Petra Vlhova, sly and ... convinced: "I'm skiing well and I have no pressure". The weather worries everyone

The opening in Soelden in the words of the Olympic slalom champion, who wants to return continuously to the top even among the wide doors, since Saturday's race which promises to be a battle, even more so in these conditions. Out of the top 7 Gisin and Gut-Behrami, the prediction is very uncertain even according to the athletes ...

Friday 21 October 2022 7 minutes reading time

The weather is worrying in Soelden, it is useless to hide it, because if the forecasts were already negative enough in terms of temperatures and the probable rain between today and especially the morning of the race, on the occasion of the women's giant and on Saturday the 2022 World Cup will open / 23, it is the wind that is complicating the organization's plans. After the cancellation of the skiing on the track, from the next night to the first morning rains are expected, and again fairly strong gusts during the race times (10.00 1st heat, at 13.05 the 2nd); On Sunday, on the other hand, good weather is expected for the men's appointment, but still wind at high altitude. In the late afternoon yesterday, one of the big favorites for the inaugural challenge on the Rettenbach spoke to the international media, but of course also for the general classification. Petra Vlhova, not surprisingly 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 2nd in the last four editions of the World Cup, comes to Soelden with great serenity, after having also crowned the dream of Olympic gold in slalom. "In my career I have already achieved everything I dreamed of - the first words of the Slovak champion, followed for the second consecutive year by coach Mauro Pini, reported by" sport.aktuality.sk "- After the Olympics I felt empty, it was difficult to find motivation, but returned after a period of post-season tranquility. We started skiing later, I also rested mentally and I arrive here in good shape ”. The objectives are the usual ones, slalom (with the specialty cup won in 21/22) and giant in the first place. “Between the tight posts we would like to defend last year's result, climb a step in the giant and then do quite well also in speed. I will do some super-g or downhill, but the priority remains the technical disciplines ”. Can you aim for the "coppone" by challenging Shiffrin, Gut-Behrami and the blue? Petra replies as follows: “I did everything possible to be ready, only time will tell if it will be enough for the general classification, but we were lucky not to miss a single day of training in the entire summer program. In Argentina the conditions were excellent, although I was late compared to other colleagues, I had the opportunity to compare and also worked on speed. Yes, the preparation was perfect and we made everything we wanted ”. Two third places in the last two outings on the Rettenbach for Vlhova, who confessed as "another podium here would make me happy, I'm skiing well but since this is the first race no one really knows where he is compared to the rivals". The 27-year-old from Liptovsky Mikulas will start in the top 7 in Soelden, she who is in third place in the WCSL of giant, preceded only by the Olympic champion Sara Hector, with the Swede who is given in great shape, and by the holder of the trophy, Tessa Worley , with some problems on the eve related to a flu state. Also waiting for a bib from 1 to 7 are Mikaela Shiffrin, who won here a year ago and also completed a defined optimal preparation, Ragnhild Mowinckel and the two blue strikers, Marta Bassino and Federica Brignone who have already triumphed, one each time, on the Rettenbach glacier. Considering also the weather conditions that should be found tomorrow, pay attention to many champions who, from the second sub-group onwards, also have important chances of victory. First of all Michelle Gisin and Lara Gut-Behrami, without underestimating Gasienica-Daniel, Truppe, Frasse-Sombet, Grénier (capable of everything ...), Stjernesund and Siebenhofer, with the Austrian sprinter who falls within the 15 thanks to the flat rate of Meta Hrovat . Even outside 8 pm, two “heavy” names like Camille Rast and Katharina Liensberger, who can do very well already in the opening as well as the other top-level Norwegians, Tviberg and Holtmann, at ease in a day that promises to be from. .. battle.

Social media engagement