2023-10-26 04:00:00
– Smaller shoes and no timekeeping: That’s what it’s like for the Swiss ski aces
The start of the World Cup is coming up, but the downhill skiers will also be getting started soon: a change of skis makes the Swiss women shake their heads – the Swiss are taking their cue from the big figure in the team.
Published today at 6:00 a.m. Wendy Holdener: Now she wants more
“Fine touches” before the new season: Wendy Holdener is calmer and more relaxed after last winter’s victories.
Photo: Walter Bieri (Keystone)
She always played it down, if only out of self-protection. Wendy Holdener achieved an almost unbelievable 30 podium places in the World Cup slalom – without winning even once. The woman from Schwyz broke the spell last winter in Killington – and doubled it in Sestriere. “That brought me peace and made me more relaxed,” says the 30-year-old now. The victories gave her strength and courage to continue attacking – even in the giant slalom. “I don’t do this discipline just to finish twentieth,” says the two-time combined world champion.
Lara Gut-Behrami: Always go straight
Once again the guarantor: Lara Gut-Behrami with the small crystal ball for the best Super-G rider of winter 2022/23.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
The season hasn’t started yet when Lara Gut-Behrami has already decided that she doesn’t want to spend time on trivial things this winter either. “Don’t look to the right and left,” she says, just ski quickly, always and everywhere. Because who knows how long the 32-year-old from Ticino will still be in the World Cup. A season? Two? She says every day her thoughts still revolve around which ski is the fastest. As long as that’s the case, she knows she’ll keep going. Good for the Swiss women, Gut-Behrami is a guarantee for podium places. And it will probably be this winter too.
Corinne Suter: It doesn’t always have to be the World Cup
Relaxed and injury-free through preparation: Corinne Suter is ready for the new season.
Photo: Walter Bieri (Keystone)
To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, the 2023/24 season has no Corinne Suter moments at all. The woman from Schwyz is right there when the World Championships or Olympic Games are coming up. She has brought home six medals from major events since 2019 – but the next World Cup is not on the program until 2025 and the Olympics in 2026. But it would be doing the 29-year-old an injustice to reduce her to these major events. Suter is one of the best speed riders in the world. And there is a lot to be won even without the World Cup or the Olympics. “The motivation is just as high,” says Suter, “perhaps we’ll now pay more attention to the overall standings.”
Jasmine Flury: Materialwechsel trotz WM-Gold
Golden future? Downhill world champion Jasmine Flury is now skiing on Kästle skis like Pirmin Zurbriggen once did.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
Many just shook their heads. The Graubünden native became downhill world champion out of nowhere in February – and then changed ski brands. Now Jasmine Flury is on Kästle and is reminiscent of Pirmin Zurbriggen. World Cup title or not, every top 10 place in the World Cup will remain a success in the future. Flury, who even had thoughts of resigning after a low point two years ago, invests a lot in mental training and can imagine working in this area after her career ends.
Michelle Gisin: The slalom is secondary
The epidemic season has been put aside: Michelle Gisin wants to attack in the speed sector in the future.
Photo: Walter Bieri (Keystone)
After 15 years she moved from Rossignol to Salomon, but the match wasn’t right. There were tons of inputs, almost everyone wanted to help. Michelle Gisin absorbed the advice instead of listening to herself – and got lost. The Engelberg native was the only one to compete in all 42 races last winter, but remained without a podium finish. Now she rides a smaller ski boot and for the first time trains not with the technicians but with the speed group. Slalom, their former flagship discipline, is not a priority.
Joana Hählen: Thank meditation
Less is more: This motto seems to be promising for Joana Hählen.
Foto: Alexandra Wey (Keystone)
13th in the Downhill and Super-G World Cup – the Bernese woman has her best season behind her. Thanks to second place in St. Anton, she has now achieved more podium places (4) than suffered cruciate ligament tears (3). Less is more, Hählen finally seems to be implementing that advice. She acts less wildly and boldly, and downward outliers are less frequent. Thanks to yoga and meditation, the 31-year-old has become calmer. In the camp in Argentina her form was good, but on certain stretches her stature (1.56 cm, 61 kg) remains a disadvantage.
Marco Odermatt: Not a single exercise was missed
The record man has become even stronger: Marco Odermatt seems to be ready for big things again.
