The HEAD Worldcup Rebels delivered an impressive team performance in the two Slalom events in Levi. In the first Slalom on Saturday,
Anna Swenn-Larsson finished in second place, with four HEAD athletes finishing among the best seven. Wendy Holdener took second place on Sunday, with three Rebels finishing in the top five.
“It was almost a perfect weekend for us. All that was missing was the victory, but that is bound to still come,” says HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber.
“What the whole team managed was sensational. You can see that everyone has gotten better over the past few years. All our athletes can now look forward to the next races and travel to the USA with confidence.
Sara Hector usually takes a while to get into the season. I hope that following these Slalom results she will now take control in the Giant Slalom.”
First podium in Levi for Anna Swenn-Larsson
Anna Swenn-Larsson missed her first Slalom World Cup victory on Saturday by just 16 hundredths of a second. In the first run the 31-year-old Swedish athlete was in second place, a position she secured with the third-fastest time on the second run.
This is her first podium in Levi, and her ninth World Cup podium overall. “I am very happy because this was the perfect start to the season.
I am very pleased that everything has started so well, and it is always cool to be back in Levi,” said Anna Swenn-Larsson, who was eliminated on the first run on Sunday.
Wendy Holdener starts the season on top form
Wendy Holdener, who finished with a strong fifth place on Saturday, improved again on Sunday. Following a fourth place on the first run, the Swiss athlete moved up to second place overall with the second-fastest time on a brilliant second run.
With this second place, the 29-year-old now holds a total of 30 Slalom podiums. “I’m really happy that I managed to improve even further today.
I wanted to ski more dynamically and exit each gate better. I succeeded in doing both. It’s cool to experience the excitement at the finish line,” said a delighted Wendy Holdener.
Two fourth places for Lena Dürr
Lena Dürr skied a great first run on Saturday. The German athlete started into the second run as the leader, 45 hundredths of a second in front of Anna Swenn-Larsson, but in the end she was a bit too cautious.
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old demonstrated on the first run, and with fourth place overall, that she has not lost her outstanding form since last season. On Sunday Lena Dürr finished second on the first run, but ended up in fourth place after the second run.
Strong Slalom weekend for Sara Hector
On Sunday, Sara Hector finished fifth to equal her best-ever World Cup result in the Slalom, which she achieved in Lenzerheide in March 2021.
On Saturday the Swedish athlete finished seventh. Jessica Hilzinger had every reason to celebrate on Saturday, having moved to the HEAD Worldcup Rebels before the start of this season.
With bib number 33, the German athlete notched up her best-ever World Cup Slalom result, finishing in 16th place. Austria’s Franziska Gritsch was also pleased to bag World Cup points on Saturday, finishing in 25th place.
Cornelia Oehlund performed a real test of talent on Sunday. The 17-year-old Swedish athlete competed in her first World Cup races in Levi.
Although she dropped out of the race on Saturday, on Sunday Cornelia Oehlund finished in 22nd place with bib number 51 to earn her first World Cup points.