Christof Innerhofer purportedly revisited the location of his inaugural World Cup triumph approximately a decade ago. Presently, the skier is at the forefront of the latest practice session at the commencement of the competition for a downhill race on the renowned Stelvio track held this week on Wednesday.
Daniel Hemetsberger from Austria secured the second position in the practice downhill run, while Ryan Cochran-Siegle from the United States clinched the third spot. However, both Hemetsberger and Innerhofer failed to successfully navigate through the gates during their respective runs. Innerhofer even commented on the demanding nature of the practice session conducted on the Bormio track, mentioning that the icy surface caused significant challenges for the skiers.
Innerhofer also expressed how he struggled to exit the gates for some inexplicable reason, citing the fact that the race was purely a practice run. He acknowledged that he believes he has room for improvement on the track and anticipates the need for additional training sessions to optimize his performance.
Reportedly, Innerhofer notched up his very first victory approximately six times in the World Cup in a downhill event on the Stelvia back in 2008. The Italian skier also attained the third spot in the 2010 race. The icy conditions on the Stelvio seem to complement Innerhofer’s skiing style quite well.
A second practice session is set to take place this week on Thursday, preceding a downhill race on Friday and a super-G race on Saturday. Daniel Hemetsberger, the skier from upper Austria, caused a stir during the initial practice session on Wednesday by securing the second spot.