In between, there was time for a visit to Spielberg. Last weekend, the double silver medalist from the 2026 Olympic Games closely followed MotoGP.
Unlike Austria's former tennis star Dominic Thiem, who politely declined an offer for a ride on a two-seater KTM, a few laps at the Red Bull Ring would definitely appeal to her.
"That would be cool. You really get the urge when you watch here," says Aicher, who, of course, has no problem with high speeds. Blasting up the start-finish straight at 300 km/h is "crazier" than going down a mountain on two skis at over 140 km/h, she believes.
Aicher remains an all-rounder
As is well known, the daughter of a Swedish mother and a German father can shine not only in speed disciplines but also in technical events.
Ich mag die Abwechslung, einen Tag im Slalom zu fahren und am nächsten Tag die Abfahrts-Skier auszupacken.
As an all-rounder, the 22-year-old embodies a dying breed in the Ski World Cup. In downhill, Super-G, and slalom, Aicher is already among the world's elite, and she's gradually closing the gap in giant slalom.
Her plan for the upcoming ski season is also to compete in all four disciplines again. Aicher explains: "I like the variety, skiing slalom one day and then unpacking the downhill skis the next."
"I need this variety"
As long as she enjoys it and her body can handle the strain, she wants to remain an all-rounder. You can take a lot from one discipline and apply it to another, Aicher explains.
"Giant slalom helps me in the speed disciplines, and vice versa. You always learn something and can develop further if you make these constant changes and don't rigidly focus on one or two disciplines." She emphasizes: "I need this variety."
She cannot define a favorite discipline. "I just like skiing in general," says the five-time World Cup winner.
Aicher wants even more
Her disciplinary versatility brought the German two silver medals at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and in the overall World Cup, she only had to yield to superstar Mikaela Shiffrin at the World Cup final.
"Last year was quite a surprise," Aicher admits. However, her expectations won't change due to the successes. She says: "I will try to continue improving. Then, hopefully, it will go like last year – or even better."
To win the overall World Cup, do you have to be among the world's elite in at least three, if not four, disciplines to offset Shiffrin's dominance in slalom?
Es würde auch reichen, wenn man in einer Disziplin ähnlich dominant wie Shiffrin im Slalom wäre.
Aicher waves it off with a smile: "It would also be enough to be as dominant as Shiffrin in slalom in one discipline." If you have at least three strong disciplines, it's definitely easier to compete at the top, Aicher says.
Brignone back - and Shiffrin not alone
For Aicher, however, Shiffrin is by no means the only contender for the big Crystal Globe.
"With Brignone, it looks like she could compete from the start," Aicher says, wary of the two-time Olympic champion. The experienced Italian missed much of the past season due to severe leg and knee injuries.
Generally, she believes, the usual suspects will again be competing for the Crystal Globe. These would include Camille Rast, Alice Robinson, Sofia Goggia, and also Julia Scheib.
Aicher is ambivalent about the WC reform
Aicher, however, refrains from commenting on the changes at the FIS leadership. "My focus is on myself. Let's wait and see what happens."
The planned introduction of annual World Championships, on the other hand, can be viewed from two perspectives.
"If there's a World Championship every year, you can win more medals. At the same time, however, they wouldn't have the same significance as a World Championship that only takes place every two years."
"I couldn't imagine a better job"
Regardless, her motivation remains the same: she wants to be the fastest skier on the planet.
And she emphasizes: "I get to do sports and ski every day. I couldn't imagine a better job."
