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Erika Hess: “She has to isolate herself”
“What Lara has been doing for more than a decade and a half is admirable. Like me, she came into the World Cup circus very early, as a child, so to speak. That is not always easy. You are at an age where you are still allowed to make mistakes, but at the same time you work in an environment where you have to be an adult and lead a professional life.
Suddenly everyone wants something from you. Lara was repeatedly criticized for isolating herself. But that’s the only right way. She has to isolate herself every now and then to protect herself from all the hustle and bustle. It was the same for me at the time. Like Lara today, I was also fortunate to find peace at home at the Äschi-Hof and to have a good environment that always supported me.
The fact that Lara is still at the top after 16 years shows that she has done many things right. She has developed enormously in recent years, also as a woman. I admire that. All her successes clearly show what an exceptional phenomenon she is and what enormous energy and will she has.”
Erika Hess (61) won 31 World Cup races, 6 World Cup golds, 2 overall World Cup titles and another 6 small crystal balls.
Marie-Thérès Nadig: “No one took her out of the line of fire”
“I came home from Sapporo in 1972 as a 17-year-old with two gold medals, but the media world was not as cruel then as it is now. Suddenly everyone on the street knew me – no longer just on Flumserberg. It was like going from zero to a hundred: everywhere people were whispering behind my back. “That’s it…” I heard again and again. However, unlike Lara, I was never seen as a ski enthusiast. When I first appeared in the chewing gum spotlight, I was quickly pigeonholed. I didn’t say much, but I was always very direct. One day a journalist wrote that I was a tötschli and only a neighboremeitli. I then replied to him that my father was not a farmer at all. We haven’t spoken to each other for a while.
Unlike Lara, it helped me to be integrated into the team. Our own team was still unthinkable at the time, as we were employed by the association. I don’t think Lara was well prepared for the journalists. No one moved them out of the line of fire – some may have been happy about that.
What was difficult for Lara was that she was driving so well so early, but there were hardly any other winning drivers in the team. The burden on her shoulders was enormous; she was celebrated as a new star in the Swiss ski sky who had to win everything. She didn’t. How could she?
Lara certainly made mistakes in public, but she was also not protected. Since then she has become much more reserved. I have the impression that she has now found a good path that suits her.”
Marie-Thérès Nadig (69) won gold in the downhill and giant slalom at the 1972 Olympic Games at the age of 17. She won 24 World Cups and became overall World Cup winner in 1981. From 2004 to 2005 she was head coach of the women’s team.
Michelle Gisin: “I am especially impressed by your calmness”
«It is incredibly impressive how Lara is currently skiing and tackling everything. The program is very strict and we have many circumstances this year that do not make it easier – for example recently in Cortina, where unfortunately there were many falls and injuries. I would have liked to have been there for the giant slalom at Kronplatz, but it was also cool to watch a ski race on TV without actually being in action.
The way Lara drives is downright sensational. I am especially impressed by the calmness with which she approaches everything, she is very calm about it. At the same time, I have the impression that she likes racing. Their level is simply incredibly good.”
Michelle Gisin (30) is one of the last all-rounders in the ski circus – she has achieved podium places in all disciplines. The Engelberg woman is a two-time combined Olympic champion. She is currently having to take a break due to a severely bruised tibia.
Vreni Schneider: “I take my hat off”
“Lara has now achieved 42 World Cup victories. That’s just great. If this continues, it’s only a matter of time before she catches up with me. Health is always crucial. I would definitely give it to Lara if she makes it.
What Lara shows is sensational – I take my hat off to that. Whether she will win the overall World Cup for the second time remains to be seen. It depends on when and in what form Mikaela Shiffrin will return. Either way, whoever makes it in the end will definitely be the best this season.”
Three-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion, 55 World Cup victories: Vreni Schneider (59) is one of the greatest of all time. The Elmer woman won three overall World Cup titles and eleven small crystal balls.
Brigitte Oertli: “As a Ticino native she has a different mentality”
“As a woman, I am incredibly proud of Lara and admire how she has gone through the different phases. At first she was still a ‘Meitli’ and a teenager who seemed completely carefree, carefree and naive. And today she is a grown, married woman who has long found herself.
The fact that Lara is not always well received by everyone could also have something to do with the fact that she comes from Ticino. The same was true for Michela Figini in the past. They simply have a different mentality than us German-speaking Swiss. Because German is not their native language, they are often misunderstood and you get the feeling that they are cold or snarky. But this impression did not apply to Lara before, nor to Lara today.
Brigitte Oertli (61) won 9 World Cup races, 2 Olympic silver medals (downhill and combined in 1988) and came second in the combined event in 1989.
