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 The mighty Austrians have already piled up seven medals,
including four golds, from the first seven events and more are
expected from their men and women in the giant slalom and slalom
over the next three days.
Competing on U.S. snow well away from home has been "a little
advantage" says Klammer, whose only concern for his country's skiers
in the years to come is the lack of proficient technical racers
following in Marcel Hirscher's footsteps.
"We always expect medals but we didn't expect that we would be
running so well at this point," a smiling Klammer, considered one of
the best downhill skiers of all time, told Reuters before the
women's giant slalom at Beaver Creek on Thursday.
"Our team was well prepared and we have good guys. We have winners
on the team and that's all that matters. So with Anna Fenninger,
with Marcel Hirscher, with Hannes Reichelt, the whole team gets a
boost from these guys."
Fenninger won gold in the women's Super-G at Beaver Creek and then
silver in the downhill while Reichelt, who missed the 2014 Sochi
Olympics because of back problems, landed his first ever world
championship gold medal in the men's Super-G.
Hirscher, overall World Cup champion for the past three years, won
the men's super combined at Beaver Creek and was part of the
Austrian team that won the 16-nation event. He still has his
specialist events, the giant slalom and slalom, to come.
AWAY SNOW ADVANTAGE
After the Austrian men failed to win a medal in the speed
disciplines at the 2013 world championships on home snow in
Schladming, Klammer believes they have benefited this year from
racing elsewhere.
"It's always difficult, competing at home," said Klammer, whose
gravity-defying romp to gold at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck is
regarded as one of the greatest ski runs of all time.
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"At Innsbruck, I was the only one who could win from the Austrian
team so I had to win! The pressure was on. Actually I liked to have
pressure and then I would get much better under pressure.
"This Austrian team is well prepared but it's easier to perform
abroad because at home you have the crowds, more media commitments
and you get distracted too easily. Here nobody is really paying
attention ... and that's a little advantage."
Although the Austrian men were surprisingly shut out of the medals
in the downhill at Beaver Creek on Saturday, Klammer is more
concerned with his country's long-term prospects in the giant slalom
and slalom.
"We don't have 10 guys now but we have about five or six really good
downhillers, good speed skiers," said Klammer, who won the overall
World Cup downhill title a record five times.
"We have a much stronger speed team than a technical team. We are
really lacking young kids, the youngsters are not really pushing and
coming up behind Marcel, so I am afraid that we will have some lean
years ahead of us."
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
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