Three years ago, Stephanie Venier was already thinking about retiring and struggling with chronic knee pain. Now the Austrian is writing a fairytale at her home World Championships in Saalbach.
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- Stephanie Venier races to a sensational victory in the super-G and brings Austria its first medal at the home World Championships in Saalbach.
- "I still need a few days to realize it. Or months," admits the overjoyed world champion in the finish area.
- For Venier, who was once nicknamed "Aunt Gucci", it is the crowning glory after difficult times. Around three years ago, she was even thinking of retiring prematurely.
Austria is in the midst of a major ski crisis before the start of the home World Championships. After recent poor results, there are fears that the title fights in Saalbach could end in disaster for the proud skiing nation. But now the world looks completely different again after the first women's race.
Stephanie Venier sensationally raced to gold in the super-G on Thursday, sending the Austrian fans on the side of the course into raptures. "I heard the crowd a bit. But at home you don't think much about it because it's an Austrian - whether she's fast or not. I couldn't tell at that moment," says the overjoyed Venier in the ORF interview after the race and admits: "I still need a few days to realize it. Or months. It's madness."
A nuisance every day
The 31-year-old, who won World Championship silver in the downhill in St. Moritz in 2017, has had some difficult times. Three years ago, she was trailing the competition, losing her enjoyment of the sport and even thinking about retiring. "That's no secret. Anyone who has ever raced at the back knows that it's no fun anymore. It's just a nuisance and a compulsion every day. I really thought to myself for a moment that I'd hang up my hat because there are other things in life," says the Tyrolean.
But Venier fights through and defies her chronic knee pain. At the end of the last season, there were problems with the cartilage. Venier decided against an operation and a long break, which would have put her out of action for the home World Championships.
"Somehow everything comes back in life"
Instead, she opted for various therapies such as acupuncture, shock waves and manual treatments - and has now crowned herself world champion. "Today we've come full circle. I lost the downhill globe here last year. Today I'm winning gold. Somehow everything comes back in life," says Venier, who was once nicknamed "Aunt Gucci" by her teammates because of her affinity for fashion.
When asked about this, the newly crowned world champion clarifies: "That's also a bit older. I like handbags, but that doesn't mean I go into a store every week and buy a handbag. I associate handbags with different stages or events in my life." The Saalbach World Cup fairytale is now one of them.
