Adrian R. Huber |
Madrid (EFE).- One hundred thousand euros. That was the cash prize won last weekend by Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr, winner on Friday, and Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, successful on Saturday, for winning the Kitzbühel descent in Austrian Tyrol. The most dangerous and spectacular of the Alpine Ski World Cup.
The stellar weekend of the snow competition calendar, possibly the most important sporting and social event in Austria, awarded, how could it be otherwise, the highest cash prizes of the course. A total of one million euros was distributed to the best classified in the two descents played in the monstrous ‘Streif’, the most demanding track on the entire calendar, and in the Sunday slalom, which was decided in favor of the Swiss Daniel Yule in the ‘Ganslernhang’, another of the most renowned tracks -in this technical case- of the winter sport.
The line between glory and hospital is a fine one at the Hahnenkamm (‘Cresta del Gallo’), the other name for the descent of elitist Kitzbühel. This year they were luxury spectators, among others, the ‘Terminator’ Arnold Schwarzenegger, former governor of California (USA) and Austrian by birth, and the Spanish Marc Márquez, eight times world motorcycling champion.
A test that starts at an altitude of 1,665 meters and takes place, with a drop of 860, on a route of three kilometers and 312 meters, in which, after taking the exit and going through the first two curves, to the right, first and Later, on the left, the skier faces his first flight, ‘blind’, in the ‘Mausefalle’, the ‘Mousetrap’: a wall with a drop of 85 percent.
From there, it is absorbed’ by the monster. There is no escape until the goal. In races in which, with the only bodywork of the human body, this year, coinciding with the eighty-third edition of the ‘Hahnenkammrennen’, top speeds of 143 kilometers per hour were reached.
Winning Kitzbühel is equivalent in the world of skiing, to give a couple of examples, to scoring Wimbledon in tennis; to beat a Formula One in the streets of Monaco; or to come out successful of the British Open of golf.
Crossing the finish line of the ‘Streif’ with the best time grants eternal prestige -only Olympic gold is comparable-; and, in addition -and saving financial distances with respect to other more global sports- he is rewarded with the largest cash prize.
This season, now without restrictions derived from the covid-19 pandemic, the historical record reached in 2022 was equated. It was established that the winner of each descent would take back a total of 100,000 euros, the same amount as the winner of the slalom . The second of each race would take 50,000. And the third, 25,000.
The top thirty classified score points in the World Cup. And until the thirtieth he took a cash prize (1,100 euros) in the slalom.
But hospital bills are also usually higher in the event of an accident on a descent; and these were the tests that received special treatment, with economic incentives that reached up to the forty-fifth classified, who pocketed a thousand euros.
Proof that Kitzbühel is not exactly child’s play was shown by Kilde, winner of the great Crystal Globe three seasons ago and second overall this year. The Norwegian broke a bone in his right hand in training on Thursday; and in the first descent, on Friday, he avoided by a few centimeters and through a brilliant ‘save’ a brutal accident in the last corner before the finish line entry wall. Before repeating, in a glorious feat, the victory that he celebrated a year ago.
Kilde would finish sixteenth on Friday and added another four thousand euros to his haul.
Better off (and paid) came Kriechmayr. Winning Kitzbühel being Austrian means front pages in the newspapers and opening the television news. But to the 100,000 euros that he took for taming the monster in the first descent (the surprising Italian Florian Schieder -number 43- took 50,000 for his first podium in the World Cup; and the Swiss Niels HIntermann 25,000, finishing third) Kriechmayr he added another 17,000 for finishing fifth in second.
Kilde celebrated on Saturday with the Frenchman Johan Clarey, who pocketed the 50,000 euros by finishing second at the age of 42 (breaking the record for the oldest age on a podium) in his farewell to the ‘Streif’; and the American Travis Ganong, who added to the 25,000 on Saturday the 12,000 that he captured on Friday when he finished seventh.
Swiss Daniel Yule won the slalom and the hundred thousand on Sunday. England’s Dave Ryding took 50,000 by finishing second in the technical test and Norway’s Lucas Braathen, third in the Ganslernhang, pocketed 25,000.
Women do not compete in Kitzbühel, but the American Lindsey Vonn -whose record for victories in the World Cup has just beaten and improved her compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin, raising her to 84- fulfilled her dream, almost four years after retiring. Vonn, who in her day unsuccessfully advocated competing against men, completed the Streif, in a night session and with the track (obviously) illuminated. She reached a top speed of 134 kilometers per hour in her descent, in a promotional act for Red Bull, the main sponsor, together with Audi, of the great alpine ski race weekend.
A fundamental weekend also for the big brands of skis and material, in general. Kilde, who has 20 World Cup victories -seven this season-, triumphs on Atomic skis. Kriechmayr (15 wins, three of them downhill this season) does it with Head. The one Lindsey wore on her night gallop over the Streif.
Record holder Shiffrin earns more prize money than men
Kilde and Shiffrin, who are clearly aiming for their fifth World Cup final victory, are dating; and they share many moments of their relationship on social media. Those of a couple who also knows how to translate their sporting successes into profits -advertising income aside-.
The 30-year-old Norwegian is second overall in the World Cup, behind 25-year-old Swiss Marco Odermatt, but betters him in prize money. According to public data from the International Ski Federation (FIS), Kilde has earned, so far this season, 454,532 Swiss francs (the same amount in euros), compared to the 438,050 that the Helvetian adds, aspiring to revalidate the title in the competition. of regularity.
In the girls’ earnings he clearly rules, as in the overall World Cup, Shiffrin.
The 27-year-old super-champion from Vail (Colorado), also double Olympic gold and six times world gold, has been admitted, as of January 25, after breaking Vonn’s record and raising it to 84 victories for the moment, by winning the two giants from Kronplatz (Italy) -who each reported 50,000-, a total of 595,000 Swiss francs (150,000 more than her boyfriend), compared to 233,000 for the Italian Sofia Goggia, 30, second in that relationship. She that she competes, like the great star of the US Team, with Atomic skis.
