Experiences of frustration make Holdener stronger: “Defeats have made me stronger.”

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Temperatures above zero? You won’t find them in Levi (Fi). It is freezing. When Wendy Holdener (30) reached the ski resort in northern Finland, the thermometer showed minus 17 degrees. And it will only get a little warmer during the weekend. Still, the Schwyz woman’s heart is currently warming: she loves the races in Lapland. “It is almost always very wintery here, just beautiful. And I really like the slope.”

Holdener has already reached the podium here four times – she would love to climb onto the top podium for the first time. She says: “Last year I won my first two slaloms in the World Cup. Of course I want to win again this winter.”

Will she make it to the start of the slalom? Holdener had to accept a disappointing 22nd place in the giant slalom in Sölden (Austria) at the start of the season. She knows she is significantly stronger in slalom.

Brutal World Cup moments in the slalom

“I showed that I can be the fastest,” Holdener said. This summer she also worked on her position above the ski: she is higher and no longer skis as wide as before. But it’s not just the shape that’s right, she’s also ready in her head. “If I could wish for one quality from Wendy, it would be her mental strength,” says her teammate Camille Rast (24).

When asked about this, Holdener is flattered. But it wasn’t just last winter’s victories that “brought peace,” as she puts it. No, even frustrating experiences in slalom would have made her stronger.

“The big events that went wrong have hardened me,” she says, specifically mentioning the last three World Cups. In 2019 in Are (Sd) she finished in 17th place as leader at half time and with a big mistake, in Cortina (It) 2021 she struggled with 4th place and in Méribel (Fr) 2023 she was eliminated with gold in sight . “That was difficult. But I always tried to develop myself mentally,” says Holdener.

First reindeer?

Holdener brings a lot to winning her first reindeer in Levi – this is the live prize the winners receive. Mikaela Shiffrin (28, USA) and Petra Vlhova (28, Slk) already have a small herd – they each achieved six victories. It’s time for a new winner.

Source : Blick