Photo: Walter Bieri (Keystone)
He doesn’t actually have to intimidate the competition anymore, they’re already afraid of him enough. With his 2042 points, Marco Odermatt set a men’s record last season. Before this winter, he says: “After three weeks of vacation in the spring, I went full throttle again. I didn’t miss a single workout, not a single exercise, I pushed myself to the limit with every repetition. I’m stronger now, so it shouldn’t fail because of that.” Not good news for the opponents.
Loïc Meillard: Maybe tickle Odermatt
Only beaten by one: Loïc Meillard with his silver medal from Courchevel.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
What can Loïc Meillard actually not do? Last season he was on the podium in three disciplines, won a giant slalom and world championship silver. In doing so, he proved what the ski world had suspected for a long time: there is a future winning skier in him, someone who wants to – and can – have a say in the fight for the overall World Cup. That also means: Meillard is one of Marco Odermatt’s first competitors, a friend and an opponent at the same time. There could be a thrilling duel in the ski world. And another mammoth program at Meillard. This is the only way he will be able to tickle Odermatt.
Daniel Yule: Ready for the big moments
The pose is sitting: Daniel Yule in his home Orsières.
Foto: Dominic Steinmann (Keystone)
With Daniel Yule you sometimes have the feeling that he could fall into a deep sleep from February to November, only to be back again for the winter classics. That’s how much he delivers when it counts. Madonna, Adelboden, Kitzbühel, the exciting slalom days are his days, when it gets icy and hard and there are a lot of people at the edge of the piste to shout the riders to the finish. If you manage to carry this feeling over a season, it will be one of the best on short skis.
Ramon Zenhäuser: Just don’t measure time
Back at the top: Thanks to a new training method, Ramon Zenhäuser is fighting for victory again.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
Ramon Zenhäuser was the training world champion for years. And then, when it counted, he messed up. That’s how it used to be. The tall Valais native has long been one of the fastest in slalom, most recently he was third in the discipline rankings. This could also have had something to do with a trick in the summer of 2022: Zenhäuser didn’t want to know the time in any of his training runs. And that’s how it stayed. He used to use too much energy in the test runs, “I pushed myself more and more and didn’t pay enough attention to my technique. Now it’s different, now I listen to the feeling and don’t look at the time. My technique got better again.” That’s also necessary: In the slalom, almost 30 riders are good for victory.
Gino Caviezel: A victory is overdue
Swiss day of joy: Gino Caviezel comes second in Schladming in January. Only Loïc Meillard (left) is faster.
Photo: Christian Bruna (EPA)
The ski world, at least the Swiss one, agrees: this funny Graubünden native has long since deserved a win. But with Gino Caviezel it’s just like that: great first runs can be followed by less great second runs – or vice versa. And so, having turned 31 in the summer, he only has three podium finishes in the World Cup. Considering his talent, that’s not much. But in the wake of Loïc Meillard and Marco Odermatt, he can do one thing above all else: become even better.
Justin Murisier: Speed attack
Friend and role model: Justin Murisier (right) benefited a lot from Marco Odermatt in preparation.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
It’s a small miracle that Justin Murisier is still there. Cruciate ligament tear after cruciate ligament tear caused the Valais native to miss entire winters. Before the start of last season he had back surgery. But Murisier is still there, at 31 and full of energy. In Argentina he trained with Marco Odermatt and Gino Caviezel. He benefited enormously from Odermatt and his professionalism. By the end of the year, the giant slalom specialist not only wants to compete in his flagship discipline, but also in the speed competitions again. “Then I’ll see if it makes sense to continue like this.”
Niels Hintermann: Suddenly among ice hockey players
On the wrong track: Niels Hintermann, who came third in Kitzbühel, completed fitness training with the GCK Lions.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
The winter of 2022/23 was a pretty good one for Niels Hintermann. The seventh best downhill skier was the Zurich Unterländer, and he came third in the first downhill run from Kitzbühel. “The consistency that I have developed over the years makes me very positive,” says the 28-year-old. Nevertheless, he looked for new impulses in the summer. And he found it with the GCK Lions ice hockey team, with whom he completed his fitness training.
Stefan Rogentin: Hunter on and off the slopes
Late bloomer: Stefan Rogentin is 29, but only established himself in the World Cup four years ago.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bott (Keystone)
His website isn’t really up to date. But with him everything always took a little longer. Rogentin is 29, but he only established himself in the World Cup four years ago. Last winter he was the sixth best super-G rider; In Wengen he came second, although not much worked after that until the end of the season. The Graubünden native is almost too quiet and reserved for the trainers; it is said that he has a lot of untapped potential. The passionate hunter, who played ice hockey as a boy, often sets best times in the internal training runs.
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