Schmidt wins first World Cup of the season as Wilmsmann stretches Overall lead

Hannah Schmidt won her first World Cup of the season on Thursday as Florian Wilmsmann stretched his Overall lead with victory on day one of racing in Reiteralm.

Canadian Schmidt finished ahead of compatriot India Sherret and Switzerland's Fanny Smith, with Smith given second place after a photo finish with third-place Sherret. Italy's Jole Galli took fourth place following her second big-final appearance of the season.

Schmidt had passed early frontrunner Sherret in the big final, and never relinquished her lead thereafter as she claimed a first win and second podium of the season.

"It felt amazing,” Schmidt said.

“I had really good starts all day and I was skiing aggressive up there. I had fun. It was a fun race today and I'm super happy with it."

On the secret to her success in the big final, Schmidt said: "To be honest I sang my theme song - Disco Sticks by Lady Gaga. The main lyric in there is 'Let's have some fun'.

"Honestly, I had a blast today. I skied fast, my starts were on fire. I'm just really happy."

Smith was left to rue poor starts that halted her momentum in the semi-final and big final, but was otherwise satisfied with her performance on Thursday.

"I was kind of happy," said Smith, who had finished ninth in qualifying earlier in the week.

"I had good training runs, good starts, but then the two last runs I missed a bit my starts so that cost a lot. But then I was really happy to be patient and to pass India on the last turn.

"I was really happy on this course because it's a course that I don't really like.

"Qualification was a big mess, I wasn't really into it and now it became way better. I just focused on myself and it turned out well."

Meanwhile, there was a Canada one-two in the small final, as comeback pair Courtney Hoffos and Brittany Phelan were first and second over the line respectively, finishing ahead of France's Jade Grillet Aubert who took seventh and Luisa Klapprott of Germany in eighth.

There was plenty of movement in the Women's Overall as a result of Thursday's racing, with the leader - Germany's Daniela Maier – departing proceedings at the quarter-final stage along with fellow top-five skiers Marielle Thompson of Canada and Switzerland’s Talina Gantenbein.

Maier was undone by a poor start in her first race of the day, while Thompson was in first place in her quarter-final before being passed by Hoffos and Galli in an impressive double overtake on the final turn of the race.

Gantenbein, meanwhile, was passed by Phelan - racing with abandon in her first outing of the season on the course where she won her first World Cup last year - and in trying to catch her opponent suffered a crash to end her day at the first time of asking.

All of that means Maier has held onto her Overall lead by her fingernails, with second-place Sherret now just three points behind the German. The duo have, however, put some distance between themselves and Thompson in third – now 36 points behind Sherret.

Schmidt has moved into fourth after her win, with Galli in fifth, slightly ahead of the chasing pack of France's Marielle Berger Sabbatel and Swiss pair Smith and Gantenbein.

Wilmsmann’s consistency pays off again

In the men's section, things were slightly more straight forward as Wilmsmann continued his early-season form to take first place, having progressed from what was a chaotic semi-final with Switzerland's Alex Fiva and Swedish pair Erik Mobaerg and Fredrik Nilsson.

Wilmsmann went out in front early on in the race, with Mobaerg in second and Fiva in third after Nilsson had lost his balance to slide out and miss a gate.

However, Mobaerg lost his footing on the final turn, and as he tried to make his way back onto the track, went into the path of Fiva to force a collision between the two right in front of the finish line, which ruled them both out.

With Nilsson having missed a gate he was unable to take advantage, and Fiva was ultimately given second place which progressed him to the big final – which he did not start due to the effects of the crash and therefore took an automatic fourth place.

It meant the podium places were already secured for the three racers in the big final, where Wilmsmann once again went out early and stayed the course to finish ahead of France's Melvin Tchiknavorian and Italy's Yanick Gunsch, who claimed a first podium of his career on the day of his 28th birthday.

"I'm super happy to get the win here in Reiteralm," said Wilmsmann, who is yet to miss out on the semi-finals this season and on Thursday became the first German man to win a World Cup race at Reiteralm.

"I have liked the course a lot over the last years, but it never worked out in the semi-finals. I always ended up in fifth or sixth place, so the semi-final I was really happy about.

"I hope Alex Fiva is doing OK after the crash. The final I was already happy to be in the big final and then it was a really solid run."

On whether the win will give him confidence on Friday's second day of racing, Wilmsmann said with a laugh: "Well I've got sore legs for tomorrow but also confidence for sure."

Second-place Tchiknavorian claimed a second podium of his career - his first coming on the same course last season where he came third - to register a personal best on the World Cup tour.

Birthday boy Gunsch said of his maiden podium: "I have to say thank you to the whole team. It's unbelievable for me to take home a podium today. I'm very lucky.

"I made a gift for myself and I'm very happy, it's incredible."

The men's small final was won by Youri Duplessis Kergomard, who finished ahead of Ryo Sugai - who skied impressively all day - and Swedes Nilsson and Mobaerg.

Wilmsmann's lead in the Men's Overall is now over 100 points, with Italy's Simone Deromedis 105 points behind the German in second after a disappointing day in which he did not make it past the quarter-final stage.

Fiva is three points behind Deromedis in third, while Canada's Reece Howden is in fourth - just nine points behind Deromedis - after not qualifying for Thursday's races.

Day two of racing in Reiteralm takes place on Friday 17 January, starting at 10:30am CET.