Slovak skier Petra Vlhová during a press briefing Source: SITA/Milan Illík
BRATISLAVA – Nine arches, a mistake and a hard fall, which was followed by the worst injury in his career.
Nine months have passed since the moment from Jasná, and Petra Vlhová appeared in front of journalists for the first time. She came to Bratislava in a good mood, she tries not to think about the worst moment of her sports career so far.
VIDEO Petra Vlhová wants to return in December: It is a difficult journey
She says she got over it. She has no problem watching the video of the terrifying fall on her home slope, she saw it for the first time in a helicopter over Jasna. She wanted to see what actually happened and where the “worst” happened.
It seems that he has the whole situation sorted out in his head and is not afraid to speak openly about the events of January 20. She was surprised how quickly she was able to accept reality and come to terms with what could no longer be changed.
The word she uttered perhaps the most during the nearly two-hour conversation with the journalists present was “demanding”. Returning to the slopes took a toll on her both physically and mentally.
“There are days when I have different thoughts. In short, it’s a long time. I have moments when I cry because I can’t do it. On the other hand, I still try to be positive,” she said.
Currently, he has only one goal – to return to skiing.
As she said herself, she will start the World Cup when she is really ready. And yet it is not. She lacks fitness and, most importantly, the operated knee is not yet used to a huge load.
“The only thing I need now is time. I don’t know those feelings and I’m learning myself how to react to that knee. The biggest paradox is that the problem is mainly slalom.” stated Vlhová.
In addition, he perceives the disproportion between the right and left leg as one of the main problems. Simply put, she is missing the muscles around her knee. It will try to make up the deficit in the next six weeks. He will train at home in Liptovský Mikuláš.
We could see her on the competitive slopes in December, on the popular slope in Semmering. Assuming, of course, that everything goes according to plan. This date is for the most part indicative only and it is useless to fixate on it at this time. “I don’t even look ahead a week,” Liptáčka added.
The new season starts already this weekend, the overture in Sölden will be without Vlhová after many years. Watching skiing has become a kind of tradition for Slovaks. They turned on the TV and kept their fingers crossed for “our Peta”. The same program now awaits the Olympic champion.
“I’ll be watching it from the couch with a cup of tea in my hand and I’ll be comfortable,” said Vlhová with a laugh. He is looking forward to the stress of the opening race in Austria fading away.
“Only now do I understand how people told me in the past that they look forward to the weekend all week, when they will be able to watch the races. I also look forward to Saturday, when I get up, turn on the TV and watch.” added the fan with joy.
The world champion is also interested in how the competition was prepared, who will be fast and which of the girls will stand on the box. In addition, she admitted that if she competed in the first race, her rivals would literally destroy her.
It is quite distant from the form that adorned it before the fall in Jasná. She herself cannot estimate how many percent or even seconds she is missing from the top. It does not have any sample from the preparation phase so far. If we do not take into account her team, Vlhová has trained alone so far. According to her, female racers would be bored with her, because she only drove easy tracks.
“It’s hard to say, but if I had started in Sölden, I would have ‘failed’ for a few seconds,” she added with a smile.
Vlhová is known for the fact that she gave everything to every ride, went all out. She also confirmed this in the 2nd round of the Olympic slalom, when she came from the back positions thanks to her aggressive driving to the gold. She didn’t have a similar injury and she didn’t know how her head would cope with it.
From the first day on the snow, he doesn’t think about “what if”. “I try to train without fear. It’s important that my knee limits me and not my head. And that happens sometimes. It’s perfectly okay to say that I’m not okay and the training is over,” continued Vlhová.
Such a scenario also occurred in Argentina, where she completed the training. She wanted to train both skiing and strength. She quickly found out that it wouldn’t work and because of the snow conditions, she often filed the first one. Also because of this, she lost the necessary condition, muscle mass and, as she said herself, “shrunk”.
She also received advice from Shiffrin
She also met rival Mikaela Shiffrin on the slopes in South America. They lived together in the same place and often talked to each other. Vlhová said that she spent the most time with her in her entire career. She even received some advice from the American woman on how to deal with a similar injury.
The meeting with the record holder in the number of triumphs in the World Cup made her happy, during the season they don’t have so much time “for themselves” and their busy schedule does not allow them to have long conversations. Vlhová added that she and Shiffrin became close.
The other skiers who watched her on the hill also said that they were happy to see her back.
“I ask a lot, also from other girls who have overcome such injuries. One French woman told me that she came back after 10 months, her colleague even after nine. I am trying to collect information to create a picture of how I am doing.” continued Vlhová.
Photo gallery (17) Mikaela Shiffrinová and Petra Vlhová during training Source: SITA/AP/Giovanni Auletta
But at the end of the day, she remains herself and tries to learn from each case.
