On 26 January 2020, Daniel Yule won the first Swiss slalom race for 52 years on the Ganslern. Today he was able to celebrate again in Kitzbühel with his own gondola from the Hahnenkamm.
A victory like this on the Ganslern slope releases strength even after many years. Daniel Yule only returned to Switzerland on Wednesday after training in Argentina and has already left for Kitzbühel, where he received his Hahnenkamm gondola on Thursday evening in front of his family, his team and a delegation from his fan club. A well-deserved reward for his slalom triumph in January 2020, the first for a Swiss since Dumeng Giovanoli in 1968.
The Ganslern suits Daniel Yule because “his record is first class”, says Michael Huber, president of the Kitzbühel ski club: “In eight participations, you have been in the top ten four times and in the top three twice. What’s more, Kitzbühel is also where he made his World Cup debut in 2012. What does this slope have to do with you?” “I like difficult slopes. Also, it motivates me to be able to race in a place with this ski history,” said the 29-year-old skier, who responded to more than 50 photo requests with his fans during the evening, patiently and always with a smile.
Anton Bodner, Managing Director of Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel, was also delighted: “Daniel, you are so down-to-earth and friendly, it’s heartwarming. We need boys like you to be role models for our young people and show them what they can do. Thank you for taking the time to come and see us.”
The event in Kitzbühel was a beneficial change for Daniel Yule and also a booster for the weeks to come: “The gondola handover showed me once again why we train so hard, especially in the summer: It was exactly for these moments that I was able to experience with my family, my team and the fans. It was wonderful and it gives me energy. I am fully motivated for the next winter.” But looking down on the Streif from the start hut on the Hahnenkamm, Daniel Yule was wide-eyed: “I’m really happy to be a slalom racer. To throw yourself down there deserves a lot of respect.” He was on the Hahnenkamm himself for the first time in January, but the chairlift on the Ganslern slope is still enough for him.
Release courtesy of Hahnenkamm Races
