Michael Walchhofer ready for another « Classic » triumph

Patrick Lang 14.12.2007 07:37 Uhr

Since his unexpected triumph in downhill at the 2003 FIS world championships in St Moritz, Austrian Michael Walchhofer is on a mission – winning all the downhill races regularly scheduled on the world cup tour. Only a handful champions achieved that performance in the world cup era – stars as Franz Klammer the great hero from the 1970’s or Stephan Eberharter, the dominating speed skier a few years ago. Klammer won 25 downhill races in his career and Eberharter 18.

The former slalom specialist, now 32 year old, since January 2001 only competes in downhill after focusing before on slalom – yet without significant success. His best finish in that specialty is a modest 9th place at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia in January 1999.

Yet his 9th place in his inaugural world cup downhill at Kitzbühel where he also came in 2nd in the combined was a turning point for the tall and friendly champion from Zauchensee, near Altenmarkt. His trainers decided to make a true downhiller out of him – and their intuition turned out to be the right choice.

Walchhofer didn’t need much time to show his class and make the best out of his apparently smooth, precise yet aggressive technique in the speed events. He soon started to accumulate podium finishes. In December 2001 he was 3rd in Val d’Isère and 2nd here in Val Gardena and 3rd again in February 2002 in St Moritz.

He reached four more podiums prior his victory at St Moritz – becoming the fifth downhill world champion in recent years without any major success in the specialty prior to his triumph.

But in contrary to his four processors including 1972 Olympic Champion Berhard Russi from Switzerland, a surprising world champion in 1970 at Val Gardena without any podium finish in previous races, Walchhofer didn’t need too much time to move at the highest level.

Within a few winters, he dominated his rivals on all kinds of terrain – tough ones such as Kitzbühel or Garmisch-Partenkirchen and smoother ones as Wengen, Val d’Isère or Lake Louise.

So far he got nine major wins in downhill and finished sixteen times 2nd or 3rd on all the downhill courses regularly visited by the world cup tour. He also captured three consecutive medals in gold, bronze and silver from 2003 to 2006 at past world championships and Olympics.

After his recent victory at Beaver Creek, there were only two downhill races left for him to grab – Val Gardena, where he was four times 2nd and Chamonix where he finished twice 3rd. “It’s exciting to get another step closer to my goals, I would be really proud to add them on my list of victories,” he explained at Val Gardena.

“I feel confident but I don’t want to put extra pressure on my shoulder, there is already enough,” added the two-time downhill world cup champion who was the only Austrian to excel in downhill last season.

A true gentleman and a fair sportsman, Walchhofer enjoys the rivalry with other top athletes as Bode Miller, Didier Cuche, Marco Buechel or Erik Guay who all know they have to achieve their potential on Saturday to have a chance to beat the Austrian. “It’s nice to see that the specialty became so international, last year over ten nations did well in downhill including a Slovenian. In past years my main rivals were from my own team,” he told the press at Beaver Creek.

He didn’t say if he thinks it’s better that way, but his motivation to fight hard against top-champions of that calibre certainly helps him to focus intensively on his tasks.

“Downhill is certainly the most exciting alpine specialty and for the moment I can’t imagine living without the adrenaline that I feel in me when I go to the start,” he also said. “I think I’ll try to stay on the world cup tour for at least a couple more years – and why not until Vancouver 2010 if I’m healthy and happy. My wife strongly encourages me. She told me to continue as long as I’m enjoying it and that she is taking care of our three kids and our hotel. It helps me a lot to feel her support. It helps me to be relaxed and perfectly pleased to keep on racing.”

Most of top-downhillers in recent seasons peak after the age of 30. Hermann Maier is 35, Marco Buechel 36. Hannes Trinkl became world champion at 35 in 2001 at St Anton. “Experience matters the most at our level, it’s more important than pure aggressiveness or talent. Downhill is a dangerous specialty and routine is crucial in tough moments -- like here when you fly over the “Camel-jumps” or when you struggle on the icy and bumpy “Ciaslat” turns. Sometimes it’s really crazy – yet so exciting too – especially when you cross the finish line in good health.”