Ski queen Gut-Behrami explains her transformation: “I used to want success, now I want to live”

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Driving force. Just drive. For fun and enjoyment. «I love this sport. That is what drives me forward,” says Lara Gut-Behrami. She achieved 16 podium finishes this winter, including 8 victories – more than ever before. But when she gets up early on Sunday, her recipe for success has completely disappeared.

Gut-Behrami starts to think. The reason: her comfortable lead in the giant slalom and the overall World Cup is causing her problems. “I was nervous because for the first time I realized how much I wanted to win these balls. I had to drive tactically, but I don’t actually know that and I can’t do that at all.”

In the end everything works out, Gut-Behrami finishes in 10th place and wins both crystal balls. Two races before the end of the season, the Ticino woman has already been confirmed as the ski queen of the winter. “That makes me proud,” she says.

Gut-Behrami was restless for a long time

It is the first time ever that Gut-Behrami has won the gigantic World Cup. It quickly becomes clear how much that means to her: the Ticino woman is beaming in the spring sun in the finish area in Saalbach. “It always bothered me when people said I was a speedster. Because the giant slalom is the basic discipline. It shows that you are technically one of the best.”

Gut-Behrami was already one of the best as a teenager. And the successes came quickly; by the age of 17, she had already collected two World Cup silver medals. Today she looks back on her early days in the ski circus: “I missed the peace and quiet to develop as a person. I wanted to ski fast, that was the most important thing. I didn’t know anything else. And if I won, I thought I would have to deliver again the next day.”

“She hit her head several times.”

For Walter Reusser, these words are more than just plausible. The CEO of Swiss Ski was not there at the time, but he knows Gut-Behrami’s career well. Part of this is that at one point she not only argued with the media, but also with the association. “Everyone made mistakes then, not just Lara. She hit her head several times, but that’s exactly why she is where she is today.”

Lara is not a great skier, but rather a role model for many children. “Today, more girls and boys are getting a ski license than ever before. This doesn’t just have to do with Lara and of course Marco Odermatt.”

No cameras? Then it’s even more fun

What particularly impresses Reusser is Gut-Behrami’s “healthy distance” from the ski entourage – even though she is right in the middle of it. “She looks at many things from a bird’s eye view and can assess very well what is happening.”

This is exactly what becomes clear in Saalbach. Gut-Behrami seems satisfied, but not euphoric. Is it particularly nice that mother Gabriella and father Pauli are also there? “Certainly. But even more important are the moments when there is no camera present. This week I spoke to them about what they did with us children – these are the most important memories I carry with me.

“I am at peace with myself”

The biggest turning point in Gut-Behrami’s career was not her first overall World Cup victory in 2016, but the torn ACL in 2017. “I used to think I was only someone because I can ski fast. The injury made me realize that people are crucial.” She got married, deleted her social media accounts and worried about what people thought of her. But most importantly, Gut-Behrami started to enjoy her life. Today she says: “I used to want success, now I want to live. I’m at peace with myself.”

Meanwhile, Gut-Behrami doesn’t want to know about his dismissal at the height. Your plan remains to ride another season. “Maybe one day in the summer I’ll wake up and think that none of this makes sense anymore. Who prefers to stay at home.”

Source : Blick