“The anticipation is huge. For me it is the greatest success that I am here at the start. The road was long, it was sometimes very rocky.” Katharina Gallhuber had joy written all over her face in Levi – even before the two races last weekend, as she said in the APA interview.
The 26-year-old from Göstlinger, Olympic bronze medalist in Pyeongchang 2018, made her World Cup comeback in northern Finland after her serious knee injury: On March 19, 2022, she competed in her last World Cup race to date, and the following August she suffered a tear during training the anterior cruciate ligament, the lateral and medial meniscus in the left knee.
It took ten months until the first contact with snow. She took a long time to build it. “I was with the team in Ushuaia (Argentina; note), that was incredibly important because the injury happened there. I realized I needed a few aha moments.” A week before Levi, cheeky skiing returned. “That’s what you need for racing too. I have to be patient and go step by step so that I can get back to the top of the world.” The goal for Levi was to compete in a second round. “I need all seven plums together for it to work. It’s important that I stand at the start, feel the tingling sensation and have the confidence to attack from top to bottom,” said Gallhuber in advance.
“I’m super happy”
What happened next exceeded all expectations. Gallhuber finished ninth in the first run, just 1.54 seconds behind half-time leader Petra Vlhova, and finished 13th after an equally strong second run. “I’m super happy, thanks to everyone who helped me on the way back. Without them it wouldn’t have happened. It’s been a roller coaster ride with tough days. It’s even nicer when you’re back here. It is important. “To take a step forward race by race,” said Gallhuber in the ORF interview.
And Gallhuber also showed off in the second Levi Slalom on Sunday, once again getting into the points: She started the second round in 20th place and ended up in 22nd place.
The second Mostviertel World Cup athlete was also successful: Katharina Huber. The 28-year-old from St. Georgen am Reith finished eighth in the first slalom and followed that up with eleventh place on Sunday.
