Valentina Rings-Wanner from KSC conquers the Streif: “I've already won”
Valentina Rings-Wanner, a local heroine, is competing in the women's European Cup races on the Streif. It's a dream come true for the athlete from the Kitzbühel Ski Club. She is looking forward to her performance on her home stage and announces: If she wins on Saturday, she will perform a Kristian Ghedina stunt on Sunday.
The women are returning to the Streif this weekend after more than 60 years - this is not only (ski) historic, but is a very special occasion for one athlete in particular: Valentina Rings-Wanner from the Kitzbühel Ski Club knows the course like no other in the starting field.
The Hahnenkamm is her local mountain, everyone knows her, everyone greets her - she feels at home here. “It really helps when you know your way around and know all the people, you automatically get a lot less nervous,” says the 19-year-old on Friday. Rings-Wanner beams when she says: “I've actually already won”. After all, being able to ski on the Streif is a great privilege, a dream come true.
Despite the home advantage, the two European Cup races will also be a challenge for her. The women set off from the Mausefallboden, so they start roughly where the World Cup men land again after jumping over the Mausefalle. Which also means that after just a few seconds of skiing, the athletes are already on the “Steilhang”. “The course is more difficult and steeper than other women's European Cups,” says Rings-Wanner after course inspection on Friday.
First and foremost, however, Kitzbühel is simply more prestigious and bigger than other races. This is also noticeable at the European Cup: “We can't stop beaming because everything is so cool and big,” says Rings-Wanner. A live TV broadcast by ORF Sport Plus, a real start house, a separate hospitality area for the racers - with drinks, snacks, beanbag. “Normally, we have a small starting area and that's it.”
Rings-Wanner has just returned from the Junior World Championships in Tarvisio, where she came seventh in the Super-G. On Saturday and Sunday, she will be up against strong competition on the Streif: the Delago sisters Nadia (Olympic Bronze-medallist in Beijing 2022) and Nicol, will be at the start. World Cup athletes Jacqueline Wiles (USA), Cande Moreno (Andorra) and the overall European Cup leader Nadine Fest will be there too.
Valentina Rings-Wanner, however, has the home advantage - and plenty of Streif experience. She has watched the Hahnenkamm race many times and remembers legendary moments and runs. And even if it was before her time: Kristian Ghedina's straddle over the finish jump is still one of the most historic moments in the history of the Hahnenkamm Race for her. Rings-Wanner announces with a laugh: “If I win tomorrow, maybe I'll do a straddle on Sunday too.”
In any case, Rings-Wanner will have her own mini fan club on site on Saturday and Sunday: former ski club coaches, supervisors, her parents, friends and even her dog Charles will be there to watch her. And no matter which place Rings-Wanner ends up in: When she skies the Streif, she will write skiing history - for women's ski racing, for the Kitzbühel Ski Club - and above all for herself.
