Ski: Michelle Gisin speaks in an interview about her great start to the season

Interview

Michelle Gisin on her strong start to the season: “It felt absolutely surreal”

His last season was of ups and downs, in this one he has only seen ups and downs. Michelle Gisin talks about the surreal best time in Levi, the confirmation of the good vibes and her amazement at the amazement after the expulsion of the Swedes in Finland.

Jonas Schneeberger / Keystone-SDA

Michelle Gisin, at Levi, announced the exclusion of the entire Swedish team for a crown case in the coaching staff. Opinions on the procedure are divided. How was the incident received in the Swiss countryside and what is your position?
Michelle Gisin: Frankly, the whole thing caused astonishment, astonishment for those who were astonished. I had prepared myself for it to happen this winter. I’m pretty sure it will affect most of us at some point as well. Either because you yourself tested positive or because the authorities quarantined you due to a case in the area like the Swedes. Of course I was very sorry for her. But that’s the way it is right now, we have to accept it.

True to the motto “Better than no World Cup”.
I agree. We can be happy that we are allowed to drive. There are things that are more important than skiing.

With three places in the top 5 in three races and second in Levi’s second slalom, the start of the season was very successful. What are the reasons for the jump in performance?
It was a process from the last few years, not from last summer. You always knew with me that he was not a great traveler. When I got to the World Cup, I was instantly fast in slalom. But in the first year or two I also often fought or made mistakes, which is why confidence was lost. In the last few years I have built something that I don’t take for granted at all, physically and mentally. Being at the forefront in all disciplines takes time. With a bit of delay, the intense technical build-up after the cartilage injury in the knee pays off, also because I was able to consolidate in this aspect in the summer.

The pressure you put on yourself by playing a role last season by announcing that you wanted to win the World Cup overall?
I do not believe that. The reason for the problems was rather that after the injury it was difficult for me to get back on my feet in the fast disciplines. I totally underestimated it. I drove fast in team internal practice, but couldn’t translate it into racing. The fact that we only had one official training session before most of the downhill races last season was a handicap. The training was not enough for me. And we only had two in Lake Louise and Zauchensee. At Zauchensee I finished third, at Lake Louise I had gastrointestinal problems, and the conditions with displacement and bad weather brought back memories of the injury, the effects of which I underestimated. At some point I wanted to force it, which of course didn’t help either.

Is well-being highly dependent on results?
I grew up on it a long time ago. At some point you realize that success is not everything, that life is not just about results. Meanwhile, it’s actually the other way around: I’m basically doing very well, which in turn has a positive influence on my results. My family history also contributes to this. I have seen a lot of things up close with my brothers, falls and injuries. This is another reason why I am aware that every result in the top ten is a very good performance, even if the expectations are higher.

Did you feel before Sölden that you were at a high level?
Yes and no. I felt like I was driving well, but I didn’t know what level we were at in the Swiss team. We were practically at eye level during the training sessions. I was very happy that we did so well as a team, Andrea Ellenberger had a great second race and Priska Nufer with the number 64 car was 22. It was confirmation of the good feeling. But you never know exactly 100 percent beforehand.

At Levi you were close to your first World Cup victory in slalom, leading after the first race.
It felt absolutely surreal. For three years you end up with what feels like 1.8 seconds behind the fastest, and all of a sudden the time at the finish turns green. That was very special.

What does the feeling say in the fast disciplines?
That has to surprise me. Much progress has been made on the technical side. Now I am curious to see how this will affect speed disciplines. I may have to slowly climb back up to regain the confidence I lost last season. (dab / sda)