Leitinger's scream: after that medal and a thousand problems, here is the first podium in the World Cup

The 28-year-old Tyrolean, silver giant in the 2017 World Cup, exalted himself on the night of the Gran Risa. "I wasn't expecting it"

Monday 23 December 2019 3 minutes reading time

A scream that shook the parterre of the Gran Risa, because it contained all the sufferings of a boy who, one day in February 2017 in St. Moritz, seemed to be able to take off on a great career. He had risked taking away the world gold from Captain Marcel Hirscher, in that world champion giant of almost three years ago ended with a silver medal around his neck: instead of representing the springboard, however, that race remained the most important point high of the journey of Roland Leitinger in the world of great skiing. The 28-year-old Tyrolean had then injured the crusader of his right knee (training in a free field in Reiteralm) in January 2018, losing the PyeongChang Olympics, unable to find certain sensations anymore. In the parallel giant of Alta Badia, however, "Roli" seemed immediately able to beat everyone, bending in the semifinal in Windingstad and then taking, beating in the small final Nestvold-Haugen, the first podium of his career in the World Cup with the 3rd place finish (to date, his best placement was the 6th in Soelden in the opening giant of the 2015/16 season, ed.). â€œI never thought I could get it just tonight - confessed Leitinger - I have gained more and more trust, heat after heat. In the semifinal I risked too much and I was wrong, but managing to get on the podium I can only be very happy. I will have a great Christmas and I hope this result will push me for the rest of the season. " That of Leitinger is the first place in the top 3 for an Austrian, during this season, in a technical specialty, given that so far the podiums had brought them only Mayer and Kriechmayr in speed.

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