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Sturm after dramatic Levi exit: "I have few regrets"
Third after run one, he straddled a gate in the final run. Yet the positive takeaways outweigh the disappointment for the ÖSV skier.
For Joshua Sturm, the first World Cup slalom in Levi (to the race report>>>) was a day of light and shadow!
Wearing bib number 27, the 25-year-old stormed to a sensational third place in the first run and was looking strong in the final as well, before skiing out in the middle section.
Instead of a podium finish or World Cup points, he now leaves empty-handed. Nevertheless, pride in his performance outweighs the frustration for the ÖSV athlete.
"My skiing is among the fastest"
"I can't blame myself for much today. I had really good moments in both runs and proved that my skiing is among the fastest. So there’s no need to dwell on it; instead, I can prove my skills again next week (in Gurgl, ed.)," Sturm said in an "ORF" post-race interview.
"I basically did what I set out to do. Everything felt good right from the start, and I felt comfortable on the steep pitch too. Then I caught an edge a bit, tried to correct it, and turned too sharply," Sturm reflected on his second run.
ÖSV historically weak
Despite his DNF, Sturm was one of the few bright spots on Sunday for the ÖSV, which suffered a historic debacle in Levi. Austria had not endured a worse slalom result since Alta Badia in 2006, with Johannes Strolz in 22nd place being the only ÖSV athlete to make it into the points.
Alongside Sturm, Fabio Gstrein, Michael Matt, and Simon Rueland also skied out in run two. Adrian Pertl, Dominik Raschner, and Oscar Heine failed to qualify for the second run.
Marko Pfeifer, head coach of the Austrian men's ski team, sees no reason to panic despite the poor result, however.
"We have to stay calm"
"We're not going to reinvent skiing now. We have to stay calm; it was the first slalom of the season, and the worst thing we could do right now is spread unrest or get nervous," Pfeifer told "ORF".
"Things happen quickly in slalom, and suddenly you're left with a result like this. In the first run, there was a lack of dynamic power right from the top, which we still need to address," he said. "The second run looked better, but we still need to do better in Gurgl," was his conclusion.
The Austrian men will have their chance at redemption next weekend, when the second slalom of the World Cup winter takes place in Gurgl (Tyrol).
