Mayer really seemed to be on the road to success for a long time. Started with number eleven, after a red start, the ones lit up in green. The 29-year-old swung away with his arms stretched out, clearly enjoying the roaring cheers of the thousands of spectators. When Kilde arrived at the finish line two runners later, he clenched his fists again – at Jansrud, who started as 19th, no longer. The dream of Mayer’s second Super G victory in Kitzbühel after 2017 had burst.
The victory, missed by 16 hundredths of a second, could not dampen his joy. The Olympic champion had withstood the pressure again. For the third time since 2013 and 2015, he finished second in the Super-G on the Streifalm route. As a reward, he took over the red jersey of the leader in the discipline World Cup from his team-mate Vincent Kriechmayr, who slipped back to second place with Kilde and Jansrud as Super G sixth. “We are pushing each other, it will be a tight race for the ball,” said Mayer.
Matthias Mayer is missing 16 hundredths of a second
The Olympic champion in the Super-G cheers euphorically about his best time at the finish line, but in the end has to be content with second place.
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When shoulders fall
This time he clearly outshone the teammate. The attention was all his. “I really enjoyed it,” said the Carinthian, who also spoke of an incredible moment. “In Kitzbühel at the home race everyone is expecting the podium and hoping for victory. If you can swing away with the green light, it’s all the nicer and just cool. ”He even believed in the victory and became friends with the thought when Jansrud thwarted him.
Adversity right at the start
He could have lost the crucial hundredths of a second on the local mountain, where he was “too pointed” or immediately after the start, when he tilted his left ski and almost fell over. “Or Jansrud copied the line from me and made it even better,” joked Mayer. Mayer did not accept all of this as an excuse. There was nothing to shake about the Norwegian’s victory, he was too strong for the competition, especially in the lower section. “Kjetil was simply faster, I can only congratulate him,” said Mayer.
Whether it would have been enough for Mayer to win without the mishap after the start remained unanswered. “It is difficult to say whether it cost 16 hundredths, maybe it was more the local mountain, where there would have been something else,” said Mayer. He was very satisfied in second place, after all Kitzbühel is the highlight of the season and the pressure from outside is considerable. He didn’t let that irritate him on the slopes. “Overall, it was a great ride from top to bottom. I fully attacked. You can’t do much more, ”said Mayer.
Put yourself under pressure
The emotions at the finish were indescribable for him, also because a large load had dropped from his shoulders. After an already strong Super-G season with victory in Lake Louise and third place in Beaver Creek, he put the most pressure on himself and also expected a podium finish in Kitzbühel. “Or to go with the victory,” added Mayer. “When I heard the mood, the cheers and saw the one light up, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the moment.”
In the departure on Saturday (11.30 a.m., live in ORF1), Mayer will have the next chance and challenge, which the Super-G only gave a foretaste. “It’s a real challenge down there, it’s not for nothing that the Streif is the most feared downhill run of the World Cup season. I’m looking forward to it, but you have to be very focused on the whole thing, ”said Mayer, who is once again targeting the podium, the first in the Streif downhill. “That is my big goal. I always tried it, I never succeeded. I want to make it this time, ”said Mayer. “I know what to do.”
