Michelle Gisin will have had to wait 8 years, 8 years before winning her first World Cup success on Tuesday during the Semmering slalom (AUT). The day after a giant canceled after the first round when she was third and had the opportunity to complete her collection (5 disciplines), “Micken” reacted in the best possible way by winning the race. track of his debut on the White Circus. “I then took an incredible 17th place before going out in the second heat,” recalls the Obwaldenian. After being congratulated and celebrated by her teammates and friends Wendy Holdener, Mélanie Meillard and Camille Rast, the champion of the day reacted. As always, with a smile and not forgetting those around him.
Michelle Gisin, what state are you in after your feat?
I can’t really realize, it’s just crazy! I was able to speak with my family, with Luca (note: From Aliprandini, his companion), it’s really good. They are too happy for me. It’s awesome. We’ve worked so hard to build a strong slalom team for years! It is a reward for all this work of several years.
Switzerland had been waiting for this success for 18 years. How do you explain it?
I’m not sure why we had to wait so long to regain success in the slalom. But now it’s behind and we’re all really happy that it happened. I think Wendy (Holdener) is too. What she has achieved in slalom so far is just crazy. We have to talk about it, really. Everyone is talking about my victory, this 3rd podium. But Wendy has done so many! She’s been so consistent in the Slalom World Cup for years! We push ourselves in training and I wouldn’t be here without her. Maybe I pushed her to a certain extent as well, but what is certain is that it helps us to be able to share all of this with the team, to work together. It’s still unfortunate because we have three injured girls (editor’s note: Aline Danioth, Elena Stoffel and Charlotte Chable) and it would be even more fun with them. We are expecting them back!
???? Michelle Gisin finally has her first World Cup success! The 27-year-old Obwaldenian won the Semmering night slalom and gave Swiss women’s skiing its first victory in the discipline for almost… 19 years. #RTSsport pic.twitter.com/lGCwLWyKXT
— RTS Sport (@RTSsport) December 29, 2020
You put an end to a 28-game winning streak of the duo Mikaela Shiffrin – Petra Vlhova. Is it also something special?
I have enormous respect for them. Everything they do is crazy. But for some time now, we have come closer and it is again a battle in front. There are no longer just two girls who crush everything. Finally, they have improved the way we all ski. We must be very grateful for that. Today, we appreciate being able to fight for victories with them. Personally, since my beginnings 8 years ago, I quickly joined the world top 15 and managed to stay there for a long time. It was tough because I knew my potential was higher than 10th or 15th but I had to be patient. It proves, and it is also necessary that the girls classified between 10th and 15th place know it, that anything is possible. You must never give up. It’s really cool to get to be right in front.
This victory also crowns an excellent start to the season.
Indeed, even if downhill in Val d’Isère, it was not easy. I started just after the fall of “Schmidi” (Nicole Schmidhofer). She’s a friend and it wasn’t fun at all. It reminded me of the memories of my brother’s fall too… The next day, it was again difficult to forget but to see that despite this I was one of the fastest, it proved that I really am in very good shape. I may be able to win in all disciplines right now on a good day where everything is working.
How are you going to spend the New Year?
I’m not going to go home because it’s far. So I’m going to train for a day or two. I hope I can take advantage of one or the other of the turns because I don’t really remember the ones today (laughs). We are going to have a nice New Year with the team, I am delighted! We’re really having fun, it’s cool. Then, a new stage with Zagreb. But it’s music of the future …
LMO
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