Thrilled first-time World Cup winners Langenhorst and Kwiatkowski top in Scuol
Jan 14, 2023·Alpine Snowboard
Screams of delight emanated from the finish area at the culmination of both the women’s and men’s PGS big finals in Scuol (SUI) on Saturday (14 January) as Carolin Langenhorst (GER) and Oskar Kwiatkowski (POL) both became first-time World Cup winners.
Langenhorst was in no doubt as to the quality of her opponent in the big final, compatriot and four-time World Cup overall winner Ramona Theresia Hofmeister. The pair are the same age, yet Hofmeister has had the more illustrious career so far, claiming 14 World Cup wins in 32 podium finishes. The Olympic bronze medallist is still in contention to claim a fourth consecutive overall crystal globe, and fifth in total, despite a slow start to the season due to a back injury and is slowly coming into form at the right time. After today’s result, Hofmeister sits atop the PGS standings and is second in the combined category.
Today was Lagenhorst’s day, however, and the 26-year-old started as she meant to go on by qualifying in top position. In the knockout rounds, she first beat Switzerland's own, Larissa Gasser by just 0.11s to progress to the quarter finals where she beat Sabine Schoeffmann (AUT) who skidded out of the course to leave Langenhorst a clear run to the finish line and the semi-final. Here she faced another home rider, Julie Zogg – the only Swiss in either the men’s or the women’s finals to progress this far – whom Langenhorst beat by just 0.09s to make it to the big final.
Zogg did give the crowd something to cheer when she beat Miki Tsubaki in the small final, just squeaking through by 0.05s against the Japanese in the last few gates. Zogg was not letting the fans leave without seeing one of their riders on the podium.
Langenhorst, meanwhile, was "speechless".
"I don’t know what to say. I enjoyed the qualification runs and I tried to use that feeling for the finals.
“I tried to be a bit more chilled and relaxed and just went from run to run and I think that was the key today.”
Kwiatkowski meanwhile, had no doubt about the fierce competitor he was up against in the big final. Mirko Felicetti (ITA) had already dispatched Austrians Arvid Auner and Benjamin Karl in the early rounds before beating Tim Mastnak (SLO) – the second-placed rider in the opening PSL of the season in Winterberg – on his way to the big final.
Another pair of experienced Austrians were also taken out by Kwiatkowski – Alexander Payer (AUT), the leader of the PSL tour, and current overall tour and PGS leader, Andreas Prommegger (AUT), a 22-time World Cup winner from 280 starts.
But the Pole held his nerve in a tight contest that ultimately saw Felicetti, who was aiming for only a second-ever World Cup win himself, come unstuck late on. Kwiatkowski was able to glide through for the win, claiming a first World Cup victory after 57 starts.
“This is my favourite hill,” said a beaming Kwiatkowski post-race, citing “grippy” snow that’s “nice for carving” as reasons for loving Scuol. “I’m very happy and very tired.”
Describing his thoughts ahead of facing Felicetti he said: “I thought, it’s not easy, I need to push 100% so that’s how I did it.”
In the small final, Prommegger bagged a 51st World Cup podium beating Mastnak to third place after the Slovenian made a small error.
Disappointing days were had by the women’s tour leader, Daniela Ulbing (AUT) who remains top of the pile despite crashing out in the quarter-finals today against Zogg. In the men’s edition, Roland Fischnaller (ITA) dropped even further behind fellow icon Prommegger in the overall and PGS rankings, after not making it through to the knockout rounds in Scuol.
The next races take place in Bansko (BUL) with back-to-back PSL events on 21-22 January.
Current standings
Standings after 5 of 13 races on the overall tour (women, after Scuol)
1 Daniela Ulbing (AUT) 261 points
2 Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) 253 points
3 Julie Zogg (SUI) 233 points
Standings after 5 of 13 races on the overall tour (men, after Scuol)
1 Andreas Prommegger (AUT) 294 points
2 Alexander Payer (AUT) 272 points
3 Maurizio Bormolini (ITA) 246 points
Standings after 3 of 5 races on the PGS tour (women, after Scuol)
1 Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) 182 points
2 Carolin Langenhorst (GER) 160 points
3 Gloria Kotnik (SLO) 150 points
Standings after 3 of 5 races on the PGS tour (men, after Scuol)
1 Andreas Prommegger (AUT) 240 points
2 Oskar Kwiatkowski (POL) 174 points
3 Roland Fischnaller (ITA) 171 points
