Gut-Behrami manages the turnaround after the World Cup frustration

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The cherry trees are in bloom, the sun is burning, Lara Gut-Behrami (31) is glowing. In Soldeu (And), located at over 1700 meters, spring has long arrived. The Pyrenees are the perfect backdrop for the perfect ride that Gut-Behrami conjures up in the snow. De Ticino not only wins the Super-G, but also gets the fourth discipline crystal ball of her career. “It’s a beautiful day. I did it,” she says on SRF.

Now, at the age of 31 and in the autumn of her sports career, can she enjoy this success more than the previous one? “I would like to,” says Gut-Behrami with a smile. The opposite is the case. To understand this statement, one must turn back the wheel of time.

Judgement. After an injury-free summer in 2022, Gut-Behrami was bursting with energy. “I didn’t think I would feel fitter at 31 than at 20. But that’s how it is.” She promptly wins her first race of the season in Killington (USA). A week later, at minus 20 degrees in Lake Louise (Ka), the tide turns. The woman from Ticino can be heard cursing for the first time as she drives past a target in the Super-G. “I notice it’s not getting any easier. I need a lot more physiotherapy than before. And I have trouble driving, I always get back pain – I’ve never had that before,” she said seven days later in St. Moritz GR .

Pure frustration and resigned thoughts

The body is failing Gut-Behrami more and more. She feels that her age, 15 years in the World Cup has left more marks than she thought. Successes and defeats alternate in the World Cup, Gut-Behrami usually rides at a high level, but is rarely happy. For someone who has won everything, good is not good enough. “Winter has been a roller coaster ride. I wasn’t often where I wanted to be,” she says.

The World Cup in Méribel (Fri) in mid-February then drops to a low point. Gut-Behrami is sixth in the Super-G, missing four hundredths for the medal. In the giant slalom it is nine hundredth, the Ticino swings away in fourth and refuses to talk. After all, it was “due settimane di merda”, ie “two shitty weeks”.

Detached ride to the ball

Today Gut-Behrami admits that quitting after the World Cup was definitely an option. On the other hand, she thought, “I don’t want to stop like this, I can’t.” She, the fighter, continued. “At a certain point I decided that I would ride for another two years. That gave me back my comfort. It was like opening the doors again.”

In fact, Gut-Behrami drives carefree in Soldeu – or so it seems. At the start she knew, “This isn’t my last Super-G, it’s just a Super-G. I can step on the gas.” That’s exactly what she did. From World Cup hell to crystal ball heaven – Gut-Behrami got it.

Source : Blick