Sophie Mathiou, clear ideas for a future among the great. "Not only slalom, Brignone and Shiffrin are the references"

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The jr world champion from Valle d'Aosta talked about herself at the conference "Sport and competitiveness in the new generations" in Courmayeur. Already included in the CdM group of Devid Salvadori, the 2002 blue class does not hide.

Thursday 19 August 2021 5 minutes reading time

Nineteen years old from Gressan, the heart of his Aosta Valley who chose it to tell his story in the heart of summer, the day after Ferragosto. Last Monday, Sophie Mathiou was the guest of the conference "Sport and competitiveness in the new generations" at the Jardin de l''Ange in Courmayeur, for an event organized by the Courmayeur Montblanc Foundation, moderated by the journalist of La Stampa, Andrea Chatrian, with the president of the scientific committee of the foundation itself, Lodovico Passerin d''Entréves, who interviewed the jr world champion in slalom, varying on a thousand themes. Starting from the emotions of that day in Bansko (when Sophie wrote a page in the history of blue skiing, 28 years after the last gold in the specialty in a World Junior, won by Morena Gallizio in Montecampione 1993), but already looking ahead, for an athlete who immediately made her debut in the World Cup in the slalom of the finals in Lenzerheide, but above all she is permanently part of the slalom group 1, led by Devid Salvadori, and is looking forward to starting the '' adventure in the maximum circuit with the races of November 20-21 in Levi. “Bansko's title changed my prospects, with the 19 year-old joining a World Cup team that I certainly wasn't expecting at this point. An idol? Mikaela Shiffrin, an extraordinary champion with whom I had the opportunity to compete in Lenzerheide and take a picture of myself. Unthinkable since two years ago I wasn't even in the national team ”. Sophie already sees versatility in her future, even if slalom “is the discipline that comes naturally to me. I have always loved speed since I was a little girl and over time I would like to expand my base. The dream, of course, is to win a World Cup like Federica ”. Brignone, in fact, from Aosta Valley like her and another point of reference: “She has always been available with me, we are also linked by the military corps (the Carabinieri, ed) and I have skied a few times with her. It will be hard to get to his levels, but if we want the approach to the race is similar, because I too can express myself to the maximum in the day that counts more than in training, I think it is an important gift ". The young woman from Valle d'Aosta also chose to rely on a mental coaching path: "Up until now I didn't need it, but at these levels it is essential and a real training, even more difficult to manage than working on the track". A place at the Beijing Olympics? Sophie believes in it: “It is impressive to think about it, it will be difficult to qualify as we have a competitive group, but I will definitely try”. Clear ideas and great determination for Sophie Mathiou, no doubt about it.

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