3...2...1 - ATOMIC Stars ready for North America
The most important questions ahead of Lake Louise and Aspen …
The Ski World Cup continues as a prime time television event. The most important questions ahead of the races at the North American skiing hot spots: How well can the ATOMIC speed stars start off their winter? How fit is World Cup winner Aksel Lund Svindal back at the venue of his first World Cup victory? How many points for the Overall ranking can Benni Raich gather in the speed events? And who of the ATOMIC power trio Kathrin Zettel – Marlies Schild – Michi Kirchgasser has reason to celebrate in the technical events in Aspen?
„Everything checked – everything perfectly organized!“ Rudi Huber, ATOMIC Alpine Race Director, has taken a short detour to Whistler Mountain ahead of the technical events in Aspen. Last check-up before the Olympics – „the ATOMIC homebase for the Olympic Games 2010 is waiting for us “, he says, delighted. Meanwhile, the Olympic countdown for the athletes on the ATOMIC team continues on the World Cup: Speed kickoff for the ATOMIC men in Lake Louise, technical races in Aspen for the ATOMIC ladies.
Hot spot Lake Louise: Michi Walchhofer among the hot favorites
Predictably very strong already in the first training run for the Lake Louise downhill he had previously won in 2003: Michael Walchhofer. „I already feel in very good form and I still have reserves on this slope“, he says as one the hot favorites to win. Another (secret) favorite in the ATOMIC team: Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin who was third in the first training. The defending champion from last year, Peter Fill, has to miss out because of his knee injury – still there’s good news from him: „I’ve been back on skis for the first time – a good feeling.“ Another of the ATOMIC team is starting again in Lake Louise after a knee injury. Mario Scheiber will celebrate his speed comeback in Lake Louise. Right where he had suffered that knee injury in the super-G in 2008: „I’m looking forward to the race. We will see what comes out of it in the end.” Another ATOMIC star is waiting for his first World Cup victory in a downhill feverishly: Benni Raich: „I don’t dare suggest it will happen in Lake Louise already. But of course it remains my big goal to win a downhill too one day. Chances in the super-G on Saturday are surely a little better.” One thing, that is for sure: He can at least achieve good results for the overall World Cup ...
Another big name of the Ski World Cup is back in the mix again: Aksel Lund Svindal, Raich’s big rival in the fight for the overall World Cup, has come back to the team last week: After a trip to the sunny south of Florida he’s “happy to have come back to winter.” He’s also come back to the venue of his first World Cup victory in 2005. And not only that: In 2007 he won the super-G in Lake Louise as well. Even if the ATOMIC star hasn’t taken the first training run at high speed yet – he has gained one important information: „I felt almost no pain during my run. That’s an enormous relief.“ He had already suffered the injury in training before the World Cup opener in Sölden. ATOMIC-Teammanager Eric Wolf: „Aksel is not unhappy about the day off. He will grow slowly but continuously.“ And concerning the development of the doubledeck: “We have our strategy and it works quite well so far. There’s no reason for changing it. The performance of the D2 Race Speed-Edition is perfectly alright.”
Hot spot Aspen: Kirchgasser, Schild und Zettel striving for success
They have started into this winter successfully – the ATOMIC ladies Kathrin Zettel, Marlies Schild and Michaela Kirchgasser. Zettel with her second place in Sölden. Schild with her great comeback in Levi. Kirchgasser in Levi as well, with rank five. Kathrin Zettel – winner in the Aspen giant slalom in 2006 – is especially excited for her start: „I’m happy to be healthy again. It’s always gone very good for me in Aspen. I’ve always been among the top ten in the last years.” Marlies Schild comes to Aspen as a former winner as well: 2006 she has won the slalom. „A start in the giant slalom is out of the question for me. It’s too early for that. But all the more I’m looking forward to the slalom of course.“ The third lady of the ATOMIC power trio, Michaela Kirchgasser, has big goals: „I’ve already been third here in 2006. Maybe I can top that this year.”