Podium Profile: Ondrej Bank stays tuned

By Published On: November 30th, 2007Comments Off on Podium Profile: Ondrej Bank stays tuned

The Czech Republics' Ondrej Bank may have tuned his own slalom skis but he skied fast enough in the super combined in Beaver Creek to place third.
THE CZECH REPUBLICS' ONDREJ BANK
may have tuned his own slalom skis, but he skied fast enough in the super combined in Beaver Creek on Thursday to place third.
    He likes his skis sharp, so he just services them himself. Plus, Bank said he only gets $1,500 euros from the Czech ski association. Reporters were incredulous. “Did you say $1,500, how do you travel?” His own tuning skills surely help, but the rest of his funding comes from sponsors.
    Last year at Beaver Creek, he had his best finish, placing sixth in super combined. This season, he had a breakthrough with his first podium on the same hill. He skied the downhill leg in 1:15.03 and the slalom leg in 46:20, 0.97 seconds off the winner Daniel Albrecht of Switzerland.
    “I like the downhill,” he said about the Birds of Prey track. “It’s very technical. Also, I don’t feel so good on the flats parts so I like this [hard] part. It’s nice here.”
    The Czech Republic is on a roll with Bank’s podium and Sarka Zahrobska’s second-place finish in the women’s slalom last weekend in Panorama, Canada. In fact, Bank said there could be a welcome party for him when he returns home since he comes from a small village. “It could be nice,” he said. However, his focus for the rest of the season is to stay healthy.
    “The most important is that I stay without injury,” he said, “because I have two times broken my legs.”
    When asked why he likes skiing the super combined he said: “I like all disciplines. I like combined. I like skiing.”

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About the Author: Pete Rugh