Press release -
First Slalom World Cup victory for Lena Dürr
Exactly ten years after her victory at the City Event in Moscow, Lena Dürr celebrates her first World Cup victory in the Slalom in Spindleruv Mlyn on Sunday. The German athlete raced to the top of the podium following two second places and five third place finishes in this discipline. The day before, the 31-year-old finished second in the first Slalom in Spindleruv Mlyn, with Wendy Holdener from Switzerland finishing third.
"Lena Dürr has definitely put behind her the problem from last year of not nailing the second run. She delivered sensational ski racing performance on both days. You could see how consistent she has become. And that applies to everyone in the Slalom team. On Sunday, despite Wendy Holdener not finishing, we bagged first, fourth and sixth position, and had several more athletes in the top 20," explained HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "The men's competitions had their highs and lows. Stefan Babinsky and Lukas Feurstein have shown what they can do. Lukas was injured after landing in the nets on Sunday, having just clocked the third fastest stage time. It doesn't get more bitter than that. I hope that it is not too bad. But we have seen what's possible in the future."
"I need to focus on my own performance"
When she won on Sunday, Lena Dürr was in second place after the first run. The second-fastest time on the second run sealed her victory overall. "I kept on fighting and I kept getting closer. It’s incredible that it finally worked out today. I did what I have been doing over the past few weeks, keeping calm, focusing on my own performance, and skiing as best I can," is how the German athlete analysed her success at the finish. Anna Swenn-Larsson from Sweden finished in fourth place. Franziska Gritsch was sixth, her best World Cup result in Slalom so far. The Austrian athlete moved up from 20th place to sixth overall having clocked the fastest time on the second run. Maria Therese Tviberg from Norway finished tenth, Sara Hector from Sweden twelfth and Emma Aicher from Germany was 14th.
Two HEAD Worldcup Rebels on the podium on Saturday
Two HEAD team athletes were on the podium in the first Slalom competition in Spindleruv Mlyn on Saturday: Sunday's winner, Lena Dürr, finished second. Wendy Holdener bagged her first podium in 2023 in third place. The Swiss athlete was very satisfied with finishing third: "I took the frustration I had built up to attack the second run. I didn't think I would still be able to catch up. So the main aim for me was to put in a good run. The second run was really cool, and did me a lot of good." Anna Swenn-Larsson finished sixth, Franziska Gritsch ninth and Sara Hector 13th.
Promising performances by Stefan Babinsky and Lukas Feurstein
Stefan Babinsky celebrated the best result in his career so far in the first Super-G on Saturday in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The Austrian athlete started with bib number 21 and ended up fourth. Previously, the 26-year-old's best World Cup result was seventh place in the Super-G in Kitzbühel in 2021. Just behind Babinsky, his two compatriots Vincent Kriechmayr and Lukas Feurstein finished in fifth and sixth place. Also for Feurstein, who started with number 43, this was by far the best result in his career. Before that, 19th place in the Giant Slalom in Lenzerheide in 2021 was his best result. Four more HEAD Worldcup Rebels ranked among the best 16 with Justin Murisier from Switzerland in eleventh place, Alexis Pinturault from France twelfth, James Crawford from Canada 15th and Gilles Roulin from Switzerland 16th.
Best Super-G result for Guglielmo Bosca
In the second Super-G on Sunday, places five to seven went to HEAD Worldcup Rebels Vincent Kriechmayr, Alexis Pinturault and Justin Murisier. Guglielmo Bosca from Italy snatched ninth place with bib number 30. This is his best result so far in the Super-G, equalling his best result in a World Cup Downhill event. Stefan Babinsky finished 13th and Johan Clarey from France was 15th.
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