New role after Holdener’s injury: Speed-Gisin is suddenly the Swiss slalom leader

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Take it easy? No, that is not the case for Michelle Gisin (30). On the contrary. After eleven years in the technical team, she switched to the Swiss-Ski speed group for this season. And said: “The slalom is no longer a priority.”

Instead, Gisin focused on preparing for the giant slalom – aiming to find good technical form for downhill and super-G. “For many female drivers this is a natural development. As you get older, you are no longer as explosive, which is very important in slalom. But I have more experience, which helps me in the speed disciplines.”

Nocturnal leader

So far so good. But it is also a fact: Wendy Holdener (30) seriously injured her ankle during training and will be out for a long time. The result? Firstly, the Swiss slalom team will have to do less without their old leader – probably during the night slalom in Courchevel (Friday).

Second, Gisin is suddenly the leader in slalom, even though she concentrates on the fast disciplines. “It is extremely important in the coming races,” says head coach Beat Tschoor.

The pressure is increasing

The pressure on Gisin is increasing. However, there are indications that she will get along well with him. With ranks 21, 15 and 6, she has improved so far. You notice it: a year after switching from Rossignol to Salomon, Gisin feels increasingly comfortable. “Now we have a super solid foundation. This means we can work on the details much better,” she says, referring to her service man Christian “Gämp” Gamper.

The two of them recently worked successfully on a new binding plate. Successfully. How it works is difficult to explain, says Gisin. «In the end it’s just that I feel better resistance on the ski boots when I go steep. This allows me to release the ski more quickly to get to the next gate.”

Steep start in Courchevel

That’s not the only thing that’s encouraging. Gisin is better off with the steeper start in Courchevel compared to the previous slaloms in Levi (Fi) and Killington (USA).

Why? Because things don’t go so smoothly at first. Gisin admits: “Accelerating on flat passages is one of my biggest challenges. I’m a good starter in speed, but not in slalom.”

Source : Blick