8 riders, 8 opinions: This is what the top skiers think about Gut-Behrami: “Lara gave me 1,000 francs for my operation”

«When I met Lara for the first time, I almost fainted. That was in Garmisch in 2016. I was already very good at snowboarding, but it was my first time participating in the Ski World Cup. My problem was: I had only seen the races on TV, but I didn’t know what Lara looked like without a helmet. She promptly stood next to me at the start and I thought: is that her? Is that really her? Someone then confirmed it to me. That was embarrassing, but also funny. Before, it was almost unthinkable for me to compete with her – it was completely surreal.

Nowadays it is normal for us to be on the ski team together. However, I rarely talk to her or the other athletes. I am very shy. Still, I always watch Lara’s training and races in the video analysis, she simply has a beautiful technique. She was my idol and I hope she wins the overall World Cup. There is nothing that can stop them.”

«When Lara achieved her first World Cup podium, I was twelve years old. She was always my idol. These dynamics, these curves, simply beautiful. I’ve always wanted to ride like Lara. I came to the World Cup four years ago, and I didn’t have much to do with her then. What strikes me most this season is how open she is. Lara smiles at every rider and talks to everyone – and not just about skiing. I like that a lot.”

“There are not many female skiers left in the ski circus who are older than Lara. I yes (laughs). I don’t know how much longer I’ll be driving. We are currently in Crans-Montana and I am feeling better and better. But when someone asked me if I would still be present at the 2027 World Cup, I had to smile. In three years I will be standing on the beach more often with a cocktail in my hand.

I have known Lara for many years and we have been through a lot. I remember 2010, I was 19 years old and my career was in jeopardy. I seriously injured my knee and needed massive surgery. But I didn’t have the money for it; the support in Slovenia is very different than in Switzerland or Austria. I started raising money everywhere and remember Lara gave me 1,000 francs. Ultimately, the operation I underwent in Basel with Dr. Friederich saved my career. I’ll never forget what Lara did for me back then: the money was one thing, the moral support was another.

Skiing is increasingly becoming a business. When things go well, you get a lot of pats on the back. When I became downhill world champion in 2017 and 2019, I couldn’t complain about the lack of sponsors. But not many people believed in me before – Lara did.”

“I’m pretty sure Lara will win the overall World Cup. The fact that she can already do this at the age of almost 33 is inspiring. It used to be that after an injury you simply could no longer drive properly. But our sport has become much more professional: the rehabilitation and physical training are completely different than before. This means we can drive longer.

Last winter I already had the feeling that Lara had great peace, satisfaction and joy during the races. After so many years in the ski circus, this is of course not the case. I love this sport, but at some point the magic gets lost a bit. Many things are the same, you know the World Cup locations, you travel for training, you have to suffer in the summer. It’s nice to see that Lara is still there with so much enthusiasm.”

«Lara is not afraid of criticism. When she says something, she means it; it is never about making themselves popular. She doesn’t think about her image. That’s how I work: if I think something is idiotic, I say: that’s idiotic! Lara and I are the two women who have been in the ski circus together the longest. We also compete in the same disciplines: giant slalom, super-G and downhill. We are both very good tactically and it is still difficult to beat each other.

I remember a European Cup race in St. Moritz in 2007. We were the youngest. For Lara it was her first descent at this level of racing, she was only 16 years old and we both started way back. I finished in 34th place and was very happy; after all, I had little experience at this level of racing. And Lara? She came fourth, but just said, “Oh…” She didn’t have to say anything else. That’s when I realized: she’s a champion. Her ambition was enormous and she was extremely competitive.

It’s nice that Lara and I are always fighting for victories after so many years. We haven’t always had it right, but that’s normal. Nowadays I appreciate them much more. Lara has not only bounced back from injuries, but also withstood the outside pressure – let’s not forget that she was publicly destroyed by many. Lara is great.”

“’That’s Bambino by the way!’ That’s how I once met Lara. Namely through my former teammate Viktoria Rebensburg – she called me that because I was the little one. A lot has happened since then. What remains: I admire Lara. Lately she has become more open, just more relaxed. But she still does her thing, doesn’t look too much to the left or right. For me this is very inspiring because I haven’t had much in the way of speed in the German team for a long time.

In recent years I have almost always been a lonely fighter. Because there are only a few German media at the races, I don’t have as much to do as Lara.

On the other hand, the focus is always on me; that’s a pressure I feel. Lara, on the other hand, when things weren’t going well for her, had teammates in Corinne, Jasmine and Michelle who also filled in for Switzerland.”

“Of course the video images of Lara crossing the finish line in St. Moritz at the age of 17 and coming third are still in my head. I then thought: she can ski very well. Her handles – she’s not the biggest – make everything look incredibly easy. It’s incredible how Lara can keep the beams short in the corners.

Lara did not have an easy time with the Swiss public. But she always did her own thing and still speaks her mind today. I don’t always dare to do that, because otherwise I would offend – and then I would have to pay for everything. Sure, Lara was blown away a few times in her career. Then maybe she realized she was overwhelming. But you need to understand that she always had a private team – this was probably a huge burden on her shoulders, especially at a young age. How she has mastered everything speaks for her.”

“I would wholeheartedly begrudge her if Lara wins the overall World Cup – it looks really good. I never really had much to do with Lara. You read a lot about her, and sometimes she seems a bit unsympathetic and withdrawn. I had the same impression until I spoke to her for the first time. I’m a pretty direct person and after a while I said to her, ‘Lara, you’re really nice. I didn’t know that.> (laughs) She thanked me.

One image that has stayed with me is how her mother was very happy with Lara’s victory in Cortina. And that despite the fact that her daughter has already won so much. I think Lara really appreciates moments like this.”