.90
 45  70  700830 ZAMPA Adam 1990 SVK  1:13.07  +3.08  47.53
 46  40  534959 JITLOFF Tim 1985 USA  1:13.08  +3.09  47.68
 47  73  193967 MUFFAT-JEANDET Victor 1989 FRA  1:13.32  +3.33  51.38
 48  60  511896 MURISIER Justin 1992 SUI  1:13.47  +3.48  53.70
 49  56  510890 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan 1981 SUI  1:13.59  +3.60  55.55
 50  71  150644 KRYZL Krystof 1986 CZE  1:13.63  +3.64  56.17
 51  69  150495 VRABLIK Martin 1982 CZE  1:15.31  +5.32  82.09
Did not start 1st run
 74  151024 KOTZMANN Adam 1993 CZE
 66  530165 BRANDENBURG Will 1987 USA
 49  501076 OLSSON Hans 1984 SWE
 23  103612 PRIDY Morgan 1990 CAN
Did not finish 1st run
 72  660021 DANILOCHKIN Yuri 1991 BLR
 67  150743 BERNDT Ondrej 1988 CZE
 65  103676 BROWN Phil 1991 CAN
 62  930024 MAPLE Wiley 1990 USA
 59  533131 SULLIVAN Marco 1980 USA
 55  481705 GLEBOV Alexander 1983 RUS
 53  511529 GISIN Marc 1988 SUI
 51  50753 KROELL Klaus 1980 AUT
 50  561216 KLINE Bostjan 1991 SLO
 48  561255 CATER Martin 1992 SLO
 47  194542 GIRAUD MOINE Valentin 1992 FRA
 37  531452 BIESEMEYER Thomas 1989 USA
 36  511638 TUMLER Thomas 1989 SUI
 35  202196 BRANDNER Klaus 1990 GER
 29  194190 ROGER Brice 1990 FRA
 28  293550 MARSAGLIA Matteo 1985 ITA
 24  530874 GANONG Travis 1988 USA
 14  192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA
 1  534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.