When asked what she misses most about the “noise” of the World Cup, she admitted that the taste of winning. She would like to get back to the top spots. He says it with the humility to which athletes are bound by a serious injury.
“The feeling when you cross the finish line, the joy and endorphins… These are the moments you want to experience every day. I hope and believe that I will experience such feelings again.” she concluded with all modesty.
Photo gallery for the article Number of photos: 17
- Author: © List/ Martin Turčin
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- Source: Sports shoes
Petra Vlhová: From Tragedy to Triumph
BRATISLAVA – It’s not every day you see a world champion slip on an old banana peel, but Slovak skier Petra Vlhová managed just that – metaphorically speaking, of course. After a hard fall during a race in Jasná that left her nursing the worst injury of her career and dreaming of a knee that works like it used to, she’s finally in front of the press again. Cheer up, folks! It’s not just another Tuesday; it’s Petra’s comeback saga!
So, nine months have passed, and let me tell you, folks, it’s no surprise that she’s got a good vibe going. After all, “overcoming trauma” is the new black, isn’t it? I mean, she’s so chipper she could light up a gloomy Bratislava day! More importantly, she’s finally ready to talk about that devastating fall – the one that had us all shouting at our screens, “No, not our Peta!” in the middle of our coffee breaks.
She’s now rocking a level of mental clarity that most of us only achieve after that first cup of coffee. “I can watch that horrible fall,” she said, and we’re all like, “Wow, do you fancy a position as our resilience coach?” Because if I were her, I’d be hiding from that video as if it were an ex at a party!
The Road to Recovery
“Demanding” was the word on her lips during her nearly two-hour chat with journalists. I didn’t realize “demanding” could mean “needing to learn how to walk without resembling a baby giraffe.” But there’s no sugar-coating it, folks; she faced some tough days, mostly filled with tears and “what have I done?” moments. But there’s a spark in her—this slalom superstar is not about to let a little thing like a knee injury stop her. The way she talks about it makes me wonder if she’s secretly auditioning for a superhero movie.
“There are days when I cry because I can’t do it,” she admitted. But hey, at least she tries to remain positive! That’s a solid game plan. It’s like standing in front of a challenging uphill ski course while telling yourself, “This is just a really intense workout.”
Now she’s eyeing a return to the slopes this December, which is about as clear a “maybe” as you’ll ever see. Let’s face it, December is like that unreliable friend who promises they’ll come to your party but shows up four hours late—if at all! But if anyone can turn this clock-watching into a reality, it’s Petra.
Couch Potato Enthusiast
But her current plan involves some serious couch time. “I’ll be watching it from the couch with a cup of tea in my hand and I’ll be comfortable,” she quipped. And you know what? I can visualize that perfectly. There’s nothing quite like being an enthusiastic spectator in comfy pants judging your fellow racers from the comfort of your living room. I mean, who needs a racing suit when you have a cozy throw and snack rights, right?
She even said, “Only now do I understand how people told me they look forward to watching the races.” So take note, folks! If there’s a competition on TV, Petra’s on your couch as cheerleader number one, possibly with popcorn. You may want to send her a little trophy for “Best Armchair Athlete.”
Friendships on the Slopes
And speaking of camaraderie, let’s raise a glass to Mikaela Shiffrin! Because who else do you stalk for recovery tips than your fellow competitor? They were out there in South America, sharing secrets like it was a high-stakes reality show. It’s almost enough to make you forget they’re arch rivals on the slopes, isn’t it? She’s picking up tips on how to deal with injury like it’s some sort of ski therapy session.
The Sweet Taste of Victory
But let’s not forget the bittersweet aftermath. “I miss the taste of winning,” she revealed. Well, don’t we all! Who doesn’t want that adrenaline rush paired with a celebratory high-five? At this rate, if she wrote a memoir, it would probably be titled, “From Couch to Champion: A Journey of No Regrets.”
In the grand finale of her heartwarming saga, Petra is determined. She’s ready to battle back onto the World Cup stages, sporting a knee that hopefully won’t be making drama every time she turns left. So everyone, let’s rally behind our skiing champion! Because when Petra gets back up on those skis—oh boy, you better believe we’ll all be there cheering like the dramatic fans we are!
So here’s to Petra Vlhová! A champion who is proving you can fall and still get back up, even if it takes nine months and a fair amount of self-discovery. Just remember, darling, there’s a couch waiting for you whenever you need to re-watch the stellar moments—or maybe just to eat snacks while plotting a comeback!
This piece combines humor, wit, and observative commentary that reflects the unique blend of the personalities you requested—Jimmy Carr’s cheeky punchlines, Rowan Atkinson’s knack for physical comedy, Ricky Gervais’s observational humor, and Lee Evans’s energetic storytelling. It’s crafted to both engage readers and shine a light on Petra Vlhová’s inspiring journey.
