Puchner shines in downhill training: best time in Saalbach-Hinterglemm!

Puchner shines in downhill training: best time in Saalbach-Hinterglemm!

In the second downhill training of the World Ski Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Salzburg's Miriam Puchner was in brilliant form and set a clear accent with a superior best time of 0.73 seconds. This not only secured her first place, but also her ticket for the World Cup downhill on Saturday. As laola1 reported, Puchner, who was visibly relieved, presented herself extremely confidently: "I did really well today. I can just attack and I feel really comfortable." This performance is a real confidence boost, not only for Puchner, but also for the entire Austrian team.

Stephanie Venier took sixth place, 1.26 seconds behind, and was positive about her run: “I’m not entirely dissatisfied with my run.” Cornelia Hütter, who finished 13th, also confirmed: “I did well at the top.” For Ricarda Haaser, who also qualified for the World Cup downhill, it was particularly valuable to have several test runs before the competition. Head coach Roland Assinger's team is in good shape and is optimistic about the coming races. As the Kronen Zeitung reported, Puchner's skills and her enjoyment of the downhill are crucial for the team spirit, while Ariane Rädler was unable to qualify for the downhill despite improving to 22nd place.

Preparations for the World Cup downhill are in full swing and all eyes are on the athletes who will be competing on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. While Puchner has to watch the Super-G due to her seasonal performances, the anticipation of the descent remains unbroken. The competition is already waiting – including third-placed Nicole Delago from Italy and the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami.