Ian Gut: “Lara set the bar really high”

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A pair of siblings are involved in sports. The sister, you can see that right away, is a huge talent. So her younger brother must be at least as talented! It’s a common reflex. In the case of Lara Gut-Behrami (32) and Ian Gut (28) it was no different, they formed “Team Gut” from childhood with father and trainer Pauli, plus mother Gabrielle.

Only: While Lara Gut-Behrami went on to become one of the greatest Swiss skiers of all time, her brother didn’t make any major headlines. ‘It does not matter. I did exactly what I wanted to do for over ten years. I’ve been through a lot and met a lot of people. But now that it’s over, I’m starting a new chapter in my life.”

“I was often too critical of myself”

Ian Gut retires at the age of 28. Not because he hurt himself, but because he doesn’t like it anymore. “I haven’t made any progress in recent winters and I don’t see much potential anymore,” he says. Gut was part of the Swiss-Ski squad until the end of the 2017/18 season, after which he switched to the Liechtenstein Ski Association and was also on the road with the Global Racing Ski Team in between.

In October, the giant slalom specialist rode his last of a total of three World Cup races during the season opener in Sölden. “A lot of little things didn’t make sense anymore and I gradually lost my self-confidence. Others cope better with setbacks. I’ve been very critical of myself throughout my career – often too critical.”

Famous sister also opened doors

Good probably won’t fall into a hole now. He attended business school and received his baccalaureate degree. Now Gut wants to work as a fitness trainer. “I am currently doing an internship at HC Lugano. I really like it.”

The question remains: does he feel his sister’s fame has hurt him as a ski racer or has it benefited him? “Thanks to her, I was given opportunities that otherwise would never have been. On the other hand, she set the bar very high with her results – wherever I was, I was known. So there were pros and cons.”

Source : Blick