A shower of medals for Austria’s alpine athletes at the World Championships Giant Slalom in Seefeld while France leads the medal table
Anna – Sophie Friedl was crowned World Champion in the RTL on the first day of the Virtus Ski World Championships in Seefeld and thus leads a strong Austrian Alpine squad. With one gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Rosshütte, the red – white – red team leads the alpin e medal table. On the cross – country track, it was Poland, Estonia and France to lead the way. After the atmospheric opening with numerous guests of honour on Sunday in the music pavilion, the four – day sports programme started on Monday.
Alpine
The 58 sta rters from 12 nations did not let the spring – like conditions at the Rosshütte in Seefeld deter them and delivered a magnificent giant slalom at the start of the Virtus Ski World Championships. With five medals, the eight – member Austrian team made full use of its home advantage, leaving only Finland, France, Japan and Poland with a medal.
In the class women down syndrom Anna-Sophie Fried got the gold medal, ahead of her teammate Stephanie Schlömmer. Bronze went to Finlands Bea Westerstrahle, “I am so happy! In the second run I went even faster that in the first one and I really won”
In the women’s mental category, there was no way around France’s Melanie De Bona; this left Eva Maria Dünser from Vorarlberg with the silver medal and bronze went to 24 – yea r – old Julia Pleikner from Carinthia.
Local hero Markus Grameiser secured the bronze medal in his class on the ‘home slope’ behind the strong Frenchman Paul Riche and Antoni Wiercioch from Poland. “I am not completely satisfied with third place, this is my home mountain and I train here quite often,” said Grameiser. “Tomorrow is Super – G and my birthday, so I’ll attack again.”
Tin and fourth place went to Christian Öllinger from Linz in the men’s mental. The two Japanese Aoshi Kanazawa and Yoshihide Kimura were too strong in first and second place. Third place went to another Frenchman, Thomas Girard.
Three autistic starters entered the race in the demo category: The American Elizabeth Whitehouse, as well as the Czech Hubert Bulíček (1st place) and the Po le Lukasz Fraczek.
Nordic
In the Seefeld Sports Arena, the 5 km for the women and the 10 km for the men were on the programme for the Nordic athletes at the start of the World Championships on Monday. Hans Teearu from Estonia was crowned the first cross – country world champion of the Virtus World Championships 2023 in front of a great audience. Japan’s Yuta Yamada was close behind him in second place. The bronze medal went to France’s Titouan Dubois.
Austrias cross country team remained without medals. Gregor Knogler gets to the 10th place, Siegfried Mair 14 and Hannes Grander 15.
In the group of athletes with Down syndrome, Clement Colomby from France won the gold medal ahead of Tobia Maria Kostner from Italy
In the women’s mental, Malgorzata Pernal from Poland was unbeatable this morning. She relegated Kristin Björfeldt from Sweden and Lea Thiroux from France to second and third place.
