Tails, five medals after seven events, best total of the competition.
On the face side, seventh place in the medal standings, far behind Switzerland (first) and its Italian runner-up, for lack of gold.
After a first week of competition, the Austrian team has a good record thanks to the money collected by Nina Ortlieb (women's downhill) and Marco Schwarz (men's combined), and the bronze medals obtained by Raphael Haaser (men's combined), her sister Ricarda Haaser (women's combined) and Cornelia Hütter (women's super-G).
An unexpected harvest given the disappointing results of the women's team in the World Cup this winter: only five podiums and not a single victory.
"The results are beyond our expectations," admits Thomas Trinker, coach of the women's team.
"There were a lot of positive reflections, he adds to explain this turnaround. The girls know what they can do, and they gave everything they could to perform."
Pressure
These good results contrast with the crisis born at the start of the season, in a country where alpine skiing is the national discipline and its athletes are stars.
The silver medal won by Marco Schwarz in the men's combined gave Austria a good start to these Worlds, after a disappointing start to the season.
© Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP
From this enthusiasm comes pressure from the public and the media, which is sometimes difficult for skiers to bear.
"Marcel Hirscher often said that he only wanted to ski. But in Austria, when you're a professional skier, you're a star, you can't go to a restaurant without being recognized, for example," Alexander told AFP. Hofstetter, sports journalist at the daily Kronen Zeitung.
"That's why Hirscher stopped his career so early," he continues about the double Olympic champion and five-time world champion.
"But there is a positive side, notes Manuel Feller, slalom and giant slalom specialist. In Schladming (World Cup event in Austria), only Austrians know what it is to ski in in front of 40,000 people screaming for you, for you to win. It's a privilege, and we owe it all to make them happy."
A Liensberger "miracle"?
To do this, all that is missing is gold, which would put Austria back in the fight with Switzerland and Italy, in the second week of competition, dedicated to technical discipline events, such as slalom and giant slalom.
Katharina Liensberger, double world champion in 2021, could bring a first gold medal to Austria during the women's parallel on Wednesday.
© VLADIMIR SIMICEK / AFP
"We are not favorites in the technical events, (...) but during these Worlds, we saw new world champions who had never won a race, so everything is possible", enthuses Herbert Mandl, Alpine director.
"In giants, we have a good team with Marco Schwarz and Manuel Feller, two guys who have already been on the podium. And we also have good chances in slalom", analyzes Marko Pfeifer, coach of the men's team.
In addition to Feller and Schwarz, Austria is counting on Katharina Liensberger, revelation of the Worlds-2021 in Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy), where she became parallel world champion then slalom, at 23, ahead of the Slovak Petra Vlhova and American Mikaela Shiffrin.
After an Olympic silver medal in the slalom in Beijing last year, she is unrecognizable this season: not a single podium, four disqualifications, a fifth place at the giant of Killington (United States) as the best result...
Its coach Livio Magoni left the team in January, less than a year after his arrival.
"We must hope for a miracle, slips Alexander Hofstetter. In Cortina, we felt that she was on another planet, she let herself be carried away, always smiling, she did not realize where she was, she was only winning. The Federation try to recreate that momentum."
"The most important thing is that I feel good, confirms Liensberger. I want to live these moments again, to ski fast. In Cortina, I remember the moment when I crossed the line with a second in advance. I couldn't believe it, I had achieved something I really wanted."
A gold medal would allow him to return to the forefront and his country with it.
© 2023 AFP