Nadia Hürlimann-Styger: “Lara’s extra move didn’t bother me”
«When Lara took part in the World Cup, she and her father formed a team in our team. That has never bothered me. I understood that she wanted it that way, she had never known anything else. Of course that was sometimes difficult because she rode an extra train. But that didn’t bother me, I trained as usual – there were no restrictions.
Because Lara was so good so early, there was obviously a lot of media attention on her. I remember at one point at the finish I had to give more information about Lara than myself. How did I drive? Sometimes no one was interested in that. On the other hand, this has also taken the pressure off my shoulders. I wasn’t a serial winner and I was also happy that I didn’t always get so much attention.
Under her single name Nadia Styger (45), the Schwyzer resident won four World Cup races from 1999 to 2011 (1 downhill, 3 super-G). She also won team bronze at the 2007 World Championships.
Lise-Marie Morerod: “Lara is the Federer of skiing”
«For me, Lara is the Roger Federer of skiing. She won her first race at the age of 17 and at almost 33 she is still at the top – that’s incredible. I admire her enormously and am convinced that she can win everything this winter.
It’s crazy when I think about it: I wasn’t the same after the serious car accident I had when I was 22. My injuries were too serious. But I never had any problems – I just started a new life. I became a mother, was a ski trainer for 38 years and cared for sick and injured people for 22 years. Thinking back, I would have liked to have raced until I was 30 – then maybe I would have had as many wins as Lara. But for me life took a different turn. I accepted that and moved on.
As a ski instructor I always said to my students: “Look how Lara skis. This is perfection!” (laughs). Today I am retired, my life is not always easy. The traumatic brain injury I suffered left its mark on me and continues to hinder me to this day. But I have I have also been very lucky in life; my son is a much greater gift than, for example, my overall World Cup victory in 1977.
I still love watching ski races, I have a lot of time for that now. And of course I’m happy that Lara is riding so well. Who knows what will come next.”
Although she had to end her career at the age of 24, Lise-Marie Morerod (67) won no fewer than 24 World Cup competitions between 1974 and 1977. The Valais woman won three giant slalom and two slalom crystal globes, as well as the overall World Cup.
Sonja Nef: “The ball would shine even more”
«Because the fastest men of the time competed on steep terrain in giant slalom, Lara consciously learned this technique at an early age. The goal was clear: find the most direct route to the next goal. After her injury in February 2017, Lara returned. However, technology had developed further: it was now possible to run the direct line entirely on the train, i.e. on the edge. Lara had to adapt – that took time.
But Lara never gave up and fought her way back. I really admire that about her. Nowadays she skis faster in the giant slalom than ever before. If she needs to drift occasionally, she will – but only in one or two turns.
Lara is currently at an absolute peak. This is dangerous from the point of view of her competitors, because now thanks to her victories, Lara is on cloud nine: she can do anything. Sometimes she may not even know why. In my opinion, your chances of winning the discipline rankings are very good. I’m still undecided about the overall World Cup. It depends on when and how Shiffrin returns from her injury.
The fact is: Lara is in top form. At the same time, she should not catch a cold or fall. If she stays intact, her chances are intact. One of her strengths is that she doesn’t think about the big crystal ball. She emphasizes this over and over and I buy it from her. Lara rides and rides and might look at the leaderboard before the World Cup final – but not before. That is really a great power.
If she succeeds, I would wholeheartedly give her the chance: because it takes a lot to win the overall World Cup at this age and after two serious injuries. The crystal ball would shine a little more than normal.”
Sonja Nef (51) was the giant slalom specialist. In this discipline she won 13 World Cup competitions, the World Cup title in 2001 and Olympic bronze in 2002.
Maria Walliser: “Lara can deal intelligently with disruptive factors”
“Lara has been a big personality for years. Her skills are based on sophisticated, intensive training plans and thanks to her instincts she knows exactly what she needs for her body and mind and what not.
Her greatest strength is her intuitive riding style, which is why she is so brilliant in Super-G. The way she deals with the pressure and tension is also admirable. Whether it is performance-related or in dealing with the media and the public. Your personal environment certainly helps.
And yet no athlete is just a robot anymore. To be mentally ready, you need a lot of confidence in yourself and the team. When disruptive factors arise, Lara can cleverly avoid them by withdrawing.
During my ten years at the World Cup, I sometimes wished I hadn’t exhausted myself so much with media appointments and other commitments.
I wish Lara injury-free days, fun and satisfaction in everything she does. Especially off the slopes.”
Maria Walliser (60) became world champion three times, reached the World Cup podium at least once in all five disciplines and won three Olympic medals and the overall World Cup twice.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
