Austrians Schwarz, Kriechmayr recount breakthrough seasons

Overall World Cup titles may have been claimed by France and Slovakia, and although it was Switzerland atop the nations’ ranking, Austrian ski racers surged to one of the team’s most successful seasons in recent times.

Marco Schwarz, 25, Vincent Kriechmayr, 29, and Katharina Liensberger, 24, all found the speed and maintained consistency in breakthrough seasons winning world titles in Cortina d’Ampezzo in February, and topping those victories off with World Cup titles in March.

The unheralded trio’s accomplishment marked the first time in 22 years that three Austrians claimed both world championship and World Cup titles in a single season. In 1999, Austrian greats Hermann Maier, Alexandra Meissnitzer and Renate Goetschl all triumphed at worlds in Beaver Creek, proceeding to raise crystal globes in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Overshadowed by headlines dominated by COVID-19 and revamped race and venue schedules, the Austrian Ski Federation and its athletes, somewhat quietly, strung together an awesome season.

“It’s always nice to watch Matthias (Mayer), or Marco Schwarz and Manuel Feller – they have been pretty amazing, so strong and it’s great to have such teammates because we are pushing each other,” Kriechmayr tells Ski Racing Media, asked what went so well for the Austrian squad. “I think that’s the reason for the good season for the entire men’s team.”

In addition to their combined two crystal globes and three world titles, Schwarz (thrid) and Kriechmayr (eighth), were accompanied by Mayer (seventh) and Feller (10^th), placing four Austrian men among the top ten in the overall standings.

“We had the chance to start ski training last year pretty early – we started in May and I think that helped us to compete pretty well this season,” Schwarz explained.

“It was a strange season because of the COVID situation – we were tested nearly every second day,” said the Austrian tech racer. “It was also strange without fans and staff around, but I think we managed everything really well.”

Gold medal haul in Italy

Kriechmayr overcame race postponements, schedule uncertainty and an unfamiliar track in Cortina, charging to world championship gold medals in both the opening super-G and downhill. He etched his status in ski racing lore alongside legends Maier and Bode Miller as the only male racers to achieve the world championship speed double.

“The super-G was really tough on a new slope with a very difficult course setting,” Kriechmayr said. “It’s not easy to be the favorite and then make such a result.

“Two days later in the downhill, I didn’t expect the gold medal, but I was really happy,” Kriechmayr said about his 0.01 second victory over German runner-up Andreas Sander.

U.S. Ski Team downhiller Bryce Bennett, a fellow Fischer brand racer, summed up Kriechmayr’s quintessentially Austrian style and demeanor.

“Technically, if you’re talking about Austrian ski school perfection skiing, then Vincent Kriechmayr is the poster boy for that,” Bennett said. “He’s just technically very good – he puts in a lot of work, is diligent and focused about what he is doing and it shows.”

Schwarz said he was inspired watching Kriechmayr’s consecutive victories, pulling off an upset over pre-race favorite Alexis Pinturault to win gold in the infrequently contested Alpine combined.

“I had just three days of super-G training and it all worked out pretty well,” Schwarz said. “Of course, it helped me that the slalom was very icy and not easy.”

It was the first time at a world championship that Austrian men won the opening three races.

However, it was Liensberger who was Team Austria’s most unexpected champion and brightest new star winning both the parallel event (sharing gold with Marta Bassino) and the slalom, in a stunning upset over the usually unbeatable duo of Petra Vlhova and Mikaela Shiffrin.

Liensberger, who captivated media with emotional responses about how she skis with passion and all of her heart, also took bronze in the GS.

Austria’s five gold medals were two more than rival Switzerland at the two-week championship.

Conquering Austria’s racing meccas

Kriechmayr and Schwarz’ stellar seasons mirrored one another.

In addition to their mutual world and World Cup titles, both racers seized the moment winning races at the most hallowed Austrian venues – Kitzbuehel and Schladming.

Kriechmayr attacked Kizbuehel’s Streif to win a super-G by 0.12 seconds ahead of Swiss Marco Odermatt on Jan. 25. The home snow victory elevated the Austrian into the World Cup super-G standings lead.

“It’s always special to win in Kitzbuehel, it was my first time,” Kriechmayr said. “Of course, the super-G doesn’t have the same history like the downhill, but for me it means a lot.”

The very next day, Schwarz once again followed his Austrian teammate with an equally meaningful home victory at a snowy Schladming night slalom. Sixth after the first run, Schwarz didn’t hold back in run two and won the prestigious race by 0.68 seconds ahead of Frenchman Clément Noël.

“Schladming was really cool for me this year, but it was strange without fans,” Schwarz said. “Normally, there are 45,000 fans cheering for us and this year no one was screaming.

But, I was very happy to win Schladming. It made no difference whether there are people there or not.”

U.S. Ski Team men’s technical coach Forest Carey assessed Schwarz’ talent and abilities on the racehill.

“He was trending this ‘good way’ a couple of years ago, then blew out his knee in the Bansko combined,” said Carey. “He skis with a nice tall hip, which helps him rarely get into trouble.

“He is able to generate speed on easy sections of courses and ski error free on difficult sections. It’s impressive how he generates speed without ever getting juiced or jacked out of the turn. His Atomic set-up works really well for him.”

Three World Cup titles are better than one

Kriechmayr clinched his World Cup super-G title when the season finale in Lenzerheide, Switzerland was wiped out due to snow and fog, while three days later Schwarz sixth-place result, following a rare mistake, was enough for him to lock up the slalom title.

Schwarz’ best career season included two slalom victories and seven podiums over 11 races. His 665 points were 112 more than Noël.

“It was one of my biggest goals to win this and to be a World Cup winner along with Marcel (Hirscher) and Benni (Raich), who were big idols for me is special,” Schwarz said.

Schwarz and Liensberger winning slalom titles marked the first time since 2007 that an Austrian man and woman claimed the discipline in the same season. The last duo to accomplish it was Raich and Marlies Schild.

Kriechmayr attained two super-G victories and four podiums across six races. His 401 points were 83 more than Odermatt.

“It means a lot for me, after finishing second three times,” Kriechmayr said about garnering his first super-G title. “To be on the top of the super-G standings is a nice way to end this incredible season.”

Kriechmayr also won the downhill finale on home terrain in Saalbach on March 6, four years ahead of the world championship that will be held at the Austrian resort.

Loftier goals next season?

Could Schwarz make a legitimate run at an overall title next season, considering his third place overall finish, albeit it 446 points behind Pinturault? To have a shot, he would certainly need to boost his GS results and add super-G to the repertoire.

“I want to be more competitive in GS because I think GS turns are very important and also make more steps in slalom,” Schwarz said. “If all is going well, then we will see if I race super-G.”

And what might it take for Kriechmayr to dethrone four-time downhill victor Beat Feuz next season? The Austrian finished fifth in the discipline standings, 219 points behind the dominant Swiss.

“Beat is incredible – he’s always on the podium and I will need to show my best skiing every race, not just one, two or three races a year,” Kriechmayr said.

Stay tuned for Part 2 when we catch up with Katharina Liensberger.

Follow Brian on Twitter – @Brian_Pinelli